Virus may impact two AFL years: Malthouse

The three-time premiership-winning mentor believes if the current season extends into December, there will be ramifications for next year's competition as well.

"I would hate to see 2021 interfered with by 2020," Malthouse told SEN SA radio on Monday.

"If it means that 2020 becomes a showcase of our game, you don't want two years to be buggered up - one is bad enough.

"Let's not muck up the second one as well.

"By going into December, what sides are going to be ready by March next year?

"There's a lot of things to think about."

The AFL season has been suspended until at least May 31, with league hierarchy already reducing the campaign to 17 rounds.

Just one round of matches was played before the season was halted and Malthouse doubled down on his suggestion that those opening results be scrapped should the competition resume.

"Because round one and round two are going to be separated by such a vast day difference, I can't get my head around that it counts," he said.

"I understand totally that there's nine sides that will say they won the game and were ready to go.

" ... But I would say, the last four games of that first round, those teams all knew that this was the last game to be played for a number of months.

"The West Coast and Melbourne game was a practice match, in all honesty. If you looked at the game, it lacked intensity.

"Both teams went down that race knowing they weren't going to play next week whereas, the Thursday and Friday nights, there were still hints that we were going to have a round two next week."

Some clubs had originally flagged a potential May 4 return to training - but Carlton chief executive Cain Liddle said he anticipated further delays.

"We've been pretty honest with our players to say it's our view that those time frames at this point are probably a little ambitious," Liddle told the Seven Network on Monday.

"Speaking to a number of CEOs at different clubs, we're sort of preparing ourselves that it might be delayed for a few weeks after that."

Meanwhile, the Blues have requested to be an "assisted" club, allowing them to receive financial support from the AFL.

"Had the COVID-19 situation occurred this time next year, it is highly likely we would have been in a position to be a "non-assisted" club," president Mark LoGiudice said in a letter to Carlton members.

"In the six months prior to COVID-19, we had paid off more than half our $6.4m of historical debt.

"Our cash flow modelling suggests we may need this support through the latter part of this year and into next year. Thereafter, we feel confident that we will be in a position to repay the AFL any money we have used and once more turn our attention to clearing our remaining historical debt."

LoGiudice said the Blues planned to commence development of Ikon Park later this year or in 2021, and emphasised their financial commitment to their AFLW side.

Australian Associated Press