AFL boss hopes for epic end

TO hell with the heart attacks — AFL boss Gillon McLachlan would love extra time in tomorrow’s Grand Final.

The margin in the past two GWS finals has been less than a goal and the league’s chief executive wants another close match to decide the premiership.

Three years ago, the league introduced two five-minute periods of extra time and then a golden score if the grand final ends in a tie.

It means no repeat of the 1977 and 2010 Grand Final replays. McLachlan said yesterday his appetite was whetted in July, when he stayed up to watch the riveting cricket World Cup and men’s Wimbledon finals.

It was the first Wimbledon final to feature a final-set tie break, while the World Cup also came down to extra overs.

“It’s been one of those years,” McLachlan said. “One in three games has been an upset, one in five has been decided by less than 10 points.

“I was up that night, watching Wimbledon and the (cricket) World Cup — I did look ahead to this. It would be amazing if it happened, if it went into extra time. It would be an incredible thing.”

McLachlan stopped short of calling on neutral fans to back the Giants, but he praised the expansion club for making their first grand final. “They’ve had injuries, they’ve had suspensions and they’ve had adversity,” he said.

“I reckon they’ve got here and everyone feels they’ve earned it … there’s a lot of support out there for the hard work and effort to get here.”

McLachlan was at the MCG to formally introduce the allAustralian grand final entertainment — Paul Kelly, Dean Lewis, Tones and I, and Conrad Sewell.