AFL’s stadium move for Matildas quarter-final is completely unprecedented

The AFL has performed a dramatic backflip with news emerging the league plans to use its own Round 22 matches to promote its rival code.

Emily Van-Egmond of Australia celebrates after scoring her team's first goal during the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 Group B match between Australia and Nigeria at Brisbane Stadium on July 27, 2023 in Brisbane / Meaanjin, Australia. (Photo by Elsa - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

Andrew Demetriou must be shaking his head somewhere.

The AFL will be turning the MCG and Optus Stadium in Perth into Women’s World Cup live sites in scenes nobody could have seen coming.

Somewhere down there, hell must surely be freezing over after the AFL made the call to promote and embrace its rival football code.

Reports on Thursday showed the AFL is set to announce that it will be showing the Matildas’ quarter-final against France on big screens at the MCG ahead of the Carlton-Melbourne blockbuster.

The Blues-Demons clash has already been moved back five minutes to a 7.30 timeslot to accommodate for the Matildas’ match being shown live on Channel 7’s main channel.

With Seven taking the stunning step of moving back its 6pm news bulletin to 7pm to show the Matildas clash, which begins at 5pm (AEST), the pre-match coverage for the Blues-Demons game has been pushed over onto 7mate.

The Matildas are red hot. Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP.

If the Matildas match goes into extra time or a penalty shoot-out the Blues-Demons match will be further delayed in making a move to Seven’s primary channel.

With the Matildas the hottest ticket in town right now, even the AFL is getting on board.

The Herald Sun first reported Carlton, the home team for the match, and the AFL are planning to allow spectators to watch the Matildas match inside the venue before the Blues-Demons clash begins — if able to overcome all the rights and logistics issues.

Channel 7 first reported the AFL is backing a similar move in Perth ahead of the West Coast-Fremantle derby at Optus Stadium.

Football Australia has confirmed the stadium’s decision.

The Swans-Gold Coast clash in Sydney at the SCG earlier on Saturday is also reportedly planning to show the Matildas game live from the venue.

The Matildas have taken centre stage. Photo by Elsa - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images.

Optus Stadium chief executive Mike McKenna has confirmed the Perth venue will broadcast the game live in an amphitheatre at the stadium.

“We’re expecting a crowd of more than 50,000 for the Western Derby and we know many of those passionate fans could have been worried about not being able to experience both,” he said.

“As a result, we’re going to screen the Matildas live on the BHP Amphitheatre screen.

“We’re putting this on for fans coming to the stadium, and would encourage anyone else who wants to see it live to head to the official FIFA Fan Festival site in Forrest Place which will be open from 3pm on Saturday.”

The AFL’s moves are unthinkable when considering it was only 14 years ago that the league famously refused to allow its Docklands Stadium (now Marvel Stadium) to be used as part of Australia’s bid to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup.