The AFL are set to announce that they will look to resume AFL games in July or even sooner, according to The Age.ย
If all continues to go well with the coronavirus spread and it continues to get maintained, it's not out of the realms that a return to playing as early as June is off the table.
The AFL suspended its season until at least May 31, and the league has agreed with its clubs and players that they could be ready to play after a three-week pre-season period.
AFL Chief Executive Gillon McLachlan has made it known that the league is confident and optimistic that it would be able to properly announce a date to return and play by the end of April.
"I am optimistic and as confident as you can be, but we continue to take the advice of the government and the medical officers and today we have a level of confidence that things are going the right way. But I always have that asterisk," McLachlan said.
With the Australian government providing some positive news as of late about the coronavirus pandemic, there is much more optimism that a return could be sooner rather than later.
It's looking more and more likely that games will be played at three hubs around the country and the potential of playing games with no crowds for the rest of the year is also on the cards.
McLachlan also said that there would be an altered national draft this year and that list sizes were likely to be cut or changed in structure for next year.
With fears of the AFL having to suspend its season altogether, the news of a potential return date was a positive one.
A likely avenue for returning would be playing hubs set out in several locations around the country where clubs would potentially have to relocate for some periods of time.
"I think it's incumbent on us to look at every option and that ranges from playing the way we have historically to various levels of quarantine, and we are working with the right people in government, bio-security experts and medical officers to get a considered view about the right way to take us forward," McLachlan said.
"The decision we make will have the support of the relevant government authorities and their medical officers.
