JETS chief executive Lawrie McKinna is not expecting the A-League to get the green light on April 22 to resume and believes July is a more realistic time frame for the game to kick back into gear.
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It has been just over two weeks since the Jets beat Melbourne City 2-1 at McDonald Jones Stadium in the final game before the league was put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Football Federation Australia will reassess the situation on April 22. The spread of the virus has slowed but unless border restrictions and social distancing directives are loosened - scenarios which are extremely unlikely - the season will remain on hold.
The Jets had a player test positive to COVID-19 last Friday, but McKinna said the player, who was asymptomatic, had since been cleared. No other player or staff member has developed symptoms.
The Jets were among seven clubs to stand down players and staff last week. The club has registered for the Jobkeeper allowance for staff, which will ease the financial stress by $750 a fortnight. The players are continuing to train in isolation in hope of a return to the pitch.
"Unless there are major changes to the isolation laws, I can't see that date being when we tick in," McKinna said. "The rate of spread is going down, but if we stop what we are doing they will increase again."
Professional Footballers Australia players union had threatened legal action against the clubs but are now working with them and the A-League to find a workable solution.
Clubs have been asked to put forward potential competition models for this season and next.
The submissions will be presented to the chairman of the Australian Professional Football Clubs Association Paul Lederer to work through with the PFA.
Under the Jets proposal, the current season would resume in August after a short pre-season. The concluding rounds and final series would be played, finishing in early October. The new 12-team competition would kick off in November with a 22-game home-and-away season culminating in May.
"If we can complete the season, I think we should," McKinna said. "You could still honour your season tickets, sponsors would get exposure and the finals series would provide a revenue stream for clubs. It would also whet the appetite for the new season."
The extension of the season, would require changes to contracts which expire on May 31.
"Obviously that is something we would have to work through with the PFA," McKinna said. "Contracts could be extended or players could sign short term deals. Our transfer window goes from July to October and you could extend it to November. Boys out of contract would be playing for new deals at their club or somewhere else.
"There are AFC requirements as well. Everyone will be understanding of contracts because it is happening all over the world."
McKinna said if football wasn't able to resume until September, the best move would be to start afresh with a new season.
"We want what suits us but also is what is best for the league," McKinna said. "You don't want to be away from the game too long. You want to get the boys back in training and you want to get them back playing games. But you want it to be safe for everybody. We are looking at how we see it best fitting into a schedule to get back to normal as possible.
"It would work for us and it would work for fans. If you look at social media it is football, football, football. You miss it. It is not just going to games. It is the interaction with people, the banter."
