THE AFL has all but conceded there will be no further home and away matches played in Victoria in 2020.
In a video hook-up with club CEOs on Wednesday morning, AFL bosses revealed that eight of the 10 Victorian clubs would be based in Queensland for the remainder of the Toyota AFL Premiership Season, with two of the 10 - currently Collingwood and Geelong, soon to be Hawthorn and Carlton – based for short-term periods in Perth.
Rounds seven and eight of the 2020 season are already fixtured, and will stay as planned. Rounds 9-17 will be condensed.
With the agreement by the Queensland government to house the Victorian clubs, the sunshine state is now in the box-seat to host the 2020 Grand Final.
The GIANTS and Swans will remain in Sydney for now (meaning the GIANTS round seven and eight fixtures remain at GIANTS Stadium), but with the COVID-19 infection rate pushing up, those two teams may too be evacuated to Queensland.
Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Wednesday revealed she had spoken with AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan about the Victorian clubs' situation.
In a statement released on social media, Premier Palaszczuk said: "I stress none of these measures can happen without strict quarantine protocols and the COVID management plan that has allowed the AFL season to proceed.
This afternoon, AFL Chief Executive Gillon McLachlan added:
“Over the last few months we have consistently spoken about our competition and our club's ability to adapt.
We have also spoken about ensuring we prioritise the health and welfare of our players, staff and the wider community.
The evolving situation around different states and communities has meant we have had to make decisions quickly and the relevant adjustments to ensure the season continues.
For this I can't thank our clubs, players, coaches, umpires, staff, broadcast and corporate partners enough.
We also appreciate the enormous sacrifice the families of travelling players and officials are making in allowing their loved ones to live interstate to ensure we get the competition away for our supporters.
Today we make another decision to ensure the health and welfare of everyone and to provide greater certainty to all involved in our game for the coming weeks.”
The fixturing of matches beyond round eight will incorporate matches on all days of the week.
During Wednesday's meeting, some clubs sought an assurance that the rounds leading into the finals – rounds 16 and 17 – revert to the traditional Thursday-Sunday scheduling.
