West Coast and Brisbane furious after AFL schedule Gold Coast home game against Fremantle in Perth

GOLD Coast hosting Fremantle in Perth raised a few eyebrows when the AFL fixture was released, but West Coast and Brisbane claim the AFL pinched the idea from them.

West Coast and Brisbane say they came up with the idea to have a Lions home game in Perth. Picture: Getty Images

WEST Coast and Brisbane claim a secret plan they hatched to play a Lions home game at the new Perth Stadium was pinched by the AFL.

Instead Gold Coast will host Fremantle in Perth which will cost the Lions $1 million and the Eagles a bonus home game.

They are angry their arch-rivals — the AFL-controlled Suns and the Dockers — will now get to cash in on their radical fixture concept.

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“Certainly we were trying to get the game against Brisbane, because they’re inconvenienced by the Commonwealth Games as well,” Eagles chief executive Trevor Nisbett said.

“We broached the subject about 18 months ago. (Lions chief executive) Greg Swann was the one who instigated the conversation with me, and I said it’s a great idea and we’d love to do it.”

The Eagles wanted an away game against Brisbane in Perth next year. Picture: AAP

The AFL said the Suns were only considered because of their “unique” circumstance. Metricon Stadium is unavailable until Round 11 due to the Commonwealth Games.

“Brisbane don’t have that challenge and therefore the circumstances don’t warrant considering a home game being relocated,” fixture boss Travis Auld said.

Auld said the AFL Commission was “consulted” on the Gold Coast deal.

It was decided the Dockers were a “better outcome from a fixturing point of view”, rather than the Eagles who completed the groundwork.

Brisbane and West Coast took their proposal to the AFL this year and were confused to learn in Grand Final week they had been shafted.

The Lions must play away in three of the first four rounds next season.

“It’s just left a bit of a sour taste in our mouth, because it was us who put it forward,” Swann said.

“If we’re going to play away, we might as well try and make some money out of it.”

Transport to the Gabba will be compromised because buses used to service Lions fans have been booked for the Commonwealth Games.

Brisbane first considered selling a game to Adelaide Oval, but then discovered $1m was on offer in Perth.

The Lions are sympathetic to the Suns, but they do not understand why both clubs couldn’t sell games.

Gold Coast will instead host Fremantle at the new Perth stadium. Picture: AAP

That could have seen the Queensland clubs camp in Perth for a week at the same time with four games the Queensland and WA teams scheduled at the dazzling 60,000-seat Perth Stadium across consecutive rounds.

Spending a week in Perth appealed to Brisbane and Gold Coast for bonding purposes given their young lists.

While the planets aligned in 2018, Brisbane is unlikely to try again the following year.

Nisbett invited other clubs to host the Eagles in Perth.

“There are clubs that do want a guaranteed gate,” Nisbett said.

“There is a risk on the gate, because we’ve got to get a good crowd there. But that’s up to us — we take the risk and underwrite the game.”

But Auld said the AFL would almost certainly reject any future proposal.

West Coast is frustrated it travels 10 times every year, whereas Collingwood has only five interstate games in 2018.

Originally published as West Coast and Brisbane furious after AFL schedule Gold Coast home game against Fremantle in Perth