first of a reduced 17-round season, the match was played without crowds in attendance due to public health prohibitions on large gatherings and with quarter lengths reduced by one fifth in order to reduce the physical load on players who would be expected to play multiple matches with short breaks in the second half of the year. Just three days later, the AFL Commission suspended the season for an indefinite period after multiple states enforced quarantine conditions on their borders that effectively ruled out the possibility of continuing the season as planned. After an 11-week hiatus, Short contributed 14 disposals in a round 2 draw with when the season resumed in early-June. He remained a steady contributor in June, before the club was relocated to the Gold Coast in response to a virus outbreak in Melbourne in early July. Short lifted his output immediately upon that move, earning four coaches association award votes for a performance that included a team-high 26 disposals and team-high 542 metres gained against in round 6, before adding one more vote in round 7's win over . He was equal-second-best on ground against the two weeks later, receiving four votes for another territory game that included 511 metres gained, before rising one week later to be first among all players in the league that year for total metres gained (460.1m). Prior to round 14, Short was named the sixth most improved player in 2020 according to AFL statistics partner Champion Data, and following a further 19 disposals and 489 metres gained in a win over , he not only held his place as metres gained leader but rose to second for total kicks and fifth for total marks among all players in the league that season. Short received coaches votes in each of the final three matches of the season including as second best on ground in the club's round 18 win over , finishing the regular season having recorded 400 or more metres-gained in a league-best 13 matches. He recorded 22 disposals in the club's finals-opening loss to the , before adding 17 more in a semi-final win over . In the preliminary final, Short contributed seven intercept possession, helping his side to a close win over and a spot in the grand final. He became a two-time premiership player in that match, contributing eight intercepts and six score involvements to help Richmond to