So the AFL is concerned that they will have to close their competition down if Australia wins the World Cup, which could lead to club failures.
As has been pointed out in articles this week, that sounds a stretch considering the code trumpets it is the number one in Australia, has the biggest crowds and believes it should get a billion dollars at their next TV contract.
Let’s not even touch on the money they are going to flood into GWS and the GC.
So how long will the stadiums be needed for in Melbourne? Four weeks, six weeks, ten weeks?
Andrew Demetriou says: “The World Cup starts … in June and there’s four or five weeks of securitising it, putting signage up. They would commence work in late March or early April and that would probably mean we’d just have to cancel the season because that would mean we wouldn’t have the MCG for 16 weeks.
“We could probably do without it for 10 weeks and we’d have to play at Etihad Stadium. But we couldn’t do it [for 16 weeks], we’d have to cancel the season,” he said.
Ben Buckley says: “We need to get access four weeks before the competition for preparation for pitches and preparation for stadia overlay that are required by FIFA and the duration of the tournament.
“In our estimation, that is six to eight week, depending upon where the finals are played and what venues are used”.
So let’s take what Ben Buckley says in terms of timing, which is the official FIFA requirement, of 4 weeks of clean stadiums before kick-off.
To make the MCG rectangular is clearly going to add too much time, and get Demetriou even more riled up.
As such, it is just another ground in Australia, no matter how much the public of Melbourne love it. It does not have any more right to be a World Cup venue than any other Stadium. And since there has been such a backlash, why bother?
We want the World Cup, and the AFL wants their grounds in Melbourne.
So how would it work without the MCG and Etihad?
Here is the basic schedule in South Africa, who are using ten stadiums:
Group Matches
Venues used: 10
Duration: 15 days
Round of 16
Venues used: 8
Duration: 4 days
2 day break
Quarter Finals
Venues used: 4
Duration: 2 days
2 day break
Semi Finals
Venues used: 2
Duration: 2 days
2 day break
Final + 3rd place playoff
Venues used: 2
Duration: 2 days
FIFA
World soccer’s governing body FIFA requires bidding nations stadiums to have a minimum capacity of 40,000.
Thus:
Main two Stadiums: ANZ and Suncorp
Semi Finals: SFS and Perth
Qtrs: ANZ, Suncorp, Adelaide and Perth
Rd 16: ANZ, SFS, Suncorp, SFS, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Newcastle
Group: ANZ, SFS, Suncorp, SFS, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Newcastle, Townsville, Melbourne (Bubbledome).
Melbourne would therefore only have two weeks of matches. Add that to the four weeks that they need a clean the stadium, and you have six weeks.
Upgrade ANZ and Suncorp to be the two jewels in the crown, followed by new stadiums in Perth and Adelaide. Upgrades to be completed on the rest, potentially with some temporary structures.
The Bubbledome needs to be upgraded by 10,000 to comply with FIFA, and should really be increased to 50,000 for its four Group games. Any arguments with Etihad over capacity issues for new stadia sizes can be sorted by the Victorian Government if they want to have some games played in their city.
Melbourne then can get on with their AFL competition, and the rest of the world can get on with the World Cup. Any complaints can be sent to AFL House.
Sorted.
AndyRoo
Roar Guru
I think through the confusion is that the 150m figure might be to upgrade Swan Street for Fifa standard but it means the roof would have to be ditched (some other ugly scaffolding would be needed too) But by 2022 the light show would be old hat so i don't really see the problem and would much rather they use pretty much our 1 football stadium rather than hijack an AFL oval. Gee if they do get it sorted we would be pretty devestated if it then goes to Quatar!
Redb
Roar Guru
You'll have to take that up with the FFA. Don't forget Frank Lowy's determination re the round ball code and his goals. Of course there was an identified cost with re-building the roof at the bubble stadium (drove past it yesterday it looks fantastic) and this was obviously higher than previously thought. In the background no-one is disputing that Buckley and Demetriou had a gentlemans agreement that the MCG would be given up by the AFL for the World Cup and Etihad would be available to the AFL (I remember the press at the time confirming the intention). Now if the cost of rebuilding the bubble stadium roof was $150M why would they investigate spending $130M on only 'temporarily' rectangularising the MCG? This is where the plot thickens. Now lets just put the consipracy theory aside as it cant be proven either way and is just speculation. At best then Buckley and the FFA have shown scant regard for the AFL's competition knowing that in Melbourne it uses and regularly fills the MCG and Etihad. They are the only AFL stadiums for Melbourne in the season, over 60% of all AFL games are played at just these two stadiums. Demetriou may have hurt the AFL's image by his actions but I think it was important to take a stand as the FFA were clearly not listening or sincerely trying to work out a compromise. The re-build of the rectangular stadium is a no brainer. It is for the rectangular codes the foundations had even been built in anticipation for maybe one day hosting a World Cup game. Common sense has to prevail. The bubble stadium to me looks like a soccer stadium, it has a round ball type design over the roof and would be a spectacular World Cup venue and hopefully will be. Redb
Kurt
Guest
Couldn't agree more. The AFL can still shut down for a month whilst the WC is on (something I wouldn't personally be thrilled about, but if that's the requirement to make things work then so be it) but the season as a whole can take place relatively undisrupted. Everybody's happy, particularly those of us who think this whole debate has just got too nasty and unpleasant - and that's coming from someone who loves a good code-war as much as the next guy.
Art Sapphire
Guest
Any rational, reasonable person know what the solution is in regards to the Melbourne venues for the WC. The city to uses 2 venues. The MCG and an expanded Rectangle Stadium on Swan Street. The AFL can have Etihad. Its privately owned which causes all sorts of problems and its going to become the AFL's in 2025. The rectangle codes should have nothing to do with Etihad. Especially after the AFL takes over and the rectangle codes need their own stadium to host finals and internationals. Problem solved. So get your finger out Vic Govt and make the announcement.
albatross
Guest
Too sensible a suggestion for this thread.
albatross
Guest
And don't forget - the FFA is responsible for global warming. And FIFA did the fix on Princess Di,
Freud of Football
Roar Guru
The question doesn't remain, about 500 questions remain unanswered and no-one is even scratching the surface here.
Tifosi
Guest
I think i posted this a couple of months back in another post but this is the Inspection report for the brazil 2014 World Cup. It gives you an idea what FIFA look for when deciding a host. Its pretty long but will give people a better understanding. Australia would do very well in some categories but not so well in some. http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/affederation/mission/inspectionreport_e_24841.pdf
Geoff
Guest
Re the rectangularisation (what a word!) of the MCG - I've just turned to page 212 of my 1988 edition of The Paddock That Grew where Keith Dunstan writes : " The Crown Grant said that the land was especially granted inter alia 'to be at all times maintained and used as and for a place for playing cricket ... and when not required for cricket for such other purposes not inconsistent with the foregoing ...' " I suspect that that gives plenty of room for some slick lawyer to argue that "rectangularisation" is not "not inconsistent" with being a place for playing cricket.
Springs
Guest
The FFA's plan was to play Origin over three weeks, which would basically mean no club games for three weeks. Playing it in August (I assume you mean over three weeks) would not work. And if fans do not attend the upgraded Homebush (a roof! Yay!) until after the World Cup I guess it is being upgraded in the months before the world cup? Which is further disruption.
Tifosi
Guest
So the conspiracy theory is that the FFA knew it was OK to expand, but said hang on we will claim etihad so the pesky AFL must close down for a season as we will have the MCG as well !!
jimbo
Guest
Its a FIFA recommendation - and they also recommend that the stadium for the opening ceremony and WC final has a capacity of over 80K. We can stage the WC without MCG or Etihad - we just need another stadium with over 60K capacity.
Art Sapphire
Guest
you will have trouble getting Pip to agree to that :)
Art Sapphire
Guest
redb - hopefully yes
Art Sapphire
Guest
When it comes to stadiums, Its off the agenda until the government says it on the agenda. FFA's hands are tied in this respect.
Michael C
Roar Guru
how about we agree that Demetriou ain't evil, Buckley ain't a dill, nothing now is or should be necessarily a roadblock now's the time for them to sort things out, and everyone should be happy come May when a workable 'bid book' is submitted. And - it can all come to nought within the FIFA processes anyway no matter how good the 'bid book' is.
Michael C
Roar Guru
KB - for a laugh - look at this reported in the H-S from back in May: But Major Events Minister Tim Pallas said the stadium could be revamped to seat 50,000 if Melbourne played a part in future major events such as a soccer World Cup. "If Melbourne were to play a part in hosting a World Cup we could go to 50,000," he said. Mr Pallas said the stadium would be to Melbourne sport what the Opera House was to Sydney culture. "But hopefully we're better at sport than they are at culture," he said. So, you can imagine everyones surprise (actually, it was rather muted, so, I was surprised) when Buckley/FFA came out saying it was off the agenda. ?????
Lazza
Guest
Any patriotic, sports loving Australian would want us to host this once in a lifetime event and would be prepared to put up with a bit of disruption. Are these the same people who crack open the champagne when our country fails to make the World's biggest sporting event? Most of these dinosaurs should have died off by 2022 so it won't be a problem.
Redb
Roar Guru
Do you think sanity will finally reign (rebuild rectangular stadium) and we get over this acrimony?
KB
Guest
Wait a minute, wait a minute, it was the Melbunian Architects who informed the FFA that it was going to cost half as much to remove the specially designed roof then to increase the capacity to 40K ... How earth can you blame the FFA for not knowing how much the real cost would be... Is the Architect on the Board of the AFL trying to sabotage the WC bid...? Or looking for another high priced project to build... ? Now suddenly because of the Sydney press releasing new plans to increase the ANZ stadium to 90k the Melburnian Architects suddenly bring out new revised low cost estimates on the Bubble stadium... What's going on down there... :) Is the Mirvac Group involve...? Bloody sounds like it...