AFL says Spotless Stadium can accommodate Richmond fans in possible qualifying final
THE AFL says Spotless Stadium would be big enough to accommodate Richmond’s travelling fan base if the two clubs clash in a blockbuster qualifying final.
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THE AFL says Spotless Stadium would be big enough to accommodate Richmond’s travelling fan base in a blockbuster first final between the Giants and Tigers.
The Herald Sun has predicted Richmond will meet GWS in the first weekend of September, with Damien Hardwick’s men eyeing their first finals victory in 16 years.
There is also a chance there will be no football played in Melbourne in the first round of finals, with two games in Adelaide and two in Sydney.
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There are fears the Giants’ 24,000-seat boutique stadium could not accommodate Richmond’s 70,000 strong membership, potentially leaving fans locked out of the qualifying final.
But the AFL confirmed it had locked-in Spotless Stadium as an appropriate venue to host the potential match-up, based on 20 years of finals attendance figures.
AFL Spokesman Patrick Keane said the league would not move the game to the larger SCG.
“We would play it at Spotless Stadium and our attendance records for members travelling from Victoria to Sydney shows the game will be appropriately accommodated there,” Keane said.
“The Western Bulldogs had about 8000 members travel for last year’s preliminary final and tickets were still available on match day.”
Richmond supporters were unhappy Saturday’s clash against Geelong was fixtured at Simonds Stadium due to the 36,000-seat capacity. With the bulk of the tickets already sold, some seats were still on sale through Ticketmaster from $80 each.
Richmond will attempt to smash one of the biggest hoodoos in the game when it tries to notch only its second win against the Cats since 2000.
Remarkably, Richmond has won only one of its past 20 games against the Cats and nine games in total over the past 34 years against Geelong.
But Geelong will be missing key trio Joel Selwood (ankle), Mitch Duncan and Tom Hawkins (both suspended) for the top-four showdown.
Midfielder Kane Lambert said the Tigers would relish the contest against the Cats on their home deck and ignore the lopsided history.
“We go down there as the hunters and we are going to hunt them,” Lambert told the Herald Sun.
“The beauty about us is the process and way we want to play and if we start thinking about what has happened (in the past) or what could happen, it is just all outcome, so we just want to get the process right.”
Lambert said Hardwick deserved enormous credit for helping revive the team over the past year.
“He has been huge, he has ridden the ups along the way and he has always gone into bat for us and we love playing for him,” he said.
Originally published as AFL says Spotless Stadium can accommodate Richmond fans in possible qualifying final
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