The A-League grand final "will be played at AAMI Park on Sunday, May 17 should Melbourne Victory qualify," according to Matt Windley of the HERALD SUN. Football Federation Australia "will back down on its threat to take the game interstate" if the Australian Football League "signs off on a deal guaranteeing it grand final access to Etihad Stadium for the next 10 years, which it is expected to do in the coming days."
The decision to play at the 30,050-capacity AAMI Park would cost FFA as much as A$1M ($780,000) in ticket sales.
Victory has all but secured top spot on the ladder with one round left, meaning a win in its semifinal "would secure it a home grand final for the fourth time in 10 years."
But after the AFL blocked the use of Etihad Stadium and the Melbourne Cricket Ground on May 16 and 17, FFA "threatened to deny Victory grand final hosting rights as it had deemed AAMI Park too small." The AFL is understood "to have been willing to move the game, but only if it was financially compensated." But FFA and the government "were unwilling to foot the bill" -- nor will the government compensate FFA "for revenue lost by keeping any Victory title decider in Melbourne" (HERALD SUN, 4/19). In Sydney, Michael Lynch reported FFA has spoken regularly to the state government about the issue, but the politicians "were waiting to see how the situation developed" and whether Victory would nail top spot on the ladder -- which gives it a much greater chance of hosting the championship decider -- "before considering their next move." Victory has 24,200 members, of whom 22,100 "are fully season ticketed, which means they would have a right to buy a grand final ticket."
That would not "leave much space for other members, neutrals, away fans and members of the 'football family' (such as volunteers and assistants) whom the FFA historically reward with grand final tickets." And then space "has to be found for sponsors and corporate supporters of either club and the FFA" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 4/19).
