Aussie Rules Football: season postponed after one round

Australian rules football, one of the few top-flight sports to have defied the coronavirus crisis and stage fixtures, has fallen victim to the pandemic.

The 2020 AFL season kicked off just last Thursday with all matches staged behind closed doors. However, as the final games of the first round were still being played on Sunday the sport's governing body announced that the season is to be suspended.

All matches until May 31 have been postponed while the women's tournament, the AFLW, has been cancelled and no title will be awarded.

AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said: "To say this is the most serious threat to our game in 100 years is an understatement. It is unprecedented in its impact."

Pressure has mounted on Australia's football and rugby league's governing bodies to follow suit although no decision has yet been announced.

Rugby league's NRL has continued behind closed doors and the competition's chief executive Todd Greenberg said on Sunday: "At this stage, our intent is to play on and we remain committed to the continuation of the 2020 season as far as government advice allows it ...

"However, we understand the pace of the crisis is escalating rapidly and we need to remain flexible and conscious of community expectations."

Football's A-League has fixtures scheduled on Monday but while the Football Federation of Australia has not yet called those off, FFA CEO James Johnson said further action may be taken after an Australian cabinet meeting on Sunday evening (Sunday morning UK time).

Victoria, NSW, Western Australia and South Australia announced on Sunday a range of measures that will come into force in the next few days to shut down non-essential services and travel.

However, former Australian rugby league captain Brad Fittler believes the NRL would be less affected.

"There is a difference between the two sports in that we do a lot less travel than the AFL. If there is some sort of way the NRL can go forward that would be on the back of that," Fittler told Channel Nine.

"They (the AFL) have got two teams in Western Australia, two teams in South Australia, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne so it takes a lot of travel. If there is an advantage to the NRL it would be the fact that it is predominantly played in two states."

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