AFL could delay making a decision on timeslot for Grand Final for two months
The AFL’s uncertainty about how to return West Coast and Fremantle to Perth to play the second half of the season will likely push back a decision on when to play the Grand Final – and in what timeslot – for months.
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The AFL could delay a decision on a starting time for the Grand Final for up to eight weeks as it considers the prospect of a bye which would push the decider beyond October 24.
The league’s nominal Grand Final date is the same weekend as the Cox Plate but the only chance of that double-booking is if Western Australia relaxes border restrictions in coming months.
The AFL is aware at some stage the Eagles and Dockers will need to leave hubs to return to Perth and will need a 14-day quarantine period before they recommence play.
The only way to schedule the remainder of their games with current border restrictions is by introducing a bye that allows teams to fly to Perth, quarantine, then play after 14 days.
Under the AFL model revealed on Fox Footy Live by David King last week, teams would play on a given weekend, fly to Perth to quarantine, have their scheduled bye over the next weekend and then play against West Coast or Fremantle the following round.
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That would push the season finish back a minimum of one week and possibly more.
The AFL might then finish its season with an early November Grand Final with clean air to play on a Saturday afternoon instead of at night.
Until the league gets clarity on whether it needs to delay aspects of its season it will not set its start time in stone.
The league has worked on models for a night Grand Final but might only release a start time when it unveils the third block of fixtured games.
The season is on track to start on Thursday week, with more than 5000 coronavirus tests coming back negative since players returned to clubs.
The league will confirm later in the week that interchange will remain at four ahead of Round 2.
West Coast midfielder Jack Redden on Saturday put paid to any chance the Eagles might remain in a Gold Coast hub all year, saying this weekend six weeks was the maximum time they would remain.
The Eagles will fly to Gold Coast to stay in their hub on Monday ahead of a clash with Gold Coast on Saturday June 13.
But with few Eagles players taking their families into hubs it would be unfair to keep them in high-performance villages for longer than six weeks.
“It’s a hard one because everyone has different circumstances with family,” Redden said.
“For me personally I have thought four to six weeks, six weeks maximum and then you need a break to get home to see family. For me personally I don’t think any longer than six weeks is fair.”
Families are allowed to enter hubs at any time but Redden’s family will return to South Australia to be closer to the support of wider family.
WA premier McGowan said last week the borders would remain closed for “months”.
“It allows us to more free up our economy within Western Australia, it allows Western Australians to travel within our state," Mr McGowan said.
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