Premiership favourites West Coast to hit road again as AFL unveils fixture
Another fast-tracked festival of footy has been scheduled to begin in late August as the AFL moves closer to completing a season of immense challenges.
West Coast’s grip on flag favouritism will be tested when the Eagles begin a second prolonged road trip with a clash against reigning premier Richmond on the Gold Coast later this month.
The AFL released its next phase of the fixture on Friday as league chief executive Gillon McLachlan confirmed an effective bidding war between states for the 2020 grand final.
States are preparing packages worth millions of dollars to entice the AFL to host the grand final on either October 17 or 24.
There are logistics for the AFL to consider, with quarantine regulations a significant factor, as state governments jostle for an opportunity to host a jewel of Australian sport.
“Obviously there’s arguments for all of them,” McLachlan said.
“Whether it is the … incredible stadium that Perth (has), or what Queensland’s partnership is, or the size of (Sydney’s Olympic Stadium) or the history of South Australia.”
Similarly to the current phase of 20 straight days of matches concluding on Monday night, the AFL will compress rounds 14 to 17 in another fast-tracked frenzy of footy.
The clash between Richmond and West Coast, which has been rescheduled once, is the second clash of a double-header on August 27 that begins a rapid run of games.
Matches will be played on 17 of the next 18 days from the clash between flag contenders West Coast and Richmond with games held in Perth, Adelaide, Darwin, Alice Springs, Cairns, Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
The AFL has been encouraged by the strength of television ratings over the past three weeks of matches being played nightly.
There is a prospect similar stanzas will be introduced into the fixture in coming seasons, with AFL broadcast and clubs manager Travis Auld describing the results as pleasing.
“Clubs and players are enjoying playing more often and viewership remains very strong, with the average audience per game up 14 per cent,” he said.
“Scheduling a second compression phase allows us to again play more matches in a shorter period of time as the majority of clubs continue to live in a hub environment.
“The support of players, clubs and broadcasters to take this approach, paired with the limitations on attendance at matches, supports the playing of games in non-traditional timeslots that allow us to showcase our game to fans across the entire week.”
West Coast struggled in the infancy of its initial stint in southeast Queensland but has won six matches in succession, including a run of victories at home, to move to fourth position ahead of Sunday’s clash with Hawthorn.
The 2018 premiers, who will play the struggling Giants in their final clash in Perth on Sunday week, are listed as the $4.50 flag favourites ahead of the Tigers ($6).
The top-placed Port Adelaide ($6.50) and Brisbane ($7) are the only other sides listed at single-figure odds by the TAB.
The Eagles will then tackle fringe finals contenders Western Bulldogs and Essendon, as well as the fifth-placed St Kilda, in a challenging month when based back in the hub on the Gold Coast.
The final round of the season will follow a more traditional format, though it and the dates for the finals are yet to be determined by the AFL, with the grand final factoring into decisions.
No matches have been scheduled in Tasmania due to border restrictions, which is a blow to North Melbourne and Hawthorn given the financial incentives of playing there.
But the window is not completely shut for a flurry in round 18 in Hobart and Launceston to farewell the regular season, though there would need to be a significant shift from the Tasmanian government.
The AFL is considering the merits of continuing with the bye that has featured before the finals in recent seasons despite the exceptional circumstances of this year.
But the AFL remains extremely wary of the potential for COVID-19 to cause further interruption to a season in which it has wreaked havoc.
“They are the two things we are marrying up. You’ve got momentum and certainty in getting things done while things are in your control,” McLachlan told ABC Radio.
“But we know the upside of the bye is that we get players fit and at 100 per cent and more people get back from injury or get rid of niggles.
“We think the football’s better and it has been in the finals over the last couple of years after a bye, so we are weighing those up at the moment.”
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The round 14-17 fixtures are in - four rounds in three weeks! pic.twitter.com/bLTDYrav9z
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