The 2020 South Australian National Football League season (officially the SANFL Statewide Super League) was the 141st season of the South Australian National Football League (SANFL), the highest-level Australian rules football competition in South Australia.[1]
The season was originally scheduled to run from April 2020 until September 2020; however its commencement was delayed to June 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of clubs participating in the season was reduced to eight, as Adelaide and Port Adelaide were barred from fielding their reserves teams by the Australian Football League.[2]
Impact of COVID-19 pandemic
The 2020 season was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which was formally declared a pandemic on 11 March 2020, three weeks prior to the scheduled start of the premiership season. Governmental restrictions on non-essential public gatherings greater than 500 people meant that, as a minimum, matches would need to be played before empty stadiums, as was planned for the Australian Football League;[3] however, it was announced on 16 March that SANFL season was suspended indefinitely. A shortened season may still be played commencing no earlier than 31 May, depending on the status of the pandemic; no decision has yet been made on whether the season will be cancelled entirely, but this remains a possibility in the event of a prolonged pandemic.[4] South Australia's two AFL clubs, Adelaide and Port Adelaide, did not field teams as the AFL issued an order banning its clubs from fielding AFL-listed players in state leagues.[2]
On 14 June 2020, the first two rounds of the revised fixture were announced, with all games in those rounds to be played at Adelaide Oval.
