Sydney wants the AFL Grand Final, but favourite Queensland looks likely to hold Masked showpiece
As D-Day looms for the AFL to set a Grand Final date, Sydney finds itself at the rear of the pecking order, but is planning an audacious swoop as favourite Brisbane could host a stadium full of masked fans.
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We’ve seen the Masked Singer shut down but the Masked Grand Final crowd might yet become one of the most extraordinary sights of the COVID sporting era.
A warning to all Queenslander’s that they should now wear masks in crowded places could become a mandated requirement should the Gabba secure the AFL Grand Final.
NSW Government officials are set to meet with the AFL’s big brass on Thursday to make its final pitch, but it’s understood Sydney is sitting third in the pecking order behind Brisbane and Perth as D-Day looms.
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The best case scenario for a Brisbane Grand Final would be a maximum of 30,000 spectators at the Gabba, potentially all expected to wear face masks.
Perth is the low risk option for the AFL, given a 30,000 attendance would be a bare minimum in a State that hasn’t had a live case for 133 days. While there is the very real potential the West Australian Government could still give the green light to a blockbuster 60,000 sellout closer to the big day on October 17 or 24.
However, the AFL is tempted by the shot at making massive inroads in an expansion market like Queensland, as well as repaying the State for essentially keeping the competition running this year amid the panic of border closures.
NSW are desperately fighting to secure a once in a lifetime slice of sporting history, but they may be forced to fight against jealous forces from Victoria who are reportedly trying to undermine Sydney’s bid.
Reports suggest the Victorian Government and the MCC – who hold a $500 million contract to host the AFL Grand Final at the MCG until 2057 – are opposed to ANZ Stadium winning the rights to host.
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It would be extraordinarily if petty Melbourne-Sydney rivalries was to rob the country’s second biggest Stadium out of hosting the Grand Final, but it would appear Brisbane and Perth have their noses in front in any case.
Tourism Minister Stuart Ayres is leading NSW’s charge, armed by recent comments by NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian that she is determined to attract big events to the State as part of the revised NSW Venues/Trust Governance model.
Queensland’s Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young indicated that Queenslanders would be called on to wear a mask to the Grand Final should the Gabba secure the rights.
“It’s time to use a mask,” Dr Young said.
“I’m not going to mandate it because I don’t believe we have broad spread community transmission, but certainly we’re in a risky period at this time.
“If you’re in a crowded situation that you can’t get out of, put a mask on.”
SYDNEY’S LATE BID TO PINCH GRAND FINAL OFF GABBA
Sydney’s ambitious bid to steal the AFL Grand Final off Brisbane hinges on a high level push to get crowd capacity at ANZ Stadium up to 50,000.
Under the NSW Government push, the AFL would have to hold its showpiece on Saturday October 17 – a week before the NRL grand final on October 25 – because turning ANZ Stadium around for both events on the same weekend would be a near impossibility.
The Gabba in Brisbane is considered the hot favourite to win the rights to host its slice of AFL history, and the two proposed AFL dates are October 17 and 24.
The Queensland Government will use its track record of hosting major events as one of its aces when pitching its case for the AFL Grand Final on Tuesday.
Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, State Minister for State Development, Tourism and Innovation Kate Jones, Gold Coast Suns chairman Tony Cochrane and Brisbane Lions chair Andrew Wellington will officially put the sunshine state’s bid forward to host the premiership decider.
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However, giving NSW some hope of an upset win is the fact Sydney is the commercial capital of Australia and a base to some of the AFL’s leading partners like Channel 7 and Toyota.
If health authorities in NSW could be convinced that a socially distanced crowd of 40,000-50,000 at ANZ for mid-late October is safe, it would blow the Gabba’s maximum capacity of 30,000 out of the water and give the AFL its best shot at a blockbuster atmosphere.
Any promises of that nature would be fraught with danger given the unpredictability of COVID-19, but the NSW Government has now proven its ability to effectively track cases, while Queensland now braces for the uncharted territory of having to deal with its own outbreaks.
The NRL has already started its own talks with the NSW Government about a crowd of more than half of ANZ’s usual 80,000 capacity for its decider on October 25, and the same conversations are taking place about the AFL grand final before a final decision is made on where it will be hosted in the coming days.
Some in AFL land feel a deal is as good as done with the Queensland Government, but NSW is refusing to give up the fight, sensing the magnitude of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity where arguably the nation’s biggest event will be forced away from its usual home at the MCG.
On the back of the economic damage caused by COVID-19, two grand finals in front of 50,000 crowds in consecutive weeks would provide a massive financial injection to the NSW economy.
Tourism Minister Stuart Ayres has been tasked with trying to pull off what would be one of the greatest coups in Australian sporting history as NSW, Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia all make their final bids to the AFL over why they deserve to host the Grand Final.
Perth is boosted by its time zone where a daytime grand final in Western Australia could be beamed live at prime time on the eastern seaboard.
However, the AFL would see the biggest growth opportunities in handing the Grand Final to one of its emerging markets in Queensland and NSW, where it could be a rare opportunity to help shape the sporting love of the next generation in rugby league-dominated states.
Palaszczuk ruled out the possibility of a Grand Final parade should the state win the right to host the game, with contact tracing considered virtually impossible should a crowd of tens of thousands gather in the Brisbane CBD.
While the league is officially waiting for confirmation from the Victorian Government that the game cannot be staged at the MCG, it is canvassing other states and Palaszczuk maintained that Queensland has runs on the board to prove it is capable of hosting at the Gabba.
“We’ve hosted over 50 games to date (this season),” she said on Tuesday morning.
“By the end of the season, it’ll be over 80.
“We can put on world-class events. We have put on the (2018) Commonwealth Games, that people from all around the Commonwealth got to see, and the sport is growing in Queensland.
“It is up 30 per cent, so there’s enormous potential here in Queensland.
“But … these are very, very early days.”
She would not be drawn on what financial incentive the state could offer the league, saying today’s talks are “very, very preliminary discussions”.
Palaszczuk said the state “absolutely” wanted to host the Brownlow Medal, and said the Gold Coast presented a prime option for a location with The Star casino having hosted television’s Logies awards in recent years.
“Of course we want the Brownlow, and if that was to occur, we see enormous potential for the Gold Coast to host that,” she said.
“The Gold Coast has done a great job in the past of hosting the Logies and of course the Commonwealth Games … so we see enormous potential.”
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Sydney Swans coach John Longmire said giving ANZ Stadium the Grand Final would be a masterstroke.
“I’m always in favour of rotating the grand final (as it is),” said Longmire.
“As far as what it would do to footy in NSW, it would be incredible.
“I don’t know whether we’ve got any chance or not. I see our numbers are heading in the right direction which is terrific. Anything that can help the game grow in the northern States, obviously Brisbane are right in the hunt as well. Whether it’s Queensland or NSW it’s a unique, probably once in a lifetime opportunity to be able to showcase the major event and all that comes around that.
“I dare say Gill (McLachlan) and everyone from the AFL will be putting their heads down to make sure that happens to some degree. I can’t see any downside to it in regards to the growth of the game.”
As well as the multimillion-dollar financial side of the bidding, it’s understood the AFL would be also be looking for some commitments from suitors over what they would be prepared to pour into future grassroots and women’s football projects.
Originally published as Sydney wants the AFL Grand Final, but favourite Queensland looks likely to hold Masked showpiece