Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin hopes to have his players back at training within a month and is open to any ideas the AFL puts forward in regards to restarting the season.
The competition is shut down until at least May 31 because of the coronavirus outbreak, with the AFL set to announce a plan forward in late April after further consultation with relevant government and health authorities.
The Demons are aiming towards a return to an increased form of training on May 4 but will alter their planning if and when required.
:That’s always been a date that’s been spoken about by the AFL and they’ll give us the guidance on the back of that,” Goodwin said.
“They’ll let us know as we get closer whether that’s realistic or not.
“But you can only deal with what’s in front of you and that’s the date that they’ve spoken about to the clubs and to the playing group.
“So we’ll keep working towards that date.
“If it shifts, it shifts. But we’re working towards that date.”
Melbourne sent interstate players back to their families as quickly as they could after their round one fixture against West Coast on March 22, which was played in the hours after the AFL announced the competition’s suspension.
The Demons hope to get their players back to Melbourne two weeks before their return to training as a group.
“The quicker we get some guidance on what that return date would be, we’ll take out the risk and make sure our players come back and are ready to go for that training return,” Goodwin said.
Goodwin said one positive to take from the enforced hiatus was that Aaron vandenBerg, Nathan Jones, Christian Salem, Harrison Petty, Mitch Hannan and Harley Bennell would all be fit to return from injury when the AFL action resumes.
The demons mentor was open to the quarantine hub plan floated this week but has not spoken about it with his players because no formal plan has been put to the club as yet.
“The AFL are looking at all ideas that can get our season up and running at the appropriate time and we’d be open to anything,” Goodwin said.
“Once it gets to that point where there is an opportunity to play, whatever the season may look like, whatever the games look like, wherever the situation or scenarios take us, whichever place around Australia – we’re in.
“It’s because we love the game and we want to get back playing at some point.”