Ask any local and they’ll tell you AFL is the only game in Melbourne – except for Good Friday.
Traditionalists have kept the Easter holiday free of AFL football and this year the round ball code has pounced.
Football Federation Australia (FFA) has scheduled the blockbuster elimination final between the A-League’s traditional powers – Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC – on Good Friday and hopes to make merry with a bumper crowd.
Bringing the championship trophy to Melbourne on Wednesday to launch the finals, FFA A-League boss Damien de Bohun said: “To be the biggest show in town on Good Friday is fantastic for the Hyundai A-League.
“We’re really excited about the opportunity to have Melbourne Victory to play Sydney FC on Good Friday in Melbourne.”
The two clubs share one of the deepest rivalries in the nine years of the A-League.
Both boast a league-leading two championships each, and both sit at the top of A-League attendance charts.
It’s that factor that the FFA is hoping pushes the crowd past the attendance mark for Sydney FC’s 5-0 drubbing of Victory on Australia Day this year when nearly 24,000 passed through the gates.
“Ticket sales have been strong but you look at the Big Blues, it certainly will be more than 25,000. Hopefully we can push 30,000 – who knows how far we can go?”
“It’s a wonderful day to showcase how far the league has come and to have the evening to ourselves in the sporting capital of Australia is something we don’t take lightly.”
Scheduling is a constant issue for the A-League, which unlike the AFL must contend with continental club and international competitions.
Victory completed their penultimate Asian Champions League (ACL) group match on Tuesday night, beating super-club Guangzhou Evergrande 2-0.
That’s left coach Kevin Muscat with just 72 hours between the match and their Sydney FC showdown.
And whether they win or lose on Good Friday, the squad will be on a flight to Korea for Wednesday’s last group game against Jeonbuk Motors.
It’s a tough schedule but one de Bohun believes A-League clubs are successfully managing.
“Working through the scheduling is difficult and playing the matches through the finals is just a fact of life,” he said.
“I’ve been really impressed with the way the clubs continue to embrace that.”
“Each of the clubs involved seem to be improving their football on the back of the Asian Champions League.”
AL
Guest
Cant wait for this Big Blue. Its like being a kid again and counting the sleeps for Christmas. COMON SYDNEY FC.
Bondy
Guest
(Traditionalists have kept the Easter holiday free of AFL football and this year the round ball code has pounced.) I like the fact we've stolen an opportunity where else do we go ?. I dont know who writes this sh^^ half the time. I cant wait for this match 1-1 and then to pen's or it could be the reverse of the last time these two clashed .
JAJI
Guest
Flight time aint the same as Europe. Any European footballer starts making noises when there isa long flight to Ukraine or Russia Bit shorter than trips to China, Japan and korea for us
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
@Roarfan No excuses being made - just stating the facts. 1. Yes, they play many games in Europe, but the longest away trips in Europe wouldn't get MVFC out of Australia! 2. I've never travelled to KOR, so I had a check to see how I'd get to Jeonju (city where MVFC is playing). The quickest journey time seems to be 18 hours from Tullamarine to Busan International Airport. Add 2 hours to check in for international departures from Tulla, plus 1 hour immigration in Sth Korea, plus 200 km journey from Busan to Jeonju (perhaps coach, or train?) ... easily 24 hour journey.
mahonjt
Guest
Sydney FC always bring us down to their level of footballing crapulence. I remain hopeful as a loyal fan - but my instincts tell me this will be a tough night - for all the wrong reasons.
Roarfan
Guest
Fussball, If you think the life of a pro football player is too hard then they had better not go to Europe as it is much the same overthere. I realise that the players are not saying this. Also I think 24 hrs is a bit much unless you go via South Africa. Lets not make excuses for them, it is their profession after all
Punter
Guest
Lets hope MV are tired & SFC gets away with a lucky win!!!!
Football United
Guest
"Ask any local and they’ll tell you AFL is the only game in Melbourne" Yeah thats garbage. Plenty of us go on with our lives not caring less about AFL.
Towser
Guest
"That’s the life of a pro-footballer in Australia." Well Fuss give it me any time over lugging bricks or pushing a wheelbarrow of concrete around on a building site for 8 hours, 5 or 6 days a week or serving burgers and fries at Mcdonald's for a pittance.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Just 1 point about the hectic schedule facing the MVFC lads. The play Jeonbuk on Tuesday night; not Wednesday. So, they'll be playing an Elimination Final in Melbourne on Friday night; have to be at Tulla early Saturday morning for a flight to Jeonju. There are no direct flights from Melbourne to this town in South Korea, so the trip may take around 24 hours of travel. They'll probably arrive at their hotel Sunday morning ... and have to be ready to play virtually a knock-out match 48 hours later! They'll then leave South Korea on Wednesday morning, for another 24 hour trip back to Melbourne. Arrive in Melbourne on Thursday morning and, if they've beaten Sydney on Good Friday, they'll have to fly to Sydney or Brisbane for a knock-out final on Saturday or Sunday! That's the life of a pro-footballer in Australia.
Eddy
Guest
Great stuff! Anything to get the edge on the nonsense that is AFL