Four in for Grand plan
AFL boss talks up options for biggest match
THE location of the AFL Grand Final remains a raffle with league boss Gillon McLachlan declaring there are “four great options” available.
The race is on to host the biggest game of the year, with a decision expected by the end of the month.
Perth Stadium, the Gabba in Brisbane, ANZ Stadium in Sydney and the Adelaide Oval are the contenders if, as expected, out.
McLachlan said no decision had yet been made.
“We will work through this with the Victorian Government,” he told the ABC on Friday.
“I haven’t got my head in the sand, but we have a contract with the Victorian Government the MCG is ruled
and it’s at the MCG contractually until it’s not.
“If it’s not, and we’re all being pretty real about it, we’re very lucky because there are four great options and we’ll run a process.
“Whether it’s the newness and the incredible stadium that Perth is or what Queensland’s partnership is or the size of ANZ Stadium or the history of South Australia.
“They all make arguments.”
The date of the Grand Final is also in limbo, although October 17 and 24 loom as the most likely.
This puts it in the middle of the racing spring carnival, but McLachlan reiterated the AFL good had no desire to clash with the Caulfield Cup or the Cox Plate.
“The short answer is I don’t know [when it will be yet],” he said.
“We’re working through it at the moment and if we don’t have any hiccups we could roll through the weekend of the 17th of October, which is Caulfield Cup weekend.
“What we’ve said broadly is we’re not going to run it against the Caulfield Cup and we’re going to work with other sports, which at that time is racing.
“If the team decides to put a bye in pre-finals, which they’re considering at the moment, then it would be the Cox Plate weekend or the weekend after all being well.
“We’d avoid the Cox Plate, we won’t go head to head and we’ll work with racing.”