If West Coast star Josh Kennedy’s anectodal experience is anything to go by, the community is acting on government advice about social distancing.

Used to being stopped regularly for photos when in public, Kennedy has noticed fans keeping their distance in a positive sign the COVID-19 safety message is sinking in.

“It’s probably changed over the last week-and-a-half to two weeks,” Kennedy told 6PR.

“There was still people at supermarkets wanting to get a photo and then it kind of changed from ‘can I stand back here and take of photo of you?’ and now everybody is keeping their distance.

“I think the community is starting to really understand and the stuff the government is putting in place people are starting to listen, which is good because hopefully we can start flattening that curve and get back to a bit of normality.”

The new ‘normal’ while Australians come to grip with the virus pandemic has taken some getting used to, and it is no different for footballers.

Told to keep away from Mineral Resources Park for the time being, the Eagles’ players are turning to technology to stay connected and engaged while undertaking their individual training programs.

“We’re still having our weekly meetings through Zoom and all that just to catch up as a senior group to make sure everyone is able to do training and also finding any issues they are having with training so we can accommodate with that, because we’re only able to train in pairs obviously and still keeping distance,” Kennedy said.

“Lucky enough we can still kick a ball back and forth. We’re taking wipes down and making sure we’re cleaning everything.”

Used to a regimented training timetable at the club, Kennedy has also had to adjust to his training partner Brad Sheppard’s habits.

“He likes to sleep in. I’m up at about 5.30am, I’m ready to go, but he doesn’t want to run until about nine o’clock,” Kennedy joked.

While the competition is in recess, the AFL is busily working behind the scenes to map out fixture scenarios for a restart.

Reducing time between matches looms as an option, and even a Grand Final best-of-three series has been thrown up to help recoup some of the significant financial losses the industry will suffer in 2020.

“I suppose it would be interesting. You look at the past few Grand Finals where there has been a couple of blowouts and ours included in 2015, being able to go away, come back, look at the game and then have another crack at it would give, I suppose, those teams a better chance,” Kennedy said.

“We won ours with the last two minutes of the game in ’18, and I kind of look at that and thing ‘oh, I wouldn’t want a three-part series, I’m glad we just got that done’.

“But is interesting to see what changes do develop over the course of this year.”