The AFL has put the blame squarely on the FFA over a potential scheduling clash for the A-League grand final.
Two of Australia’s top sporting organisations are at odds over the revelation that Etihad Stadium will be unavailable for the A-League on May 17 if Melbourne Victory or Melbourne City make the grand final.
AAMI Park is available, but it has a much smaller capacity.
There is speculation that the FFA would prefer the grand final to be played at ANZ Stadium if either of the Sydney teams was also involved.
Victory currently lead the A-League ladder and are one of this season’s title favourites.
The AFL has priority booking rights for Etihad Stadium and the MCG.
The FFA was quoted on Wednesday saying it had alerted the AFL and Etihad Stadium last month that the A-League grand final would be on May 17, not the original date of May 10.
But the day before the release of next year’s AFL fixture, the league insisted it was not at fault.
The AFL said Etihad Stadium and the Victory contacted it in July and August and asked for Sunday, May 10 to be kept open.
The league said it duly scheduled only two Etihad Stadium games for the weekend of May 8-10.
But the AFL said the Victorian Government made contact on October 16, saying the A-League grand final would be on May 17.
It added the FFA made a formal request on October 21 to keep May 17 free.
AFL scheduling manager Simon Lethlean said the revised request came too late.
“Mr Lethlean said the AFL had advised the FFA last week it could not restructure its fixture at that late stage, as five matches had been confirmed in Victoria for that weekend,” the AFL statement added.
“The AFL was now in the process only of confirming match timeslots for each game with its broadcast partners and clubs.
“The AFL advised it could not alter the number of matches per round in Victoria at that late stage because the AFL had less flexibility around its 2015 fixture due to a later start to the season, caused by the Cricket World Cup, as well as the fact that all clubs now have only one bye through the season, compared to two byes through 2014.”
The AFL also said Etihad Stadium confirmed it had not made an updated request for an A-League grand final date change.
Axle an the Guru
Guest
I'm sure whoever runs that international calendar would not be happy that Gallop carnt get a Grand Final date set in stone.
Bondy
Guest
Martyn50 Football works off an International Calendar how many times does that have to be explained here .
Martyn50
Guest
A League an international sport tournament? It's a domestic competition. If soccer is to comply with 'international sports" then the season should be played like others in the winter like others do
Justin Mahon
Roar Rookie
It has political influence and will exercise it.
Justin Mahon
Roar Rookie
Um. They did get the dates right - but they needed to change because our game is played Nth of the Murray River in a place called Asia.
Justin Mahon
Roar Rookie
Sure they were required - just not with the FFA. That's the CEO's point. What the CEO of the FFA is doing (and the head of A-League) is simply using the media to speak to the Victorian sporting public. This is a political campaign - nothing more, nothing less - and the AFL will loose. The game has changed.
Domitian
Guest
Didn't Etihad demand that AAMI stadium limit its capacity so as not to provide competition? Football should play all games in Melbourne at AAMI until it becomes obvious that it is too small and it is upgraded to a 50k football specific stadium. Playing games at AFL grounds is only going to prolong the problem.
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
Etihad Stadium have commented Etihad Stadium communications manager Bill Lane said the AFL “always has first right” to booking the ground. “We’d like to be able to host an A-League grand final, but sometimes the stars don’t quite align,” he said. http://sportsbusinessinsider.com.au/news/category/events-and-hosting/afl-prevents-ffa-from-holding-grand-final-at-etihad/
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
The AFL will not move an AFL game from Etihad to Whitten Oval. The AFL has the right to use Etihad whenever it likes during the AFL season. Further, the Victorian Government has no control over any event at Etihad, nor any influence over the stadiums contracts.
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
Gallop can say what he likes regarding the venues - Its also for crap, negotiations with the AFL to use Etihad were required, as the terms of the contracts at Etihad and the MCG are well known (the MCG in particular early in the season), and Etihad in particular gives the AFL priority over ALL other events and hirers between march and april. Its only been around 15 years though. Its not like the FFA havent been told this before either.
Bondy
Guest
conchie The AFL has to move or comply with International sport tournaments is this a sign of modern times though ..
Axle an the Guru
Guest
The venues will run it by the AFL before FFA get an answer. The venues make too much money out of AFL to upset them,and that's just cold hard reality,besides its not the AFLs problem,it's Gallops,he can work out his own mess. The AFL don't have to worry or bend to some little Soccer association crying about where and when they want their GF played.
Squizz
Guest
It has nothing to do with either Victory who may or may not be in the Grand Final or the AFL for that matter. It is between the FFA and the venues. The fact that the AFL claims that the FFA made a request to them on October 21 is ludicrous and meaningless. The draw had been released, the competition started and the relevant venues contacted. Are the AFL really saying they don't read the papers? Interestingly Etihad have not made any statement at this stage. I think they will find it really hard to side with the AFL side of story. Maybe they realise that the FFA have the documentation proving their correspondence.
conchie
Roar Rookie
Read the article, your wrong, and I quote below vvvvv The AFL said Etihad Stadium and the Victory contacted it in July and August and asked for Sunday, May 10 to be kept open. The league said it duly scheduled only two Etihad Stadium games for the weekend of May 8-10. But the AFL said the Victorian Government made contact on October 16, saying the A-League grand final would be on May 17. It added the FFA made a formal request on October 21 to keep May 17 free.
Squizz
Guest
The FFA communicated it correctly. Football is a global game and has global considerations. FFA advised in May this year that the 2015 A-League Grand Final would be played on 10 or 17 May, subject to confirmation of the Asian Football Confederation calendar. . FFA also reaffirmed that Etihad Stadium, the MCG and the Victorian Government were regularly updated until the confirmation of the 17 May grand final date. The public confirmation of the 17 May date occurred more than five weeks ago on 19 September and was reported in the national media. The AFL is being disingenuous and are just playing to their audience. They will back down and move the Bulldogs - Freo match and say through their mouth piece the Herald Sun that they have graciously conceded to allow the FFA to host the Grand Final at Etihad.
Martyn50
Guest
If soccer is slow in updating it's grand final dates that their problem. Need to get organised
conchie
Roar Rookie
Perhaps if the A league could get there dates right, there would be no problems. The AFL is moving games for the cricket WC and starting it's season later and the AFL is giving up the MCG for series of soccer games later in the season. All these times the AFL has contractual rights over both stadiums, if the A league can't communicate it's dates properly how is that the AFL's problem.
George Haida
Roar Rookie
I'd rather watch football in my backyard than at the mcg are you serious whats the point of a 20% capacity monstrosity
Bondy
Guest
Squizz The AFL are snookered aren't they ....
Bondy
Guest
Martyn50 Ironic isn't it aussie rules's governing body doesn't want us playing anywhere though do they ...