A shock report claims the AFL is weighing up selling hosting rights to finals games.
The AFL is understood to have held conversations about selling the hosting rights, reports the ABC and Midweek Tackle’s Corbin Middlemas.
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For the first time this year, 10 teams will qualify for the post-season with 7th facing 10th and 8th battling 9th, the two ‘wildcard’ winners then advancing into the usual top-eight bracket.
The league has confirmed the wildcard games officially count as Finals but according to Middlemas, from 2027 they could be sold off to the highest bidder.
Preliminary conversations have reportedly taken place between the AFL and the cashed-up WA government about the state buying hosting rights, regardless of who qualifies.
It would effectively guarantee at least one non-WA team would ‘host’ a Final at Perth’s Optus Stadium, unless Fremantle and West Coast finished 7th and 8th (and would’ve hosted those games anyway).
Finals games are not always played at a team’s home ground – Grand Finals are locked in at the MCG, and other finals are played at the largest ground in the team’s home state – but both of those inequalities are based on the premise of allowing as many fans into the games as possible.
The wildcard Finals were criticised by Geelong coach Chris Scott on Fox Footy earlier this week, who told AFL 360: “I tend to think they just made it up. Just threw in a couple more finals for no good reason except cash.”
The concept has also been criticised with the four wildcard teams needing to win five consecutive finals to claim the premiership, an implausible figure.
Scott’s comments are said to have ruffled feathers among AFL bosses, with journalist Caroline Wilson telling The Agenda Setters: “It was an extraordinary comment to make. I can tell you that went down like a lead balloon at headquarters. It was a pretty low dig.
“And remember, this is a guy who clashed with an AFL staffer after the qualifying final last year and really quite upset her, about an incident that he wasn’t happy about at a post-match press conference after their big win against Brisbane.“So, he has lost a few brownie points with the AFL, Chris Scott. I think there’s been conversations today between the AFL and the Geelong CEO Steve Hocking.
“Just bemused — why did he say that?”
Originally published as AFL Finals games to be sold in shock format change