AFL North West is optimistic the season will commence in mid-July, with 10 rounds and a standard three-week final series staged.
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The news comes after AFL NSW/ACT revealed this week that scenario planning showed that competitions would deliver a "traditional" premiership season, provided they commenced between mid-June and mid-August.
AFL North West president Sonia Martin said on Thursday that the "nitty-gritty" of facilitating the launch of the long-delayed 2020 season would be discussed when AFL NSW/ACT met online with her and club presidents next Thursday.
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Martin said: "And then our competition committee will be able to set the draw, depending on how the clubs want things to run from here."
AFL North West envisions the clubs playing each other twice, with the grand final in late September.
However, Martin said there was a possibility the season would be launched earlier than mid-July, meaning an extra two or three rounds would be played.
She said Narrabri and Moree forming a joint venture this season meant there would be no need for a bye each round.
"So it works out really well ... It's going to be quite a neat draw moving forward," she said.
There were 14 regular-season rounds last season.
As for when teams can resume training and, ultimately, take to the field again, that is contingent on the NSW government further relaxing COVID-19 measures. Organised club activities are not permitted.
AFL NSW/ACT said current training restrictions in NSW remained in place: a maximum of two people could train together.
This week Tiffany Robertson, acting AFL NSW/ACT chief executive, said the governing body was working closely with the NSW and ACT governments to understand the revised public health orders and their impacts on community sport.
She said: "The Office of Sport and key government agencies, including the Office of Local Government, are currently developing guidelines and principles for sporting organisations to recommence activity. This includes training in groups of up to 10 people and access to sporting grounds."
Roberston said the AFL and its state and territory bodies had created a framework for a return to training and play, which was in line with the Australian Institute of Sport's resumption of sport and recreation activity framework.
She said ALF NSW/ACT was "well advanced" in its post-COVID-19 season planning, and would "provide guidance to our network once we receive advice specific to NSW and the ACT from the state, territory and local governments".
