Premier will be among game’s finest, says Mclachlan

GILLON Mclachlan has declared this year’s premiership team will be remembered as one of the greatest in the game’s history.

The league chief executive said the challenge to win this year’s flag could not be understated after a season of upheaval, hubs, uncertainty and quarantine. The AFL is hopeful 100,000 fans will attend the opening four finals this weekend, a prospect Mclachlan admits felt far-fetched several months ago.

Queensland’s steady coronavirus situation is also fuelling optimism the Grand Final crowd at the Gabba will exceed the 30,000 target set four weeks ago.

Three of this weekend’s nals are expected to sell out.

All 25,000 tickets to Thursday night’s Port Adelaide-geelong qualifying final at Adelaide Oval are gone, after more than 10,000 were snapped up inside 10 minutes.

Tickets for Friday night’s Brisbane-richmond qualifying final at the Gabba went on sale on Monday, with expectations fiof a 28,000-capacity full house.

The 35,000 seats for West Coast v Collingwood at Perth Stadium are likely to go quickly on Tuesday, while tickets for the St Kilda-western Bulldogs elimination final at the Gabba also go on sale on Tuesday morning.

“The team that wins the premiership will go down as one of the all-time greats and I sincerely believe

Lachlan said.

It comes as the AFL on Monday confirmed Byron Pickett would present this year’s Norm Smith Medal, while Malcolm Blight will hand over the Jock Mchale Medal to the premiership coach. Simon Black was unveiled as the premiership cup ambassador. that,”

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HARLEY Bennell’s AFL reer has ended.

The 27-year-old – who was embroiled in a COVID breach on the Sunshine Coast to mark the end of his season – has posted on Instagram to declare that his playing days are done.

“Best 10 years of my life,” he wrote, with photos from his time at Gold Coast, Fremantle and Melbourne.

“Thank you to that was involved. awesome ride.”

Bennell had been suspended for four games by the AFL and the Demons were fined $50,000 after he was found to have left the team’s hub without permission and engaged in a lengthy drinking session ahead of the team’s final game of the year.

Bennell’s 88-game career was cruelled by injury, with chronic calf issues – and subsequent surgeries – sidelining him on countless occasions.

Last week, Bennell was hit with the suspension that had been feared could end his playing career.

The Herald Sun reported that Bennell had left the team’s hub to swap a vehicle for a post-season holiday. caeveryone It was an