Govt backs racing in GF discussions

ANY chance of a Saturday afternoon AFL grand final in Melbourne this October is done after Victorian Sports Minister Martin Pakula confirmed the spring racing carnival would get priority.

The AFL has moved its tentative grand final date from October 24 to October 17 with plans to squash rounds 9-12 into 19 consecutive days, starting on Wednesday, July 29.

Instead of a clash with the Cox Plate race meeting, the decider could now clash with the Caulfield Cup. It would also clash with The Everest at Randwick.

But while debate is raging over a potential grand final location, with all 10 Victorian teams shunted to Queensland for the remainder of the season, Pakula said a Saturday afternoon was out, a position AFL boss Gillon McLachlan confirmed to him on Thursday.

“If the AFL grand final happens to be on 17 October, or on any of our feature race days, the AFL will work around racing – whether that means putting it on at night, or the Sunday – but it definitely will not go head-to-head with the race meeting,” Pakula told RSN. “I’ve been having conversations with the AFL on an almost daily basis.

“I did speak to Gillon (McLachlan) this morning and reobtained the commitment from him that they definitely won’t go head to head with one of our major classic race days.

“The Caulfield Cup will get clear air as it should.

“It’s July, it’s at least three months before the grand final. A lot can change.”

Pakula said it was his “hope” that the grand final would be at the MCG.

McLachlan said on Wednesday there had been no decision made about the grand final’s location.

However, a grand final in Perth could still allow the AFL to play the game on Saturday afternoon, given the two-hour time difference with the eastern states.