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There won’t be a repeat of last season’s A-League grand final scheduling debacle in season 11.
That’s the word from Football Federation Australia, who have assured fans that should either Melbourne Victory or Melbourne City host the decider it will be played at Etihad Stadium and not the much smaller AAMI Park.
Melbourne Victory’s 3-0 grand final triumph over Sydney FC on May 17 was staged at AAMI Park instead of the much larger Etihad Stadium because of a fixturing clash with the AFL.
A late change of schedules due to the Asian Cup wrongfooted the FFA last season, leading to the AFL scheduling the Western Bulldogs-Fremantle match on the same day.
FFA’s late attempts to move the AFL match, in tandem with the Victorian government, did not work, meaning more than 20,000 fans missed out on attending.
It brought criticism upon FFA for their poor organisation, and also the AFL and the Bulldogs for their inflexibility.
“Everyone is crystal clear on the date of the grand final,” A-League boss Damien de Bohun said on Monday.
De Bohun signalled this season’s showpiece occasion, to be held on May 1 next year, would carry none of the dramas that dogged the last.
“We’ve worked through that carefully with the AFL, with the Victorian government, with Etihad Stadium,” de Bohun said.
“If Melbourne Victory or Melbourne City were lucky enough to host it, we believe that’s where it will be.”
At the time of the last A-League grand final, AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said as long as A-League chiefs provided a date well in advance then future grand finals in Melbourne could and should be held at Etihad Stadium.
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