Crows delighted AFLW grand final will be on recognised AFL venue

ADELAIDE is “fine” with the AFL’s decision to move the inaugural AFLW grand final to Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast, noting the game deserves a recognised football venue.

Jessica Sedunary takes off for the Crows against the Lions. Adelaide will get a chance to avenge its minor-round loss in the grand final. Picture: Sam Wundke

AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan took the fail-safe Adelaide Oval off the table for the AFLW grand final to protect the “integrity” of the new national league.

Despite a push inside AFL House to move Saturday’s AFLW grand final between Brisbane and Adelaide from Brisbane to the Oval - after the farcical turf saga at the Gabba - McLachlan tellingly insisted the unbeaten Lions be rewarded with a home-state final.

This clash with the second-ranked Crows will be played 70km south of Brisbane, at Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast, at 1.30pm (SA time) on Saturday.

The free-entry grand final will precede the AFL Q-Clash derby between the Lions and Gold Coast with that men’s season-opener delayed by 30 minutes to clear out Metricon Stadium.

Adelaide Oval was booked and available for the first AFLW grand final - and certain to draw at least 30,000 fans, if not break the Australian record for women’s football of 41,000 at the Oval in 1929.

And while the Crows reminded the AFL of the Oval’s readiness for the final, McLachlan ignored the prospect of a bigger crowd in Adelaide to ensure the AFLW does not start with the integrity issues that dogged AFL finals in the 1990s when higher-ranked non-Victorian teams were denied home finals and forced to play at the MCG.

McLachlan declared the AFL was “profoundly disappointed” with the state of the Gabba.

“The Lions have earned the right to host the grand final in their home state,” McLachlan said. “It’s extremely disappointing the first-ever women’s grand final cannot be at the home of AFL football in Brisbane.”

The move to the Gold Coast came with the endorsement of the Adelaide Football Club that declared: “The undefeated Lions earned the right to host the final in Queensland by finishing top of the AFLW ladder.”

“We always knew we were going to Queensland,” Crows chief executive Andrew Fagan told The Advertiser. “And we are fine knowing when and where the grand final is to be played.

“Our girls will play wherever, whenever - and we are certainly fine with Metricon Stadium.”

The Lions feel denied their true right to play at home after a turf inspection yesterday morning found the centre square at the Gabba remains unsafe after the venue hosted the Adele concerts on March 4 and 5.

And there is doubt on the ground’s readiness for Brisbane’s AFL clash with Essendon in round 2.

Lions chief executive Greg Swann described his club as “flabbergasted” in being “denied the right to a home final”.

“(The Gabba’s managers) Stadiums Queensland needs to be held to account over this,” said Swann.

“Why was new turf laid straight after the Adele concerts knowing full well that there was AFL to be played in a matter of weeks?

“We now have the farcical situation where our women’s team has been denied the chance to play their showpiece game, and there is doubt hanging over our men’s team’s opening home game on April 1.”

Adelaide is now working on its grand final program, which will include:

OPEN training at Football Park, West Lakes at 5pm on Wednesday.

THE TEAM travelling to the Gold Coast on Thursday.

A PARADE for Bec Goddard’s team — win or lose the premiership — at Adelaide Oval during the Crows-Giants men’s game on Sunday afternoon.

Adelaide in the next 24 hours will detail travel packages for fans wanting to see the grand final at the Gold Coast and supporter venues in Adelaide to watch the live telecast.

The AFLW season will close for the Crows with the league awards in Melbourne next Tuesday and club awards in Darwin next Wednesday.

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Originally published as Crows delighted AFLW grand final will be on recognised AFL venue