AFL June 11 Restart Could See Double-Header Fixtures

After the AFL announced its 2020 premiership season will resume on June 11, AFL CFO and GM of broadcasting and clubs, Travis Auld, said the absence of crowds and limited venues could see two games played at the same ground in one day.

“We do have the opportunity to have double-headers, given we haven’t got crowds,” Auld told SEN’s Crunch Time.

“So we may have opportunities where we’ve got, not necessarily back-to-back, you need a gap between the two, but two games on the same day out of the one venue.

“You can because the circumstances are so unique.

“Those things work for a number of reasons, it makes things easier from a fixturing point of view, it certainly makes it easier for our broadcasters, TV and radio.

“So I think there’s an opportunity to do things a bit differently and we’ll certainly look to do that,” he said.

This means the most likely scenario for a double-header would see a venue host an early Saturday afternoon game, then another later that night, as the league preferences not using suburban grounds at the earlier stages of the season restart.

The four clubs who are temporarily relocating to hubs on the Gold Coast will not be required to travel outside Queensland in the first block of fixtures, with West Coast, Fremantle, Adelaide, and Port Adelaide having to play “home” games while in Queensland.

Auld said if the SA or WA teams were scheduled to play a “home” game against Brisbane or Gold Coast, it’s likely they would face the Lions at Metricon Stadium and the Suns at the Gabba to avoid the two Queensland clubs receiving a home ground advantage.

“If it is an Adelaide home game playing the Lions, then there’ll certainly be a big push for that to be at Metricon, not at the Gabba,” Auld said.

To listen to Travis Auld discuss the future of the AFL in more depth, click here to watch our ‘Conversations’ vodcast episode featuring Auld.