Port Adelaide skipper Tom Jonas is set to lead the Power out against the Gold Coast this Saturday night.

AFL PLAYERS have been praised for their commitment to take the field this weekend to open the 2020 AFL Premiership Season despite the lingering uncertainty surrounding the Coronavirus.

The AFL announced last night the season would get underway as planned tonight when Richmond and Carlton do battle at the MCG.

The season will be condensed to 17 rounds and games will be played in front of no crowds for the foreseeable future as the competition adheres to national health protocols which limit outdoor gatherings to no more than 500 people.

Each quarter will be shortened to 16 minutes plus time on, giving the AFL room to push more games into a smaller window at the start of the season.

It's on: AFL confirms round one will go ahead

A majority of players backed the plan to get the season underway and AFL Players’ Association CEO Paul Marsh paid credit to them for their stance.

“The AFL Players’ Association applauds the commitment of its members to take the field this weekend,” he said.

“Players will pull on their jumpers to play their role in helping the industry move forward through this extremely challenging time.

“It’s crucial the industry continues to work together to monitor the situation to ensure players, their families, and the broader community are not put at an unacceptable risk through the playing of games.”

Marsh also acknowledged the role the AFL had played in finding a way through the unprecedented situation in what has been an incredibly challenging week.

And the discussions are not over yet, with the league to work on fixture options for round two and beyond in the next 48 hours, with the hope of a condensed group of games at the start of the season.

AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan conceded it was possible the entire season could be played behind closed doors away from supporters with Government regulations clamping down on mass gatherings. 

"It depends how this plays out, but it feels that's a possibility, isn't it?" he said.

"I think it's going to be a long year and our players and our industry wants to get moving.

"While the advice is so clear that it's appropriate for them to, they play, we want to get started. And they know this is going to be a long journey in what is an unprecedented time."