The AFL Commission has confirmed plans to start the 2020 season on Thursday night, following marathon crisis talks surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.

The decision, initially delayed from Tuesday, came after a lengthy AFL Commission meeting on Wednesday that left the AFL, AFLW and football fans on tenterhooks for hours.

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Official word on the season was deferred to the point that at 6.25pm AEDT, Richmond and Carlton released their teams for Thursday night’s scheduled opener without knowing whether they would line up at the MCG.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday revealed a range of new restrictions and advice designed to combat the spread of coronavirus, including a ban on all non-essential indoor gatherings of more than 100 people.

But football is exempt and the government refused to tell sporting codes to shut down, leaving the decision in the hands of the AFL Commission.

AFLPA Players’ Association boss Paul Marsh said prior to the final call that the government’s “sobering” guidance suggested it was hard to see the season getting underway.

Despite that, a proposed 17-round home-and-away men’s season is now set to begin on Thursday night with games played behind closed doors on an indefinite basis.

The AFLW season will also go ahead this weekend with preliminary finals replacing regular-season fixtures.

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The decision to play on could still be disrupted by a likely suspension given AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said the competition would be halted for at least 14 days, and possibly longer, if a player tested positive for COVID-19.

That is likely to come at a significant cost to the league and all of the game’s personnel, including football and administration staff who could lose their jobs.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s expectation that Australian lives could be changed for six months casts a pall over the league’s ability to complete the season later this year.

Some 88 per cent of AFL players had voted on Monday night in favour of starting the season this week in spite of other sporting leagues around the world shutting down at a moment’s notice.

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Club chief executives, facing the prospect of losing millions of dollars, also wanted the AFL to proceed while it is possible.

Regardless of the decision the league and its players remain at loggerheads over the proposed shortened season, with players calling for the AFL to consider retaining its 22-round campaign regardless of when it begins.

The finals series could be pushed back into October in order to complete the season.

One roadblock in that scenario for the AFL is that the men’s Twenty20 World Cup cricket tournament is due to start at major grounds across Australia on October 18.

“If (the season’s) done by the end of September, fabulous - but if we need more time we’ll do that,” McLachlan told reporters on Monday.

AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan had been locked in meetings all week. Credit: JAMES ROSS / AAPIMAGE

All 18 teams would play each other once in the abbreviated fixture, with the first four rounds of games to run as scheduled before a new draw is created for the remaining months.

Earlier this week state leagues - the VFL, SANFL, WAFL, NEAFL and TSL, as well as their associated women’s competitions - were already postponed until at least May 31.

The under-18 NAB league season, boasting many potential draftees, has also been pushed back.

In other football codes, the NRL and A-League are pushing ahead with their seasons behind closed doors and with the New Zealand-based Warriors and Phoenix temporarily relocating to Australia.

The round one AFL fixture

When the fixture was released last year, the opening game of the season was guaranteed: Richmond would play Carlton at the MCG on Thursday night.

But beyond that the remaining eight games in round one were up for grabs.

The AFL booked the Western Bulldogs to host Collingwood in a Friday night blockbuster, while it was decided all four Saturday games would require interstate travel.

RIchmond’s Jack Riewoldt and Carlton’s Marc Murphy shared milestone games in round one last year. Credit: Michael Dodge / Getty Images

Fremantle were fixtured to face Essendon at Marvel Stadium, Sydney to face the Crows in Adelaide, Port Adelaide sent up north to play Gold Coast and Geelong scheduled for a trip to face GWS.

Victorian clubs North Melbourne and St Kilda were chosen to open Sunday’s action, leaving two more interstate match-ups to end the round.

Brisbane were called to head south for a meeting with Hawthorn at the MCG and Melbourne were given the task of facing West Coast in Perth.