COVID has AFL facing fixture headache

This includes cycling those clubs through Queensland for several weeks after playing Melbourne sides to effectively “cleanse” them for 14 days.

It means they could continue playing each week then fly from Queensland back into WA, with no border restrictions between those states.

But it is understood that if either West Coast or Fremantle play any team which has played a Victorian side within the past 14 days, the WAbased teams become “dirty” again.

It means that they will then have to quarantine for 14 days upon their return.

All of it shapes up as a recipe for disaster unless the WA government relaxes its hard-line stance after the state election on Saturday March 13.

The league could also seek exemptions for WA teams to have tighter COVID restrictions when they leave Perth and be able to return without quarantining.

But the league will have to hope for almost no positive COVID cases across the country helped by a vaccine rollout if West Australia does not relent.

“What I do know is we will explore every opportunity,” Auld said.

“It’s what we did last year, we have to start the season and when we encounter some speed humps we will find our way around those and I am confident that as an organisation and industry we will be working with our partners and players and clubs to work through it.

“As it stands today it feels difficult to find a way through those restrictions. What we do know is that many things can change between now and March 18 and we have to remain open to differing options. We are having conversations with those clubs and the government and it may not be an issue, it may be an issue for a round or a week and I don’t think anyone knows.”