AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan is growing in optimism every day that crowds will be able to attend games in 2020, despite the consistent fears of COVID-19.
After the AFL suspended the season after the first round of the season due to coronavirus pandemic, crowds attending games in 2020 even in a socially distanced environment seemed near impossible.
But recent optimism by the AFL has indicated that there is a chance that fans will be back in seats at some point in 2020.
"We've got a pretty much finalised, 80 per cent done, crowd plan in terms of how we'd go working within the rules and we've got international learnings, and are working with venues and specialists," McLachlan told 3AW on Friday.
"But it's the same as where we've been before. We'll be ready when government and health officers say we're right. There's various spectrums of that depending on where community infection rates are at and how flexible we can be.
"But we're working on that and I think we're in good shape."
Temperature checks before games are an option that the AFL are in discussion with if the government eases restrictions and fans are allowed to once again enter stadiums.
"I reckon every day that goes past there's a better chance. This is one where I'm not going to run ahead of the health officials and the government," he said.
"But I do feel that the community's doing an unbelievable job, and our officials and health officials are doing such a good job, that we're heading in a direction where we're getting back to life.
"What that looks like and when that's possible, I don't know, but we'll be ready."
