IT’S LINE BALL

AFL to juggle states in bid to return

THE AFL is caught in a tangle of interstate red tape in its bid to restart the 2020 season.

A revamped footy fixture is expected to be unveiled tomorrow but it remained unclear last night when all 18 clubs would be permitted to return to full-contact training.

Victorian Premier Daniel

Andrews (pictured) yesterday gave the 10 Victorian clubs the green light to hit the track, but tougher regulations in four other states are hampering the immediate comeback plan.

AFL players in NSW, Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia are not yet permitted by governments to train as a team, and full-contact training could yet be some weeks away.

The league is committed to ensuring no club gains a competitive advantage and has instructed players to train only in pairs until further notice, with a hope that training in groups of 10 could occur next week.

The South Australian Government has still not informed the AFL whether it will grant exemptions to Port Adelaide and the Adelaide Crows that would allow them to bypass strict 14-day quarantine rules and fly in and out of the state for matches.

SA health authorities remain concerned about players coming into physical contact with infected opposition players and bringing the coronavirus back into the state.

“The chief public health officer has been forwarded correspondence from the AFL and is working through a response,” a SA Government spokesman said last night.

The AFL commission convened via video conference yesterday to tick off the league’s return-to-play protocols with hope of a season resumption in mid-June.

Hundreds of club and AFL staff — who were stood down until at least May 31 — are waiting to learn their fate.

Tough border restrictions in Western Australia mean the West Coast Eagles and Fremantle will almost certainly be forced to relocate to an eastern state to start the season, with interstate clubs banned from entering WA and SA.

Logistically, it would be preferred that the two Perth clubs were based in Melbourne but the facilities and better weather on offer on the Gold Coast also have strong appeal.

In a further complication, up to a quarter of the Eagles’ list remain in quarantine in Perth, with several not due for release until May 21, though it is understood their lockdown would not halt the league’s restart plans.

Port Adelaide also has players in quarantine.

In one scenario, if the Crows and Power are forced to relocate, 14 of the 18 clubs could be based in Victoria for the beginning of the season.

Tasmania is not interested in hosting matches while crowds are banned.