A-League hierarchy want the season to resume and also finish in the month of August.
Clubs are planning to train in July before a competition return in August, though Football Federation Australia (FFA) is yet to outline firm resumption dates.
Adelaide United’s football director Bruce Djite says the five remaining rounds, plus finals, could be condensed within a single month.
All games are likely to be played in Sydney.
“My understanding is they (Football Federation Australia) want the season completed by the end of August,” Djite told reporters on Wednesday.
“So mathematically, three games a week … you could knock it out in four or five weeks.
“Then you work back from that and say you need at least four, five weeks training, so you’re looking at late June, early July.
“But there’s a lot of water to go under the bridge.
“The PFA (Professional Footballers Australia) has got to sit down with the FFA and the clubs and nut out what that cost base is going to be for the players and, logistically, all those sorts of things.
“There’s still a lot of unknowns.”
The Reds stood down players when the season was suspended on March 24 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The most pressing detail before any resumption was player payments, Djite said.
“The boys aren’t coming back to train on JobKeeper,” he said.
“Those discussions have to be had as a matter of urgency, so there’s clarity from players’ mindset and there’s clarity for clubs in financial management of what the cost is going to be.
“At the moment there’s no revenues and we don’t know what the cost base looks like to finish off the season.
“That is probably the next most critical decision to be made; one, for the players, what are they going to get paid to come back and train and finish the season, and, two, how does that fit into the cost base.”
Djite said United were “happy” for all remaining matches to be played in Sydney.
But he doubted Adelaide’s foreign players would be able to return for the remainder of the league because of travel restrictions.
German-born midfielder Mirko Boland and Dutch-based Michael Maria remain overseas.
United have parted with coach Gertjan Verbeek, who won’t return from the Netherlands.
Djite said the Reds want an Australian as their next coach but the selection process can’t advance until there was certainty about this season’s resumption and a start date of next season.
Buddy
Roar Rookie
Finishing it now is pretty unacceptable. No GF is unacceptable, no play offs same. I’m inclined to think that somewhere along the way someone will find something unacceptable and that is deemed to be unacceptably unacceptable!
Blood Dragon
Roar Rookie
as Phoenix have 3 games in hand and are only 4 points behind City 1 v 2 is unacceptable
Buddy
Roar Rookie
Waz, You’ve lost me on this one now. Sorry about the gap between posts but I belong to that fortunate group that are still working, in fact incredibly busy the]rough this most difficult of times and barely had a chance to look at anything sports stuff. Please don’t make me watch AFL, it isn't the big crowd, just the noise and atmosphere created at football for the last five decades. I’m not understanding though by your mention of people not lending their support due to lack of crowd. Lending support to what though? Are we talking about watching it on tv? I parted company with a lot more than average for a season ticket this year and been to a few away games too including the last meeting between BR and WSW which was an excruciating experience if wearing red and black. I don’t expect to see anything else live this season and won’t be seeking a refund or anything like that. Beyond that, I don’t know what else I can do? When it starts up again, we’ll be there, I’m fairly sure but I’ve written off this A League season and don’t have any interest in it resuming, that’s all. We usually have an enforced break from May to October so we have just started early. I’m not sure what part of that is a capital offence?
Buddy
Roar Rookie
Like I said; the very thought of the idea will upset some because unless you okay it out, you will never know the final outcome.
Blood Dragon
Roar Rookie
1st V 2nd is incredibly unfair to the Phoenix who have 3 games in hand and are only 4 points behind City
Waz
Roar Rookie
The football is still the football whether it’s at Dolphin or Suncorp. People in Australia have got caught up in the peripheral elements of sport rather than the sport itself. If people need big crowds then it’s simple, go follow the AFL because it’s not the sport you’re after. When the A-League eventually returns the world, country and sport will be in crisis and the code will need every supporter it can to survive. Despite the backdrop of a crisis that threatens the very existence of the league, we’ve got supposed “supporters” saying they won’t lend their support due to lack of a crowd - for crying out loud, are these people on the same planet as the rest of us?? They need calling out for it. There’s no excuse to desert your code in time of crisis - we need to be better than that imo!
Blood Dragon
Roar Rookie
that assumes Adelaide actually makes the Finals over Western United
Midfielder
Roar Guru
The word I have heard is we will start the second week in November ... after the NRL & AFL finals... The latter start is wanted also because the clubs feel until late December early January teams will be playing in empty stadiums...
Buddy
Roar Rookie
Well we are allowed to be different even in these troubled times. I can happily watch local games with few spectators. It is a totally different experience but I hate watching the professional game without a reasonably decent crowd. There again you guys that support BR have to watch for the most part in that vacuous stadium. How much better was it to watch them play at Redcliffe with a fairly tightly packed in crowd and a decent atmosphere. Surely it is nothing to do with plasticity? I have spent a small fortune in my life going to games, supporting through thick and thin. I just don’t find much enjoyment in seeing games in empty stadiums. At least when I play FIFA no matter how badly we are doing, there is still a reasonable crowd...and they sing!
Stevo
Roar Rookie
I’m going to be exhausted by the end of August. More so than the players because my prep work has consisted of pushing keys on my keyboard at home and no chance for mid-week football at the park with the boyz. Anyway, bring on August :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: …………….. :football: :football: :football: :football:
Ben of Phnom Penh
Roar Guru
Not sure on the "plastic fans need a crowd" as people are different, however agree with the sentiment that for me at least it is what is happening on the pitch that is compelling.
Ben of Phnom Penh
Roar Guru
Is Jakobsen in Australia or Denmark? He'd be the only AUFC visa player that would be sorely missed. The local kids have been great and there are a few in the squad that aren't shabby at all but haven't the opportunity of serious minutes to prove themselves.
At work
Roar Rookie
No I mean while Sydney are playing I’m interested irrespective of a big crowd or no crowd, whereas neutral teams which I don’t support I might struggle as I find watching professional sport without any supporters a little strange
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
there's contradiction there Buddy - local football and crowds. I'm with Waz, if my team's playing it's just a prelude to better things that will come.
Waz
Roar Rookie
I can watch a game with one man and his dog watching, or 100,000. Plastic fans need a crowd – real football people don’t.
Buddy
Roar Rookie
Alas - with this enforced break my current interest sits just above zero! I'm far keener on seeing a return for local football. I'd be happy to award the title based on league standing as it was when it stopped. If it is necessary to play a GF play 1 v 2 and let everyone else be indignant and upset. I don't watch games with no crowd in any code that I can think of.
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
won't even SFC games lack crowds? I assume that our social distancing will be in place for quite a while yet - like, not until a vaccine is available, two years, maybe more.
At work
Roar Rookie
Should be a good month, I imagine there will be a game on every night, and then multiple games on the weekend. Very much a an extravaganza of football. Although I wonder how much my interest will wane watching (non SydFC) games played with no crowds...
At work
Roar Rookie
Damn, I wouldn't want my club relying on Blackwood to come up with goals
Waz
Roar Rookie
Apparently so. No break in September though, that becomes “preseason”.