Saturday Adelaide Footy League fixtures set to remain amid AFLW grand final at Adelaide Oval

Adelaide’s local footballers will find it difficult to attend the AFLW grand final between the Crows and Demons this weekend. Here’s why.

Adelaide’s local footballers look set to miss out on Saturday’s AFLW grand final between the Crows and Demons, with amateur fixtures remaining unchanged.

With the first bounce at Adelaide Oval pencilled in for 12pm, both men’s and women’s players in the Adelaide Footy League will struggle to attend, despite the AFL offering free adult tickets to local players.

League chief John Kernahan said a change to Saturday’s fixtures – most set for anywhere from 1pm-3pm – would be too “on a whim” for the competition.

“While we wish the Adelaide Football Club all the best in their endeavours, an organisation our size can’t facilitate itself on the possibility of either the Crows or soon to be admitted Port Adelaide playing in a grand final, let alone one at Adelaide Oval,” Kernahan said.

Adelaide Football League chief John Kernahan believed a change to fixtures to accommodate for the AFLW grand final would be unlikely. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

“Our own planning and scheduling starts in November and we need to consider men’s footy in concert with the women’s schedule, with one being at home when the other is away.

“Our rudder is simply too small for the size of ship we are to change course on a whim.”

Kernahan said the league had given clubs the opportunity to negotiate fixture changes but that the AFL also could have done its bit.

“We made it very clear to our member clubs that there are avenues to change fixtures if they wanted to attend the match … understanding some clubs may have a higher level of interest than others.

“That said, the AFL wouldn’t have needed to look too far to know community footy has been played on a Saturday afternoon for a long time so perhaps in the future they could have some consideration if in fact it is an issue for them.”