Shaun Higgins says the players are ready to adapt to the ever-changing landscape created by the COVID-19 shutdown.
Speaking to North Media, the dual club best and fairest winner knows a shorter season will present many challenges, particularly for the game’s veterans trying to recover from games with shorter time-frames, but he says they’ll find a way to manage it.
“It’s going to be a challenge for guys if there are going to be three or four day breaks to get the games in, but at the end of the day, we’ll do what we’ve got to do … by the time that time comes around, we would have gone through far greater challenges than getting up for a game of footy in four days,” Higgins said.
“We’ll put our hands up to play as many games possible, particularly if it means keeping the survival of the competition and clubs, and gives fans what they want.”
The 32-year-old knows the structure of the season will change dramatically, but believes there could be a silver lining.
“In times of challenge which we’re going through now, and change, maybe the game’s going to change for the better down the track as well and potentially a 17-game season, or more finals, or a shorter game … and more value on games is what’s going to come of it,” Higgins said.
Regardless of the amount of games, he believes there must be a finals series of some description.
“Ideally, finals are what we all play for; they’re the great matches in the competition and the season and they’re what games the fans live for as well. So ideally there’ll be some finals,” Higgins added.
“We need to adapt and do whatever we can to get the games in and get a result for the competition … going forward even if it is a 17-game season in years to come, maybe that puts a real emphasis on finals and we can make finals the real centrepiece of what it is and maybe extend it a little more as well.
“From all bad things, good things come.”
