'Finally some happy news': Sporting couple's baby joy amid crisis

At a time when Australia has little to smile about, a bundle of joy has helped brighten the lives of the sporting community.

On Monday, Collingwood player Adam Treloar and netball star Kimberley Ravaillion welcomed their first child into the world, as the devastating extent of the AFL's season suspension became more evident.

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Georgie Olive Treloar was born at 12.30am on Monday, arriving into the world off the back of Sunday's final AFL matches for the foreseeable future.

“Mumma is doing really good! Our hearts are full of love, Welcome to the world my little angel," Treloar wrote accompanied by a photo of the new family.

Little Georgie has sporting blood running through her veins, with Ravaillion a champion netballer for Australia.

The 26-year-old mum represented the Aussie Diamonds at the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games and last played for the Collingwood Magpies in Super Netball.

The couple's joy helped bring some light to what is being described as footy's "Black Monday" - following news about 80 per cent of the AFL's workforce has been stood down until May 31.

The AFL made reference to that in a tweet congratulating Treloar and his partner that read: "Some good news!”

Many other fans sent lovely messages to congratulate the new family and wish them well in these troubled times.

North Melbourne’s Todd Goldstein is another AFL player whose partner is expecting a baby.

He admits his main priority during the season suspension is to ensure the safety of his loved ones in a period of uncertainty.

“My partner is pregnant and you obviously don’t know what effects that (the virus) can have, so obviously there are concerns there,” Goldstein told AAP.

“But we get very, very good advice at the footy club and that definitely allays those fears, I think, and allays the panic.”

Eddie McGuire’s sobering reality for AFL

On Monday, Collingwood president Eddie McGuire claimed the game would "never be the same again" as it entered a shutdown period aimed at minimising the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

Players have offered to take a 50 per cent pay cut while clubs are out of action, with the competition on hold until at least May 31.

However, it is believed the AFL is not satisfied with that figure, with News Corp reporting the league will push for a 75 per cent cut in the coming months as the league faces the biggest financial crisis in its history.

But McGuire offered a more sobering reality on Tuesday speaking to Triple M Melbourne’s Hot Breakfast about looking after the players who were the “centrepiece of our game”.

“The situation is that the players have received money for this half of the year already, because that was fair enough, everyone’s getting paid,” McGuire said.

"It’s the next part of the journey that we have to get through until we actually start playing games again and we can get some money coming in.

"The Channel 7 money, the Foxtel money, stopped this week. It’s finished, it’s all over.

"There’s no gate receipts, the AFL is cutting through its costs, all the clubs are cutting through their costs, and we have to come to an elegant situation here … if there’s no money, there’s no money.

"We need to not screw the players at the same time. These are the centrepiece of our game, they’re wonderful people, they’re great young men, and we have to do the right thing."

Players would likely have to take even bigger wage cuts if the remainder of the 2020 season was abandoned altogether, which remains a distinct possibility in uncertain times.

The AFL and its 18 clubs have had to slash staff numbers by roughly 80 per cent in a brutal phase of job cuts.

AFL executives, including chief executive Gillon McLachlan, are taking a minimum 20 per cent pay cut.

With agencies