It’s a national game, shift AFL grand final from MCG

A rare political unity between rival premiers has them wondering if the AFL should just go back to using a ‘V’ instead of an ‘A’.

An AFL match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Picture: Lachlan Cunningham

On Saturday, the GWS Giants play just their 20th game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in their ­entire eight-year history against the Melbourne-based Richmond who have made 113 appearances there in that same period.

It is a ground the Tigers — favourites to win the AFL grand final — know like the back of their hand, having played the final seven games straight of this year’s minor round there, while interstate teams such as GWS schlep around the country dealing with airport check-ins, hotel transfers and long commutes on the team bus.

And as always, the biggest game of the year will be contested at the venue the AFL and its co-conspirators within the Victorian Labor government have declared will be the home of the AFL grand final until at least 2057.

Such inarguable and damning facts saw the emergence on Friday of a rare political unity ticket ­between Labor and Liberal premiers and opposition leaders from South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania, all of whom are wondering if the AFL should just drop the pretence and go back to using a “V” instead of an “A” in its name.

Leaders from these great Aussie rules states lined up to tell The Weekend Australian it was time the AFL started sharing the love when it comes not just to grand final day but match scheduling.

Tasmanian Liberal Premier Will Hodgman even questioned the entire credibility of the competition, saying there would be no true national league until footy-mad Tassie had a team of its own.

“Melbourne was actually founded by Tasmanians back in 1835,” Mr Hodgman said.

“You’d think that by now they’d show some gratitude and let us have a team in the competition.”

WA Labor Premier Mark McGowan, whose state is home to last year’s premiers, West Coast, but who barracks for the Fremantle Dockers, said he had been advocating for the return of State of Origin to celebrate the contribution a footy powerhouse such as WA had made to the national game.

He said although he appreciated the tradition argument about the MCG, the benefits of hosting the grand final could be better shared. “If the AFL did ever want to try something different, it would be hard to look past Optus Stadium — the best stadium in the country,” he said.

He echoed the sentiments of WA fans about the onerous travel demands on the state’s two clubs.

“I’m sure some WA footy fans would argue the non-Victorian clubs often get a raw deal when it comes to things like travel and fixtures. They might have a point, but I personally like our underdog ­status and it makes beating the Vics much, much sweeter,’’ Mr McGowan said.

The sentiments are even more hostile in SA, where the Adelaide Crows finished top in 2017, were unbeaten in their two opening ­finals, but were then forced to travel to the MCG to play Richmond, who registered a win that can be fairly described as a technicality.

“Next year when there’s a showdown grand final between the Crows and Power it’ll certainly help strengthen our case, won’t it,” SA Premier and Port Adelaide fan Steven Marshall said.

“Adelaide Oval is absolutely world class and would make a fantastic grand final venue.”

SA Labor leader Peter Malinauskas, a keen footballer who broke three ribs this year playing full-forward for the nuggety Adelaide Uni C3 side known affectionately as “The Scum”, provided The Weekend Australian with a compelling analysis of the AFL’s Victorian bias.

Mr Malinauskas, who is also a Port Adelaide tragic, said there would be no level playing field while interstate clubs such as Port or GWS played at the MCG a ­couple of times a year and the big Melbourne clubs use it as their home ground.

He also noted the AFL allocated just 17,000 grand final tickets to each of the two clubs in the biggest game of the year, and called on the AFL to cut back on the suits and freeloaders who made up the ­remainder on grand final day.

“The AFL uses two arguments to justify the monopoly enjoyed by the MCG — tradition and ­capacity,” Mr Malinauskas said.

“Clearly tradition is being used to trump equity.

“And on the question of ­capacity, if football is about catering for the paid-up supporters who are loud and proud, then you can get 34,000 into Optus in WA or at the Adelaide Oval.

“The AFL needs to ask itself if money and revenue is more ­important than equity and fairness and having a truly national competition.”