Still in the dark over night final
WA dilemma may delay AFL’s decision for up to eight weeks
JON RALPH
THE AFL could delay a decision on a starting time for the grand final for up to eight weeks as it considers the prospect of a bye, which would then push the decider beyond October 24.
The league’s nominal grand final date is the same weekend as the Cox Plate, but the only chance of that double-booking is if Western Australia relaxes border restrictions in coming months.
The AFL is aware that at some stage the Eagles and Dockers will need to leave hubs to return to Perth and will need a 14-day quarantine period before they return to play.
The only way to schedule the remainder of their games with current border restrictrictions is by introducing a bye that allows teams to fly to Perth, quarantine, then play after 14 days.
Under the AFL model revealed last week, teams would play on a given weekend, fly to Perth to quarantine, have their scheduled bye over the next weekend and then play against West Coast or Fremantle the following round.
That would push the season finish back a minimum of one week and possibly more. The AFL might then finish its season with an early November grand final, with clean air to play on a Saturday afternoon instead of at night.
Until the league gets clarity on whether it needs to delay aspects of its season, it will not set its start time in stone.
The league has worked on models for a night grand final, but might only release a start time when it unveils the third block of game fixtures.
The season is on track to start on June 11.
The league will confirm this week that the interchange will remain at four players ahead of the second round of matches.
West Coast midfielder Jack Redden on Saturday put paid to any chance the Eagles might remain in a Gold Coast hub all year, saying that six weeks was the maximum time they would remain.
The Eagles will fly to the Gold Coast today to stay in their hub ahead of a clash with the Suns on June 13. But with few Eagles players taking their families into hubs, it would be unfair to keep them in highperformance villages for longer than six weeks.
“It’s a hard one because everyone has different circumstances with family,” Redden said on the weekend.
“For me personally I have thought four to six weeks, six weeks maximum and then you need a break to get home to see family. For me personally I don’t think any longer than six weeks is fair.”
Families are allowed to enter hubs at any time, but Redden’s family will return to South Australia to be closer to the support of wider family.
WA Premier Mark McGowan said last week the borders would remain closed for “months”.