AFL set to reward Queensland with grand final

The AFL Commission is expected to reward Queensland’s $200m role in saving the season when it decides the grand final venue on Tuesday.

The Gabba is set to be announced as the AFL grand final venue

The AFL Commission is expected to reward Queensland’s $200m role in saving the season and its promised legacy of ongoing football investment when it decides the grand final venue on Tuesday.

The league is strongly favouring an October 24 grand final at the Gabba with a start time around 7pm, with the commission to review a recommendation handed down by its AFL executive.

The Gabba would host a historic night grand final in front of 30,000 people in a move Geelong coach Chris Scott says would be a watershed moment for football in the state.

The Australian understands interstate clubs Port Adelaide and West Coast will be able to host home finals all the way through to the preliminary final if they earn that right.

AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan will be part of Tuesday’s commission decision then get on a chartered flight to Queensland that afternoon for an expected official Wednesday announcement.

Queensland has been key to the AFL’s ability to get the season up and running

Geelong president and former AFL Commission member Colin Carter told The Australian he believed Queensland deserved to host the grand final.

Carter, who is entering the Gold Coast hub on Tuesday, wrote the 1985 report for the then-VFL advocating a national competition.

“There is no club position but my personal opinion is I hope Queensland gets it. They deserve it,” he said.

“It would be incredible for our code and they deserve it because they have had most of the competition camped up there this year. There is no reason why they shouldn’t get it.

“A bit more than half of the Australian population is north of the Murray river and the development of footy in Queensland is terrific and a story most people don’t know a lot about. This would kick it along another distance.”

The Victorian state government will release its contract to play the game at the MCG but is believed to be still pushing for a two-year extension to a deal that runs to 2057.

The Andrews government would also like more pre-games games in regional Victoria, a renewed commitment to host games in Ballarat, and some AFLW games in regional Victoria.

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The Queensland government has promised a series of legacy pieces for the AFL that includes funding junior AFL competitions, access to ovals and money for female facilities in future generations.

Queensland’s pitch came with its delegates aware they could not compete with the financial might of West Australia or even a capacity that could be at 60,000 by October 24.

Senior AFL sources said last night that financial pitches from state governments, including West Australia, had been nowhere near the $36 million reported.

Every senior football official polled by The Australian suggested the league would be making a huge mistake if it did not reward Queensland for its loyalty and capacity for growth if the finals were held in that state.

The league on Monday knocked back North Melbourne’s request to sell a home game to West Coast’s Perth Stadium, despite an expected $800,000 windfall for the Kangaroos.

It means West Coast will have to win their way into the top four without the assistance of a Round 18 clash at home.

Three flights will depart Melbourne on Tuesday bound for the Gold Coast, with star Cat Gary Ablett and his family and dual premiership Tiger Shane Edwards confirmed passengers.

The league will have around 2000 AFL staff, players and families and 15 AFL clubs in Queensland by Tuesday night, all of them approved by the state government despite the COVID risk.

SA premier Steven Marshall confirmed that the league had on the weekend sought more information regarding the state’s pitch for Adelaide Oval to host the grand final.

“They asked several questions following up from the proposal that we made last week,” Marshall said. “We’re hopeful that we get a positive response from the AFL in coming days.”

Reports had indicated that “VIP” attendees to the match could bypass the state’s strict 14-day quarantine requirements to attend, bound to their hotel room and the ground before departing the state again. But Marshall said the issue was still being considered by SA Health.

“I want to assure the people of South Australia though that we’re not talking about having a large number of people coming to Adelaide, being able to wander around the city or wander around the stadium,” he said.