Former Melbourne captain Garry Lyon admits that if the 2020 AFL season gets to a point where it becomes impossible for all teams to play each other once, the asterisk might just get too big to handle.
Victorian teams will have to vacate the state on Monday for the next block of the season, with the AFL now relying on Queensland and New South Wales to keep things alive.
Speaking on AFL Nation, Gerard Whateley said that the border situation might just become too complex come the end of the year.
“There is a chance, despite the best of intentions, that it will be difficult to get everybody to play everybody once in the last four weeks,” Whateley said.
Lyon however, feels the competition needs everyone to play each other once at the bare minimum.
“The best of intentions need to be transferred at all costs because if there’s a season that unfolds where teams don’t play everyone once, then the asterisk gets too big,” Lyon said.
When asked if he’d accept the situation if it simply was not feasible for all teams to play each other once, Lyon admits it would be difficult.
“I think you have to have a competition where you play everyone at least once,” he said.
“That’s just where I’m sitting. That’s the breaking point for me. If we have a season where you might be playing other teams more than once and the others none, that’s a breaking point.”
Whateley expects the fixturing job to only get harder for the AFL as the season unfolds.
“It does become more problematic at that stage and that’s why there’s such a determination for everyone to play each once,” he said.
“There is a scenario in the last four weeks where it’s just out of the AFL’s control and that swings entirely on the state of borders and the like.
“Maybe once we’ve had 10 weeks and you’ve got a sample of who is good and who has given up, it mightn’t be such a strong imperative, but there’s a strong determination to make it happen.
“If (COVID cases) get away in Victoria, you might be chasing a game you can never quite catch up too.”