‘Bitter, ugly’: Real story behind AFL’s move to help Matildas

The unprecedented alliance between the AFL, FIFA and the Matildas has been exposed as a “begrudging marriage” ahead of the World Cup quarter-final.

The real, bitter story behind the AFL’s unprecedented decision to show the Matildas’ quarter-final on the big screen at the MCG on Saturday has been revealed.

The AFL on Friday locked in plans to show the Australia-France match on the big screens at the MCG before the blockbuster Carlton-Melbourne clash begins at 7.30pm (AEST) with a crowd of more than 60,000 expected.

The AFL has also co-ordinated with the SCG to have the Matildas match played on the big screen after the Swans-Gold Coast game — and on big screens outside Optus Stadium in Perth before the West Coast-Fremantle derby.

Such is the Matildas-mania that has gripped the country since the start of the tournament, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews also made a late decision to open up Rod Laver Arena to show the match on the big screen — on top of the iconic Federation Square live site.

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 AFL is not used to being the little fish in such matters and it has now been revealed that there has been a bitter squabble between the league and FIFA running behind the scenes surrounding the big screen at the MCG.

SEN first reported the temporary partnership between the league and football’s governing body has been hostile from the very start of negotiations this week.

Hayley Raso celebrates with Emily van Egmond. Photo by Andy Cheung/Getty Images.

SEN’s Sam Edmund said on Crunch Time: “FIFA and the AFL are the most unlikely arranged marriage you’re ever likely to see.

“The AFL have surprised many with their willingness to do this, it is a begrudgingly willingness as well, there’s no way they would want this played but there’s a real element of not wanting to shoot Bambi, and fair enough, it’s the right thing to do.

“Behind the scenes over the last couple of days, the negotiations have been frustrating, bitter and they certainly got ugly.

“The Matildas versus France quarter-final will be shown on the MCG big screen from the kick-off until Carlton and Melbourne run out on the MCG from somewhere between 7.07pm and 7.10pm tonight.

“If the game finishes in regulation time, this is no problem, but if it goes to extra time and then penalties, it will be a big problem.

“It will then be shown on the 300 odd TVs around the stadium in the function rooms and the bars until its done.

“FIFA sent the AFL contracts on this that just simply weren’t feasible, FIFA wanted the game shown in full and even 10 minutes post-match as well, but the AFL weren’t willing to bend on that after already pushing the Carlton versus Melbourne back until 7.30pm.

“FIFA then said, ‘OK, if you’re turning it off the big screen well then you are turning it off everything’. And that’s when the Melbourne Cricket Club (MCC) came in and said, ‘You’ve got no legal right to do that’. Optus Sport control the feed to the big screen’ but Channel 7 control all the feeds to all other TVs in the stadium.

Mary Fowler and Gillon McLachlan.

“The MCC have essentially said, ‘If you’re in your living room, we can put Channel 7 on and this is our living room so we are showing it and you can’t stop us’.

“There’s all sorts of commercial partner issues as well, Telstra sponsor the AFL and Optus control the feed to the MCG big screen for the World Cup so that’s been a hurdle.

“Toyota sponsor the AFL and Hyundai sponsor the World Cup. All the LED’s around the MCG will be turned off while the World Cup so it’s going to appear a bit lifeless in there.

“In the end, it’s been an absolute saga to get here, and I just hope it’s decided in regulation and the Matildas win.”

It could be absolute anarchy inside the MCG if the Matildas game goes beyond regulation time with fans potentially forced to scramble to find screens around the stadium to watch the Matildas game. There is the added black eye for the AFL that it would not be a great look for the first bounce to happen while most of the stadium has its back turned to the contest.

The only AFL venue on Saturday where the Matildas won’t be available on the big screen is The Gabba in Brisbane, where the Lions will take on the Adelaide Crows from 4.35pm.

More than 3.5 million people watched the Matildas’ round of 16 win over Denmark on Monday nigh on Channel 7 – 3.18 million on TV and 385,000 on the 7plus streaming service.

While the fervour around the Matildas has captured the imagination of the country, it’s also a chance for the AFL to right a significant wrong.

League officials were widely criticised last year when they released the 2023 fixture on the same morning as the Socceroos were playing Argentina in a knockout match at the World Cup in Qatar.

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.