AFL CHIEF executive Gillon McLachlan has confirmed the League is weighing up whether to scrap the pre-finals bye amid COVID-19 uncertainty. 

It comes as the AFL prepares to release the findings of Colin Carter's report into the sustainability of a 19th team in Tasmania on Friday. 

Fronting the media on Thursday to unveil four new AFLW licences, McLachlan said the changing landscape of border laws meant logistics around the finals fixture were up for discussion. 

He added that clubs in finals contention had been accommodating of the fluid timeline around a decision which could see the week off before finals removed just days before round 23 to continue with the momentum of the season. 

"We have raised with our clubs where does the bye between the home and away (season) and finals sit … in an environment where we have, I think, got a great deal of mileage and kept the momentum going by keeping them playing," McLachlan said.

"Is there upside in having the week off knowing we don't know what we'll end up with two weeks later and keep going? (There's) obviously related issues, what does it mean for the Grand Final? 

"We're resolving that, we're waiting to see how Victoria plays out, we're contingency planning but I don't have a line of sight on where and how week one of the finals looks. 

"At the moment we're debating whether we have the bye or not, that's as candid as I can be."

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Carter, the former president of Geelong and ex-AFL commissioner, was deployed earlier this year to provide an outline on the business case of a team on the Apple Isle with his findings to be released publicly.

McLachlan joked Tasmanian Premier Peter Gutwein had been texting him "every six or eight minutes" about an outcome on his state's licence. 

"We'll look to make some sort of public release or announcement tomorrow," McLachlan said. 

"That won't be any decisions, it will be a commitment that we'll put out the Carter report tomorrow with some covering information for us. Please don't expect a decision, it'll be giving you the information."

McLachlan added the AFL was discussing the possibility of introducing a clear process on how people are re-introduced to the game after being sanctioned for vilification. 

Former Adelaide captain Taylor Walker was last week suspended for six matches and fined $20,000 for making a racial slur towards a SANFL player while attending a match in July. 

"How do we have a path for them, that actually beyond accountability, that says they're not coming back until there's genuine contrition, remorse, learning and understanding of that hurt and they win the trust back," McLachlan said.

"That's what we're discussing now, that's certainly on my mind."