AFL finals fixture 2023: St Kilda hopeful of a home elimination final at Marvel Stadium

If the Saints win the right to a home final, will the AFL grant their Marvel wish? See who could play when on the first weekend of the major round.

St Kilda would prefer to play at its home ground, Marvel Stadium, if it wins the right to a home final.

The Saints have made clear they want to play at Marvel in week one if possible rather than at the MCG, which would attract a bigger crowd.

The Saints – in sixth spot on 52 points – are in a battle for a home final with Sydney and face a tough assignment against Brisbane at the Gabba.

The Swans are in seventh on 50 points and are favourite to beat Melbourne at home at the SCG on Sunday afternoon, meaning they could leapfrog St Kilda this weekend.

Mattaes Phillipou celebrates his goal at Marvel Stadium last week. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

If the Saints earn a home final, St Kilda chief executive Simon Lethlean said the club would want to play at Marvel Stadium where it has won four of the past five games.

If the ladder positions stay the same it means the Saints would play the Swans in an elimination final.

But Leathlean said the AFL would likely only schedule a Marvel Stadium home final if there were four games in Victoria for the first week of finals.

“History will show if there is only two or three finals and not four in Victoria they will be at the MCG,” Lethlean said on 3AW.

“I don’t expect that will be any different.

“If we were given a choice we would certainly want to play at our home ground which is Marvel. If it is in Victoria we would be super happy.”

Melbourne, which is in fourth spot, would have to leapfrog Port Adelaide and Brisbane on the ladder in the final round to ensure there were four finals in Melbourne in week one.

First-placed Collingwood and fifth-placed Carlton could host the other two Melbourne finals at the MCG.

Lethlean heaped praise on Lyon for his efforts guiding the Saints into the eight in his first season in charge after a tumultuous takeover from Brett Ratten late last year.

“(He’s) very engaging, and quite captivating in his thoughts,” Lethlean said.

“His football IP (intellectual property) is elite and his ability to dissect the game, the needs of the game and the tactics around it I think are at the higher end of all coaches.

“The industry has probably known that, but to see it first hand is impressive.

“He’s got standards and a formula and environments that he wants and that have worked for him in the past and he’s strong on that which is great to have decisiveness around what he needs to get the best out of them.

“I have learned a lot. He’s experienced. He’s 20 years into coaching. We are evolving together.”

Originally published as AFL finals fixture 2023: St Kilda hopeful of a home elimination final at Marvel Stadium