QUARANTINE REASON FOR PRE-GF BYE WEEK CALL

AFL boss Gillon McLachlan has defended its decision to wedge a bye weekend between the preliminary finals and the grand final between Melbourne and Western Bulldogs.

The two-week lead-in to the Perth Stadium decider has been criticised for taking the sting out of its traditional lead-up.

But McLachlan said the league had to allow teams to be out of quarantine for a week for equity reasons.

When the league planned its bye, a team could have been flying in from a Brisbane preliminary final and been forced to play while in quarantine without the extra week.

“We didn’t want a situation where we would be coming out of (quarantine), coming into the grand final,” he told 3AW.

“The Bulldogs are still in isolation, they won’t come out until Sunday. If it had been a Brisbane prelim, they would have been right through until the day of the grand final. There is also just a lot of organise logistically.

“It gave us some optionality. The momentum is a question, but by the time we get to the grand final, people will be jumping out of their seats for it.”

He said the league’s grand final entertainment, which would include Birds of Tokyo, would be announced on Saturday.

He said artists from around Australia would be included, with Mike Brady to sing from Melbourne as part of the prematch entertainment.