The FFA on Tuesday evening announced that all grassroots football under its jurisdiction – including National Premier Leagues, FFA Cup, youth, FFA-run school-based programs, MiniRoos and futsal – would cease at midnight and remain suspended until April 14 in an attempt to reduce participants risk of exposure to COVID-19.

The FFA CEO had just a day prior announced measures that would have seen grassroots and community football continue alongside the conclusion of the A-League season and W-League Grand Final under precautionary conditions.

However, following further meetings of a COVID-19 working group set up by the governing body and feedback from the Association of Australian Football Clubs (AAFC) and broader community, a change in policy towards the grassroots – but not professional football – has been reached.

“I think we need to look at them [grassroots and professional football] in different ways,” Johnson told a phone hook-up with journalists on Tuesday evening.

“And that’s not suggesting we won’t change our views on the professional game, I’ve said from day one we’re going to have to be responsive and continue to be responsive based on the evolution of the virus.

“Firstly, I think we need to look at the rest of the game differently because of its sheer size and scale, it’s 1.96 m participants playing every weekend. This scale will create more opportunities for the virus to spread.

“Secondly, we’re only starting our season at NPL and Grassroots level, so postponing seems like a logical way to move forward. At this stage, we would like to hope that the season would continue in April when we open it up.

“The professional game, on the other hand, the W-League we’re talking about one match, it’s a final and with respect to the A-League, we’re talking about the last six rounds.

“So, we’re at the back end of the professional season, there is not as much football that will be played and right now the feeling amongst the professional game does not represent the fear that is coming through the grassroots.”

While Johnson did acknowledge on the call that some players at the bottom of the Australian footballing pyramid had been forced into isolation as a result of COVID-19 - leading to some clubs withdrawing from fixtures out of precaution.

At his press conference on Monday, Johnson had refused to be drawn on what would happen should an A-League or W-League player test positive for COVID-19. 

Since then, however, AFL boss Gillon McLachlan has said that Australian Rules’ peak competition – which has already seen its lower-tier competitions postponed – would be immediately be suspended should a player test positive.

Asked if the FFA’s position on a player testing positive had evolved over the past 24 hours, Johnson reiterated that football’s position hadn’t changed.

“Not since yesterday it hasn’t,” he said.

“It is an issue we’re working on with the league at the moment.