Australian Football League side Western Bulldogs Chair Peter Gordon "rejected a financial windfall" of A$750,000 ($588,350) to "switch his team's round-seven clash with ladder leader Fremantle to Perth's Domain Stadium," according to Caroline Wilson of THE AGE. As the "political battle waged over the scheduling of the A-League final," Docker Chair Steve Harris confirmed he "called Gordon and offered the cash-strapped club 'the 100 percent equivalent of the gate' should he agree to sell his club's home game." That move "would have freed up Etihad Stadium" for the football grand final on May 17, which will now be played at AAMI Park should Melbourne Victory this weekend defeat Melbourne City. Harris' offer was also "rejected by the AFL's Gillon McLachlan and Simon Lethlean, who told the Dockers the scheduling change would have unfairly benefitted Fremantle and therefore further compromised the draw for other clubs." Harris "remained unapologetic" and said, "We're not in the business of dying wondering. When it became clear there was a potential issue with the game and the A-League grand final, we offered to underwrite a move to the tune of A$1 million ($784,000) and would have paid the Bulldogs up to A$750,000 to move the game." The move would have made a "significant dent" in the Bulldogs' '15 bottom line -- the club is one of the Etihad home teams to have "suffered inadequate gate takings from the stadium -- but would have left the Bulldogs, which still sells home games to Darwin, disadvantaged." Football Federation Australia CEO David Gallop and McLachlan have "reached an agreement" that will see the AFL leave Etihad Stadium "available for future A-League grand finals beyond this year" (THE AGE, 5/4).
