Sydney Swans final at the SCG is just common sense, writes Richard Hinds

IT seems absurd that Sydney even faced the possibility of playing a final at ANZ Stadium rather than be rewarded for a likely top placed finish, writes RICHARD HINDS.

ANZ Stadium.

WE have been promised ANZ Stadium will be transformed into a wonderful, modern rectangular venue that will provide an intimate atmosphere regardless of crowd size.

Time will tell.

But for the AFL, whose investment meant the ground was built on dimensions that contributed to its lack of appeal for smaller drawing games, ANZ Stadium is now a footballing mausoleum.

When the Swans joyously cut their contract with the stadium short at the start of this season the AFL’s rocky relationship with the venue should have come to an end. The stadium operators were happy to wave the game goodbye.

As of Thursday it seemed common sense would prevail and the Swans would get a real home final at the SCG.

But that the Sydney Swans were even faced with the possibility of playing a final at ANZ Stadium, rather than being rewarded for a likely top placed finish with a final at the SCG, is both absurd and unfair.

Publicly, the Swans have been pragmatic about the possibility of playing a “home’’ final at Homebush where their most recent game was an injury-marred defeat to North Melbourne in last year’s semi-finals.

The whining of Australian Olympics officials about the various challenges in Rio demonstrated how a negative mindset can have an adverse impact on results.

Clearly the Swans do not want to create the impression they are badly disadvantaged by driving 23km west.

Lance Franklin celebrates a goal with Xavier Richards at the SCG. Picture: Mark Evans

But behind the scenes the Swans have been working hard to have the game relocated in the interests of both the team and their members. It has proven a delicate operation.

The AFL manages the finals and the contract for play-offs at ANZ Stadium is between the league and venue management.

So the Swans did not want to be seen to be placing overt pressure on either the league or denigrating the stadium and offending its management.

Further complicating matters AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan, who has the last say on finals fixtures, was at the Olympics until last Friday.

The AFL has until Sunday when it announces finals venues and ticketing to make a deal to satisfy ANZ Stadium members.

Either way, the Swans might have to address an even greater potential threat to their premiership tilt - the prospect of playing just one game in three weeks during the play-offs.

The AFL’s new pre-finals bye weekend is intended to ensure all team enter the finals fit and refreshed, and to shine the spotlight on ceremonial events such as the Brownlow Medal, the Rising Star Award and the EJ Whitten Charity match.

But even before the first pre-finals bye is trialled, clubs are worried the bye will be a momentum killer for both teams and fans.

In Melbourne, where there is a good chance there will be only one final in the first weekend of play-offs – and thus one game in two weeks – the Melbourne Storm are the only ones happy with the new arrangements.

The Storm’s last home-and-away match against Cronulla will be the only game in town that weekend and they will have very little opposition for their first final.

The saving grace for the AFL is in Sydney. If results go as expected this weekend the city will host two finals on the same weekend for the first time – perhaps Sydney v Hawthorn and GWS v North Melbourne.

As importantly, it seems likely both will be played at their real home grounds which is no less than their fans deserve.