Gabba leads race as AFL Final call looms
A CALL on the AFL grand final will be made by the end of next week.
The Gabba is considered the frontrunner to host the premiership decider, with Western Australia also pushing its case to play the game at Perth Stadium.
League boss Gillon McLachlan acknowledged that conversations remained ongoing with the Victorian government in relation to its contract for the MCG, but a decision looms in coming days.
“I don’t know if it’s Tuesday, but it’ll be next week,” he said.
“We’ve been pretty consistent – we’re aiming for the end of August (for a decision).
“We’ve been working with the Victorian government and wherever we land will be in concert with them.”
McLachlan said it was “not certain, but likely” that once the grand final location was locked in, the Brownlow Medal, rising star award and All-Australian team announcement locations would follow in the same state.
“We haven’t made a decision, but I think it’s probably likely that they’d go hand in glove,” he said.
“The structure of the finals and the grand final will be the first decision, and next week that’ll be decided.”
The Victorian government could ask for more pre-season games in regional centres in coming years as compensation for giving up this year’s AFL Grand Final.
Victorian premier Daniel Andrews has confirmed that the government and MCC could ask for another year to be added on to the MCC’s Grand Final arrangement, which is set to expire in 2057.
But a more tangible benefit in the short term would be the AFL agreeing to host pre-season games in regional centres, some of them still reeling from bushfires and battling with the lack of tourism dollars because of COVID-19.