AFL great Leigh Matthews backs calls for three-game grand final series

A three-game Grand Final series has won the backing of one of the game’s greats, who says the AFL must be open to all options to replace revenue after the COVID-19 shutdown.

The AFL is open to a best-of-three Grand Final series this year. Picture: Phil Hillyard

AFL legend Leigh Matthews has thrown his support behind a one-off, best-of-three Grand Final series this year, saying the AFL must explore all options to chase extra revenue and keep the 18 clubs viable during the coronavirus shutdown.

Describing this year as being about “survival” as much as anything else, the four-time premiership coach said the financial tsunami that has rocked the game means everything is on the table if the season does get underway later in the year.

The AFL is looking at a number of options to boost the coffers, with one option canvassed in recent days being a best-of-three Grand Final series.

Already, Collingwood captain Scott Pendlebury and Melbourne veteran Nathan Jones have backed a possible shift in the Grand Final tradition this year.

“I say to myself, 2020 is a survival season. How do we survive? How do we maximise revenues,” Matthews said on 3AW.

“To me, whoever ends up being premier at the end of it is less important than getting 100 (or) 140 games played.

“And if we can get more money out of best of three grand final, then go for it.”

Leigh Matthews and Michael Voss embrace after Brisbane Lions’ 2003 Grand Final win.

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Matthews said the challenge facing AFL football at the moment was the biggest he had seen in more than 50 years in the game.

“This is like the war years … we’re in a survival season. This is a very different year. You can put an asterisk on it if you want to,” Matthews said.

The AFL is open to a best-of-three Grand Final series this year. Picture: Phil Hillyard

“We might end up with a premier but that is much, much less important than getting most of the home and away season (played) just for the finances of the game, so there is a smaller debt at the end of the year.

“Anything that’s going to maximise revenues, don’t worry about whether it’s fair, you’ve just got to do it.”

Another option being considered is a possible wildcard series, but only in the event of a rapidly improving scenario that sees football back within coming months.

AFL fixturing boss Travis Auld has moved from helping the league get its finances under control to now attempting to put together various fixturing models for the rest of the season.

Wildcard weekends and a best-of-three Grand Final series would add extra time to the fixture where the coronavirus pandemic might not allow sport to be played until August or September.

The league could even compress its fixture early with no crowds across all days of the week then play a chunk of the fixture as normal in Friday-Sunday to maximise crowds when they are able to return.

But the league’s determination is to play 17 rounds and four finals no matter what before thinking about adding weeks.

Auld said on Sunday nothing was off the table but everything depended on a return date for football.

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Originally published as AFL great Leigh Matthews backs calls for three-game grand final series