THE AFL will today announce this year’s historic Grand Final will be staged at the Gabba – and under lights.
The league will this afternoon trumpet the history-making decider set for October 24. The Queensland bid was underpinned by an opening bounce time of 6pm in Brisbane and 7pm in Victoria given daylight saving.
The AFL’s famed September Club will be set up behind the Pineapple Hotel in Raymond Park, a five-minute walk from the Gabba, which is largely landlocked by major roads.
The much-scrutinised Grand Final entertainment also formed part of Queensland’s historic pitch, with lots of whispers up there that Brisbane rock band Powderfinger will reunite for the game.
Gold Coast has been pencilled in to host the Brownlow Medal – if it goes ahead in traditional form. The AFL is understood to be concerned about putting its finals teams in one room.
It comes as the MCG discovered it had fallen an agonising two weeks short of being able to let crowds back in, according to COVID modelling.
It’s understood the Victorian Racing Club are putting plans in place to allow limited crowds into races during the Spring Carnival - primarily in open areas at Flemington – should they be given the green light to do so.
The MCC is confident on the Boxing Day Test going ahead with fans, there’s talk about crowds at NBL games and Tennis Australia is fully planning to run the Australian Open.
The deal to compensate the Victorian Government and the MCC over the lost Grand Final wasn’t complicated, even if the sports and major events minister Martin Pakula pushed for two years to be added to the contract that keeps the game at the MCG until 2057.
The AFL gave them one more year on that deal, while the MCG will get a handful more games next season.