Kane Cornes says the AFL simply must host the proposed ‘Magic Round’ concept in Adelaide next year.
The competition’s first foray into a weekend blitz of games to be played in the one city is expected to be signed off this week when the AFL Commission meets.
AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan confirmed the idea in September and it is understood that Sydney and Adelaide are the two cities leading the way.
“The AFL are going to make a call on it this week,” Cornes said on SEN.
“It’s down to Sydney and Adelaide who are both very keen to get this opportunity.
“It’s going to happen earlier on in the season, which has been reported. In and around April is when the AFL’s version of Magic Round, which hasn’t got a name yet, will be.
“It will happen while the weather is good, while it is still light at night and while it gives the best opportunity to fans to actually come and watch the games in the stadiums rather than at home.”
Cornes says Adelaide is by far the better option, even if the Adelaide Oval is the only stadium in the state used for AFL matches.
He added: “You wouldn’t risk doing this in Sydney, would you?
“The prospect of having North Melbourne play Hawthorn at Giants Stadium in front of 2,000 disinterested fans is too big of risk for the AFL to take.
“I’m sure this lands in Adelaide. The question is - where are they going to play all of these nine games, because there’s one (AFL) oval?
“The pitch from Adelaide is to play five at the Adelaide Oval and they will be the marquee games. The rest will spread to a couple of the bigger SANFL grounds and they will be the lower-drawing fixtures.
“The AFL would have to be sensible and make the call that Adelaide would be the place to host ‘Magic Round’.
“You just couldn’t take the risk of how low the crowds would be in Sydney.”
The NRL hosts an annual Magic Round year at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium with more than 130,000 fans turning up to this season’s three-day event.