Adelaide Oval grand final likely if Crows women keep top spot

THE Crows AFLW juggernaut is set to roll into Adelaide Oval if the team can maintain its place on top of the ladder, with a stand-alone grand final at the venue on offer.

Adelaide’s Abbey Holme handballs under pressure from the Dockeers’ Akec Makur Chuot. Holmes and her teammates are now hunting a grand final at Adelaide Oval. Picture: Will Russell (AFL Media/Getty Images)

THE Crows AFLW juggernaut is likely to roll into Adelaide Oval if the team can maintain its place on top of the ladder, with a stand-alone grand final at the venue on offer.

The Crows, unbeaten after four rounds, have played in front of about 9000 fans at their first two home games at Thebarton Oval.

But the AFL has confirmed it plans to use the 53,500-seat Oval if Bec Goddard’s team claims the minor premiership, earning the right to host the inaugural premiership decider.

“Certainly our preference is to play at Adelaide Oval if the Crows finish on top,” AFL game development chief Simon Lethlean said.

“We think it would be a pretty big event for the town and the state, so we’d be confident we can arrange something with Adelaide Oval that works for all parties.”

In a bid to boost grand final attendance and the television audience, the AFL has set aside an afternoon timeslot on Saturday, March 25, when no men’s matches are scheduled.

Adelaide’s men’s team kicks off its premiership campaign against Greater Western Sydney at Adelaide Oval the day after.

The league will be able to further gauge the level of local interest in attending Crows AFLW games when they take on Brisbane in a top-of-the-table clash at Norwood Oval on Saturday night.

The Lions are the only other undefeated team in the competition, with the winner of Saturday’s encounter in the box seat to host the grand final. Second-placed Brisbane is keen to play the grand final at the Gabba should it finish top.

That could cause the AFL problems, as the men’s game between Gold Coast and Brisbane kicks off at Metricon Stadium at 6.25pm, Queensland time. But the AFL are hopeful an early grand final start time wouldn’t force Lions fans to choose between the men’s and women’s games.

“There will be Brisbane fans heading down to the Gold Coast, but with a one-o’clock grand final start we’d be hopeful they could do both,” Lethlean said.

Melbourne, which has put together a three-match winning streak to sit a game back in third, and Carlton, another game back in fourth, are the only other realistic hopes of hosting the grand final.

Lethlean confirmed the likely grand final venue in Melbourne was Princes Park, the scene of the historic season-opening clash between Collingwood and Carlton.

Hundreds of fans were turned away from that match after the gates were closed when the venue’s 24,500 capacity was reached.

While admission for the grand final will be free, Lethlean said the league is working through the possibility of ticketing the game to avoid a similar scenario.

Originally published as Adelaide Oval grand final likely if Crows women keep top spot