THE decision to put the 2020 AFL season on hold until at least May 31 has cast a level of uncertainty across the entire football industry.

However, Port Adelaide assistant coach Jarrad Schofield is remaining upbeat through the shutdown period and enjoying the positives being away from football has brought into his life.

“The one thing that’s kept me in the moment and being in a positive frame of mind has been the wellbeing of my family, not just my immediate family but family back in Perth,” Schofield told Perth radio.

“Just trying to see the lighter side of an uncertain situation and for me that is family time.

“I am trying to put a positive spin on it and say it is an opportunity to spend time with my family, which when you’re in the midst of an AFL season your time with them is limited.”

Many coaches across the AFL industry find themselves in an anxious period of uncertainty surrounding their futures when football returns, with the majority of football departments across the nation being stood down.

However, Schofield revealed he is fortunate to have some confidence in his future with the Power.

“From early discussions I am going to be in a positive position, my role at the club will continue – being in charge of the midfield,” he said.

“I am one of the fortunate ones in this point in time that I have a contract for next year.

“The people that are in the industry that don’t have contracts for next year already in place are the ones that could have uncertainty with the cuts that are going to come – not just at Port Adelaide but across the board.”

The 2004 premiership player has been readying himself for the inevitable change of what football departments may look like post-coronavirus, but said clubs must be accepting of the challenges that lay ahead.

“We have all got to embrace that and be prepared for it – players, umpires, administration, football departments across the board – if we want our game to survive and get through this period, we all have to take what is coming

“I am a realist. I am preparing for cuts. Whether it is development coaches, whatever happens in the State leagues, resources being pulled back.

“I am prepared that the workload will increase on myself along with other coaches.”

Another positive the Port Adelaide’s midfield mentor is leaning on is the learning the club’s coaches have taken from introducing new methods to communicate with their players during isolation.

“We went into our game against the Gold Coast in round 1 limited in our contact with the players and it actually brought out and unearthed other ways of educating and giving information to our players in a different form,” Schofield said.

“I was excited about it for moving forward when we come back into the system and playing games, different ways of contacting and engaging the players – it was actually enlightening.”