Eagles, Dockers swing back to AFL action on Gold Coast in mid June
The 2020 AFL season will swing back to action on June 11 with West Coast and Fremantle set to play initial matches on the Gold Coast and stay on golf course resort hubs.
AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan on Friday told 3AW the first matches in the new fixture would be released publicly next week.
Elliot Yeo congratulates Andrew Gaff on kicking a goal in round 1 at Optus Stadium. The Eagles won't play a fixture on their home turf for some time.
The league's 18 club presidents and CEOs were told on a phone hook-up on Friday of plans to resume the restricted 17-round season on June 11 and testing protocols, a report on the AFL website said.
McLachlan told Melbourne radio on Friday morning non-contact training could begin from Monday, moving to full contact the following Monday.
Players and club officials would be tested before they resume training at their facilities, and twice a week indefinitely thereafter.
West Coast and Fremantle, who had been hoping the state government would exempt them from quarantine to allow them to fly in and out of WA for the initial batch of matches, will be based at two golf course resorts on the Gold Coast.
Eagles football general manager Craig Vozzo said although Perth was the ideal location for a hub, the club was happy to relocate to Royal Pines.
"It’s a good fit for our football club in terms of climate and facility ... a good opportunity to gather with some space," he said at a press conference on Friday morning.
"There’s good availability for ovals, gyms and aquatic facilities ... and gives us a good opportunity to set up a good base."
Vozzo said there was potential for the families of West Coast players - and Fremantle by association, too - to join them at their hubs, with the Crows and Power also likely to be based in Queensland.
"We’re working through with the AFL collaboratively, for players and staff families living in a hub,” he said.
“We believe the South Australian clubs will be relocating to Queensland as well ... and the fixture will be released in blocks, not in entirety. We will need to have flexibility.”
The WA and SA teams would play a series of matches against each other and the Queensland-based Gold Coast Suns and Brisbane Lions, the AFL website said.
Broadcast partners Channel Seven and Foxtel had requested traditional Thursday to Sunday fixturing where possible for the remaining 144 matches of the regular season, although those arrangements and the fixture going forward could change depending on the COVID-19 fight.
The Eagles and Dockers had asked the league to be based on the Gold Coast rather than Victoria to protect themselves from any home-ground advantage in potential fixtures against the 10 teams based in Melbourne.
Vozzo said he hoped the AFL could fixture a run of home games at Optus Stadium later in the season to even the home-and-away ledger.
"We need to be flexible and are working to get a reasonable run of home games after that,” he said.
The WA clubs would play their initial matches at Metricon Stadium and the GABBA.
The Dockers and Eagles will now likely remain in WA and train fully as a squad from May 25 before flying to Queensland to begin matches on the June 12-14 weekend.
Collingwood president Eddie McGuire, a member of the AFL's coronavirus committee, said on Wednesday round two of the 2020 season would resume at the MCG with traditional rivals Collingwood and Richmond, who were scheduled to play each other that round anyway.
Clubs in Victoria and NSW would continue to play in their home states and also fly in and out for fixtures on chartered flights, some to carry two teams where possible for interstate trips to reduce costs and reduce the risk of a COVID-19 outbreak.
Players were told on Wednesday they would be held to stricter social distancing measures than the public in their individual states.
Mr McLachlan will reveal more detail around the season resumption at 10.45am WST on Friday.