AFL 2020 Season Will Restart On June 11 Following Coronavirus Shutdown

ABC News

The 2020 AFL season will resume on June 11 with the grand final likely held towards the end of October, the league's boss Gillon McLachlan has announced.


Gillon McLachlan says players will be tested twice a week throughout the season.

Key Points Full-contact training will resume for all clubs from May 25 The four clubs from Western Australia and South Australia will relocate to the Gold Coast The grand final is likely to be held in October, but a date is yet to be set

McLachlan said from Monday, all clubs would return to training and all AFL clubs would resume full-contact training a week later on May 25, before the premiership season picked up on June 11.

"Today's a significant step in getting footy back for everyone, our fans, clubs players, coaches … and all who love the game," he said.

"We know as the situation continues to evolve, we need to remain agile and flexible, to be able to adapt where necessary."

The season was suspended in March due to coronavirus restrictions

McLachlan said all players and returning football staff were being tested for coronavirus and undergoing education on the protocols in place to manage the risk of the pandemic.

The first set of AFL fixtures will be released next week. (AAP: Michael Dodge, file photo)

He said the measures, which had been developed in consultation with health authorities around the country, involved every player being tested twice a week in training and playing.

"We have bi-weekly testing of every player at least 24 hours before the contact sessions and we'll have the results back before they're allowed to do contact sessions or play games," he said.

The remaining 144 games and finals of the 2020 season would be released in blocks of four to six weeks, he said, with the first block of fixtures to be released in 10 days.

The first round of the season was played without any fans.(AAP: Michael Dodge)

McLachlan said the grand final was likely to be held in mid-to-late-October.

"We must not place any burden on the public health system," he said.

"Our industry understands the opportunity we have been given, we also fully understand and accept our responsibility to our football family and to the wider community."

McLachlan said the league's four teams from Western Australia and South Australia would base themselves out of the Gold Coast, after their home states declined to relax quarantine restrictions for players coming in and out of their borders.

Protocols For AFL Teams Players and officials will be temperature tested "every single time" they enter club facilities Players must train in small groups of eight people or less, except for weekly contact sessions Players and staff will be tested for coronavirus within 24 hours of contact sessions and 24 hours before games The movement of players, coaches and officials outside training will "continue to be restricted" There will be strict limits in place for anyone entering football areas

He said Fremantle and West Coast would complete pre-training at home before moving to the Gold Coast ahead of their first scheduled match, while Port Adelaide and the Adelaide Crows would move before May 25.

McLachlan thanked the Queensland Government for reaching an agreement on "strict protocols" which would allow players from those teams to host family visits.

He initially told a press conference the AFL would fund those visits, but later clarified that the league would "facilitate" the visits instead.

The schedule would have to be flexible if it started to conflict with other sports, like cricket or the racing season, he said.

"So if it plays out that we're coming into the T20 World Cup or racing we'll work around it with them and we'll get an outcome that works for sports fans and for other sports, for everyone," he said.

"We have to remain agile and flexible to be able to adapt when necessary."

He said the fixture would be finalised in the coming week with the Eagles, Dockers, Crows and Port Adelaide all playing against each other in the first four rounds.

The presidents and CEOs of the 18 AFL clubs were given the date for the start of the season in a phone hook-up this morning.

West Coast general manager of football, Craig Vozzo, said obviously the team wanted to stay in Perth but "we're in a difficult situation and we need to be flexible".

"[The players] have certainly had lots of questions … so we need to work through those. We won't be forcing anyone to go," he said.