All 10 Victorian AFL clubs will leave the state at the completion of their round five commitments this weekend, with their return dates unknown.
The AFL on Friday released rounds six and seven fixtures of the 2020 AFL season, with a Geelong-Brisbane Thursday night match at the SCG to commence round six.
All nine matches of round six will be played in Sydney – at the SCG and Giants Stadium - and south-east Queensland – the Gabba and Metricon Stadium.
In round seven, Perth's Optus Stadium will be used for two games - Geelong versus Collingwood on Thursday July 16, and a Fremantle-West Coast derby on the Sunday – and Adelaide Oval will resume hosting matches, with a Crows-St Kilda match on Monday night.
Twelve teams will be on the Gold Coast for round six matches – Fremantle, West Coast, Adelaide and Port Adelaide (who have already been based there for the past month), St Kilda, Essendon, North Melbourne, GWS, Richmond, Sydney, Carlton and Western Bulldogs.
Geelong, Brisbane, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Collingwood and Hawthorn will be in Sydney.
The AFL needed to get the 10 Victorian clubs out of that state due to a worrying spike in the COVID-19 infection rate, a situation which has seen other states either ban those clubs from entry or place the strictest of regulations around their entry.
There is a belief among the Victorian clubs that they will not be returning for at least a month, that rounds eight and nine, at a minimum, will be added to their time away from Melbourne.
The Geelong-Collingwood match in Perth will have up to 30,000 spectators in attendance, as the WA government has allowed for a 50 per cent crowd capacity of Optus Stadium on that date.
For the derby three days later, a full house will be in attendance.
ROUND SIX
Thursday, July 9
Geelong v Brisbane, SCG, 7.40pm AEST
Friday, Jul 10
Collingwood v Hawthorn, Giants Stadium, 7.50pm AEST
Saturday, July 11
Fremantle v St Kilda, Metricon Stadium, 12.35pm AEST
West Coast v Adelaide, Gabba, 3.05pm AEST
Melbourne v Gold Coast, Giants Stadium, 6.05pm AEST
Essendon v North Melbourne, Metricon Stadium, 7.40pm AEST
Sunday, July 12
Port Adelaide v GWS, Metricon Stadium, 1.05pm AEST
Richmond v Sydney, Gabba, 3.35pm AEST
Carlton v Western Bulldogs, Metricon Stadium, 6.45pm AEST
ROUND SEVEN
Thursday, July 16
Geelong v Collingwood, Optus Stadium. 6.10pm AWST, 8.10 AEST
Friday, July 17
Essendon v Western Bulldogs, Metricon Stadium, 7.50pm AEST
Saturday, July 18
GWS v Brisbane, Giants Stadium, 1.45pm AEST
Sydney v Gold Coast, SCG, 4.35pm AEST
Richmond v North Melbourne, Metricon Stadium, 7.40pm AEST
Sunday, July 19
Carlton v Port Adelaide, Gabba, 1.05pm AEST
Hawthorn v Melbourne, Giants Stadium, 3.35pm AEST
Fremantle v West Coast, Optus Stadium, 4.35pm AWST, 6.35pm AEST
Monday, July 20
Adelaide v St Kilda, Adelaide Oval, 7.10pm ACST, 7.40pm AEST
