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The AFL says it will proceed with its opening round of the men's season beginning Thursday night, despite concerns related to coronavirus.
- The 17-round season has been reduced to 153 games and its continuation would be reviewed daily
- AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said the decision was given the green light from the chief medical officer
- Mr McLachlan said all 18 clubs had said they wanted to play
The league's commission met on Wednesday afternoon and decided to go ahead with at least the first round, which kicks off with the traditional Richmond-Carlton season opener at the MCG.
The match will be played inside an empty stadium following the AFL's decision to ban spectators on the advice of the Federal Government.
AFLW games would also continue this weekend but will forgo the final two weeks of the home and away season and move straight into finals with a fixture to be announced on Thursday.
AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said the decision was made to "preserve the industry".
"Today's inflection point has been reached with wide consultation including conversations with the Australian chief medical officer," Mr McLachlan said.
"Our 17-round season becomes a 153-game journey. We have to be agile and flexible. The games will be shortened. Quarters will be 16 minutes plus time on."
"We know at any time a player may test positive and halt our journey temporarily.
"We start tomorrow night, confident after discussions with the chief medical officer that our players are well placed to bear the proportionate risk of playing a contact sport."
Mr McLachlan said going ahead with the games sat "within newly announced guidelines and protocols" made by the Federal Government on Wednesday.
"All parts of society need to keep moving forward. We simply cannot stand still," he said.
"We don't know how many games we get into the 153-game journey before we have to pause, but what I do know today is I feel comfortable with the government and medical advice."
Mr McLachlan said this year's footy season would "not look like any other".
"This is an unprecedented challenge. We've taken action in both the men's and women's seasons. 153 games will not look like a standard 17-game season," he said.
Mr McLachlan said the commission considered the decision "widely" and contemplated the uncertain and ever-changing times the country was going through.
He said all 18 clubs said they wanted to play.
"I think it's going to be a long year," he said.
Mr McLachlan said the future of the season after this weekend was murky because the advice was "changing daily".
He said the decision to continue the season was "entirely consistent with the policy and positioning of our government".
"The chief medical officer's strategy was that industry goes forward, that we can't stand still," he said.
"That was incredibly compelling for the commission this morning to hear that.
"The Prime Minister said this morning we can't lock ourselves in our house.
"If that was the view, that going on lockdown was the best way forward, then we would do that, but that wasn't the advice."
Mr McLachlan said continuing the season would be reviewed every day and that clubrooms had been set up to fit within the latest health protocols.
Topics: infectious-diseases-other, respiratory-diseases, sport, australian-football-league, australia, vic, melbourne-3000
First posted