While the AFL this week finally recognised the surface at Etihad Stadium is ‘unacceptable’ for elite football, the problem now is, what if the comical scenes of players slipping over happen again tonight? In my view, the AFL will be left with no other option than to buy out the stadium.
The controversial surface has quickly become a public affairs disaster for the league, which for the most part, has had its head in the sand on the issue.
The AFL takes full ownership of the venue in 2025, but why not bring that date forward?
Its time to utilise the ‘war chest’ of funds the AFL has at its disposal.
Stadium management has assured the AFL that a number of measures have been put in place this week to ensure the farce from last Friday night doesn’t occur again.
But this is just a band-aid fix for a much bigger problem.
If not tonight, then surely in the very near future the same issue will rear its ugly head.
The AFL is paying the ultimate price for rushing into the venue in the first place and in my mind it will never be able to recover until the surface has an entire year without any foot traffic.
That’s not going to happen with the current commercial arrangements and responsibility to corporate stakeholders, the irony of course is the venue is failing to look after its largest client.
If Etihad was given a year off, we could play more games at the MCG, or in Tasmania, or why not even pump some money into Princes Park to get the ground up to scratch for AFL games?
At the Peter Mac Cup breakfast this week everything was on the menu and club heavyweights from both Carlton and Collingwood were pulling no punches when it came to a variety of issues.
It seems the AFL is hungry to cap interchange rotations, but the coaches simply aren’t coming to the party.
Making matters worse, not for the first time this week, the AFL was accused of selective hearing.
‘I have a strong opinion and it’s a waste of time’ Mick Malthouse said.
The league though says it canvasses feedback from all the clubs on possible rule changes, as well as reviewing all medical data and evidence available.
But this all happens post season, which ultimately might not help Ben Cousins cause.
Richmond Coach Damien Hardwick admitted a cap on rotations would significantly influence the clubs decision on whether Cousins is given another contract.
How can the Tigers make a decision when they don’t know if the rule is going to change?
Its also interesting that the only coach not to object to capping interchange rotations has been Geelong’s Mark Thompson, this coming from the most successful coach of the past three years.
The Etihad surface meanwhile is a completely different playing field, as it seems now everyone agrees something needs to be done.
Its time for the AFL to take full ownership of the venue so they can take full responsibility for what happens on the ground.
Whether or not they would though is of course another story altogether.
Either way from the minute the first ball is bounced tonight the entire football world will be eagerly watching, and to say the AFL will be feeling slightly anxious is a serious understatement.
Unfortunately though, tonight’s match is as much about the surface as it is the football.
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