When will the game’s actually start??

[bornadog]

AFL season still in doubt ahead of key Monday meetings

​Senior club officials believe the start of the season remains in doubt ahead of a critical day of meetings - including an extraordinary teleconference featuring the entire AFL playing cohort - in which players coaches and officials will be briefed on the AFL's plans for a radically revamped fixture to deal with the brunt of the coronavirus.

Club sources said it may only take one or a handful of positive coronavirus tests for round one matches to be cancelled, which would throw into disarray the league's proposals to cram as much football as possible into the early part of the season before the spread of the virus forces the game into hiatus.

A sense of uncertainty was the prevailing feeling around the league on Sunday with the viability of round one still up in the air four days out from the scheduled season opener between Richmond and Carlton, slated to be played at an empty MCG on Thursday night.

The league has indicated to clubs its determination to play a full home-and-away fixture of 198 matches despite the very real threat of matches being postponed as the impact of coronavirus hits hard over the coming weeks and months.

Key club officials and players spoken to by The Age on Sunday were expecting the league would shed light on its plans across several meetings on Monday, including one featuring club general managers of football and a planned teleconference of senior coaches.

Players were also set to have their say on Monday via an online link-up of AFL Players’ Association club delegates, before a Monday night teleconference involving every AFL player in which players will be surveyed on their views, which can then be conveyed to the league.

Bracing for inevitable financial hardship as a result of the virus, the AFL is not planning on asking for a government stimulus package, unlike rugby league, which has called for a federal government bailout in the wake of the ban on mass public gatherings.

However, acutely aware of the potentially disastrous impact on the industry - including massive financial losses and potential job losses - the AFL has told clubs it is desperate to play as much of the season as possible. The jamming of matches in quick succession and with smaller than usual breaks for clubs is on the cards, with clubs expecting to learn more about the AFL’s novel fixture plans on Monday.

Key figures from non-Victorian clubs have floated the possibility that their teams could have extended early-season road trips to minimise travel. An example would be Fremantle staying in Melbourne to play three matches in 10 or 11 days.

Measures being discussed to help clubs manage these unprecedented playing demands include:

One club said on Sunday that it was hopeful the AFL would try to ensure that some blockbuster fixtures were left unplayed until later in the season in a bid to ease the financial pain, rather than being played behind closed doors in the coming weeks.

A senior club also said that the AFL has indicated to clubs that it is working closely with partner airline Virgin to protect and isolate players as much as possible when they travel interstate in coming weeks.

Clubs have gone into lockdown, banning visitors from entering their premises as the AFL looks to minimise the chances that players contract the disease.

However the situation remains perilous. Senior club figures, including some privy to the AFL’s medical plans for the virus, said on Sunday that given the fast-moving nature of the crisis, there was no guarantee that positive tests early this week wouldn’t then force the league’s hand and mean the season was postponed immediately, just as happened in the United States when NBA player Rudy Gobert tested positive.

Meanwhile the AFL is privately playing down the chances that the AFLW grand final could be expedited to ensure that a premiership is decided before coronavirus halts play. It has been mooted that Fremantle and North Melbourne - currently top of the respective AFLW conferences - could play off for the flag next weekend despite there being two rounds of the home and away season plus three weeks of finals still scheduled.

But the idea came as news to Dockers coach Trent Cooper after his side’s win over the Western Bulldogs at an empty Whitten Oval on Sunday.

[mjp]

But the idea came as news to Dockers coach Trent Cooper after his side’s win over the Western Bulldogs at an empty Whitten Oval on Sunday.

This is my favourite part...it came as news to Coops. Umm - no it didn't because they were talking about it late last week...but if you play dumb at a press conference and the journos there have no relationship with you, then...

But - the AFL has discouraged any club with a male AFLW coach from putting them front and centre with regards to media...which is not really helping grow the game. Yesterday's game between our girls and Freo was awesome (well, not the result) but does anyone actually know that??

[bornadog]

This is my favourite part...it came as news to Coops. Umm - no it didn't because they were talking about it late last week...but if you play dumb at a press conference and the journos there have no relationship with you, then...

The AFLW Grand Final?

That is what Trent was referring to

[mjp]

The AFLW Grand Final?

That is what Trent was referring to

...and also what I was referring too.

Story and whispers won’t go away. Aflw gf THIS weekend.

[Topdog]

They will pull it late this week. The curve isn't flattening at all because the Government took too long to respond.

You can't even get tested unless you have been in contact with someone that has tested positive.

[Scraggers]

If the season does not go ahead, does this mean that teams with a chance this year have their Premiership windows closed slightly?

[bornadog]

UPDATE:

* AFL boss Gillon McLachlan says state leagues season will be delayed until end of May

* AFL reduced to 17 games play everyone once

*Round one still up in the air, as is this week's AFLW round. Should know by end of tomorrow

* Looking at supplementary players

[bornadog]

What the 2019 ladder would have looked like if teams hadn't played each other a 2nd time


13-4 GEEL
12-5 WCE
11-6 COLL
11-6 GWS
11-6 BRIS
11-6 RICH
9-8 PORT
9-8 WBD


9-8 FREM
8-9 HAW
8-9 ADEL
8-9 NTH
8-9 ESS
7-10 SYD
6-11 STK
5-12 MELB
4-13 CARL
3-14 GCS

[bornadog]

First 4 weeks of fixture will remain the same, then the remaining 13 will be rejigged so everyone plays each other once.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

What happens to the draft if there is no ladder?

Just hoping this doesn’t affect us getting JUM

[GVGjr]

I think the AFL have got this right...well as right as you can in these troubling and testing times. A 17 round season makes the most sense

[GVGjr]

What happens to the draft if there is no ladder?

Just hoping this doesn’t affect us getting JUM

We aren't there yet but I would imagine they would maintain the positions from last year

[Scraggers]

I think the AFL have got this right...well as right as you can in these troubling and testing times. A 17 round season makes the most sense

A 17 round season has made sense for a long long time ... it's a shame it took a pandemic to bring it in.