FINAL DECISION
Decider details loom as Roos eye WA shift
THE AFL’s Grand Final announcement this week will include the exact start time of a likely night game on October 24 and the rules governing where teams can play home games.
But the AFL will delay an announcement on fixture slots for Round 18 and is yet to officially rule out a contentious switch of the Roos’ game against West Coast to Optus Stadium.
The Kangaroos say they have broad support of the teams around them on the ladder for West Coast to buy that Round 18 clash for around $700,000-$800,000. But the league is reluctant given the danger of that decision backfiring and leading to a significant attack on the competition’s integrity.
If West Coast was able to play at Perth Stadium instead of Queensland and leapfrog a rival into the top four with a massive percentage boost there would be outcry.
Yet North Melbourne is keen to recoup some of the $3 million it lost after missing out on games in Tasmania this year and continues to push the idea with the Eagles.
The Eagles are in fifth spot, and while they would be expected to beat a beaten-up Roos side at any venue, their percentage is similar to many fellow contenders.
If the AFL did approve the decision it would allow the Eagles to fly back into Perth straight after Round 17, stay for Round 18 and the pre-finals bye. They could potentially even play a home final there in week one of the finals depending on ladder position.
The league will separate its Grand Final decision with the Round 18 fixture release, keen to secure more time to ensure a grandstand finish to the homeand-away season.
The AFL is yet to officially announce that it will have a pre-finals bye but News Corp reported last week it was a certainty to occur to help players freshen up.
The Essendon-Melbourne and St Kilda-Giants games are contenders for marquee Thursday or Friday night slots in Round 18 but also could be dead rubbers by then if any of those teams slump from finals contention.
So the league could wait until much closer to Round 18 given teams know their opponent and the venue is largely irrelevant apart from that Roos-West Coast clash.
The AFL’s Commission is set to meet on Tuesday morning and will review a recommendation from the AFL and its fixture boss Travis Auld on where the Grand Final and finals will be held.
Commission members Gill McLachlan and Richard Goyder were in the zoom pitches from Queensland, West Australian, NSW and South Australia. But the league will say only that a decision on the finals will come this week, with McLachlan among the travelling party entering Queensland hubs Tuesday afternoon.
Queensland is the whitehot favourite to host the Grand Final, with News Corp revealing last week the state’s pitch was for a 7pm encounter.
Victorian racing authorities want clean air for the October 24 Cox Plate past 6pm, so a twilight encounter is less likely.