Sydney’s ANZ Stadium to be bulldozed despite AFL and NRL searching for summer venues
If the AFL season continues into the summer months because of the coronavirus crisis, the league needs to find a venue for the Grand Final. But it can scrap another big stadium from its potential plans.
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Another venue capable of hosting AFL finals during cricket season is set to be struck off the list with ANZ Stadium closing its doors on June 27.
Sources in New South Wales confirmed that the COVID-19 disaster had not delayed plans for the $810 million upgrade of the venue that was originally built for the 2000 Olympic Games.
That means a push for the AFL – and possibly the NRL – to stage summertime finals during cricket season at the 80,000-seat venue would fall over.
The multipurpose stadium would’ve provided a clean solution, given cricket will have exclusive use of Australia’s premier venues for the ICC Twenty20 World Cup, the home Test series against India and the Big Bash.
The Herald Sun on Tuesday revealed that the AFL faces being locked out of its own venue in late December, with Melbourne Renegades holding a longstanding contract with Marvel Stadium.
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“The issues we are confronting today are bigger than any one sport,” Cricket Australia chief executive Kevin Roberts said.
“We obviously have obligations to fulfil during the 2020-21 cricket season, assuming sport is back up and running. That said we continue to work with other sports to support them while meeting these obligations.”
Roberts is in constant talks with AFL heavy hitters and rival codes are likely to act in good faith during these uncertain times.
“I hope that in the end this is bigger than all of that (existing stadium contracts),” AFL boss Gillon McLachlan said when asked about the Renegades’ Marvel Stadium deal.
“We’ll work together. There are enough venues and enough goodwill that all the problems will be able to be worked through.”
McLachlan said it would be “churlish” to play on Boxing Day, because that was a “cricket day”.
ANZ Stadium was supposed to be knocked down after last year’s NRL Grand Final, but that was pushed back because Queen booked a rock concert in February.
Construction works to transform the venue into a state-of-the-art rectangular stadium were rescheduled to start after June 27, after an NRL State of Origin match that is now unlikely to be played.
The refurbishment needs to begin soon because the venue has been earmarked to host the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup final, underpinning Australia’s bid for that tournament.
Sydney Swans played home games at ANZ Stadium for 15 years, the last of which was the 2016 qualifying final against GWS.
The stadium’s stands have not moved since, meaning there is no turf under the expanded parts of the venue required for AFL games.
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Originally published as Sydney’s ANZ Stadium to be bulldozed despite AFL and NRL searching for summer venues