AFL clubs and players have circled a May 4 return to training, according to player manager Liam Pickering and Crows' GM of Football Adam Kelly.
The 2020 season has already been put on ice until at least May 31, and the nation's social distancing rules mandate that activities like group training are also prohibited.
But clubs and players are keen to get back to training as soon as possible, with a return in less than a month possible.
โThe initial call with the clubs was May the 4th back at training unless you hear otherwise,โ Pickering said on SEN's Dwayne's World.
โI think thatโs doable unless something else happens.
โItโs a day-by-day thing weโre doing at the moment. I would think that it is doable potentially because that was the initial date that they thought.
โIt was probably being a little bit positive I thought. Anyway we hope so.
โThe boys are going stir crazy at home so May 4th couldn't come quick enough for them.โ
Crows' head of footy Kelly cited May 4th as the desired return date, pending AFL approval.
โAt this point the only commitment weโve got from the AFL is that theyโll review the situation by the end of April to determine whether the training suspension period will be lifted on May the 4th or whether it be pushed back but weโre prepared for that one way or another,โ he told Dwayne Russell.
โI think the AFL is conscious of ensuring that all 18 clubs are all on the same level playing field.
โWhenever decisions are made about lifting training suspension periods thereโd have to be some forewarning for that to happen so that all clubs are dealing with it on an equitable basis in that players travelling from interstate have got to deal with self-isolation.
โSo (we are) very conscious of that and the decisions that they make will be made on reflection of state-by-state scenarios that weโre all facing.โ
