AFL Chief Executive suggests 2020 season could resume in June

AFL Chief Executive Gillon McLachlan has briefs clubs on the potential for the League to resume as of next month.

Speaking today in a video conference following Friday's national cabinet meeting that covered the potential resumption of elite and community sport, McLachlan told club executives that the Federal Government’s "endorsed pathway", effectively signed-off during the national cabinet meeting on Friday, gave clarity to match resumption for the first time since the season was suspended after round one due to COVID-19.

McLachlan told AFL.com.au after the meeting "there is now optionality for us in what lies ahead.”

With the AFL having previously considered the introduction of ‘hubs’, which while plans for which were not finalised, included options for teams to quarantined and play in a handful of venues, the clubs were told that with the now expected easing of restrictions hubs may not be required and fixtures may be played in the traditional form.

With Victoria’s state of emergency in place until 11th May, subsequent easing of measures could see Victorian clubs given allowance to move to Stage B of the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS)-endorsed sports return blueprint, which would allow players to train in groups of 10, by mid to late May.

Stage C of the AIS’s Framework for Rebooting Sport in a COVID-19 Environment allows for competitive training and match play.

The AFL’s quarantine hubs suggestions have proved unpopular with players reported to have threatened to stand themselves down for the remainder of the 2020 AFL season if their families aren’t allowed to attend the quarantine hubs proposed to be established in June.