Before the women’s finals, the sports minister makes it all about the blokes

On Saturday evening, Brisbane Heat will play in the final of the Women’s Big Bash League in Adelaide. The Brisbane Lions’ AFL women’s team play their grand final the following day in Melbourne. It is a huge weekend for Brisbane fans and the city’s sporting prestige.

It is not, however, controversial to note the fledgling AFLW and WBBL leagues do not get the same attention as their established male counterparts.

An artist’s impression of the redeveloped RNA Showgrounds.

This is different in grand final weeks. Smart scheduling means the AFL men’s season is long finished, and the BBL is yet to begin.

Friday in Brisbane, then, probably should have been for celebration and anticipation, especially from Sports Minister Stirling Hinchliffe.

Instead, the Palaszczuk government made the day’s biggest news story about the men’s teams. As a bonus, it got to pick another tedious political fight with Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner.

Hinchliffe’s announcement was that the government had finally selected the RNA showgrounds as a temporary AFL and cricket replacement for the Gabba, which must be demolished and rebuilt for the 2032 Olympics from 2026.

It is the best home-ground option, at least for the AFL competition. And probably a relief after premier Annastacia Palaszczuk absurdly suggested last year the Lions could play home games at “regional AFL grounds”.

The Ekka is by a train station and the CBD, while the novelty and reduced seating (20,000 seats compared the Gabba’s 37,000 or so) will make game days Brisbane’s hottest ticket.

The timing of the announcement, on the eve of such a weekend, is unfortunate.

Only the men’s AFL and BBL teams play home games at the Gabba. The women’s fixtures are not affected by the rebuild.

Was Hinchliffe aware of the women’s grand finals when he made Friday all about the blokes?

“Of course,” his office said. The minister, however, didn’t see fit to mention them.

In its typically untidy style, the government didn’t even give the sporting codes or Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner the heads-up before dropping the news to its favoured media outlet.

“[The] government gets the right to announce it, the minister has announced it, and now he’ll do the detailed consultations,” Palaszczuk said in a separate press conference on Friday.

The disrespect is particularly foolhardy when you consider the government is only contributing about a third of the $137 million needed to upgrade the Showgrounds into a boutique stadium befitting elite sport.

The rest of the money needs to come from the Brisbane City Council and the codes.

The AFL and Queensland Cricket were still coming up with responses by Friday afternoon.

The Main Arena at the Brisbane Showgrounds has hosted Sir Donald Bradman’s Test cricket debut, as well as football, rugby, lacrosse, athletics and cycling. Credit: Morgan Roberts

Lions chief executive Greg Swann, meanwhile, said it was “pleasing this process is finally moving forward and the government supports the RNA option.”

The club did not answer questions about possible financial contributions.

Immediately, the lord mayor, who has advocated for the Showgrounds to replace the Gabba, pushed back on the costs.

“It was the state government’s decision to tear down the Gabba so it’s the state government’s responsibility to find the Brisbane Lions and Heat a temporary home,” he said.

Palaszczuk snapped back that the council needed to “step up”.

Later in the day, Schrinner released another press release flatly refusing to contribute anything close to the government’s proposed third.

What a mess. Again.

Surely, this could have been sorted with the codes, clubs and council before the announcement. If Hinchliffe had made some more calls, he might have been advised to hold off until after the weekend.