Brownlow Medallist Gerard Healy can’t wrap his head around the AFL’s decision to allow the AFLW Semi-Final between Richmond and North Melbourne to be held at Punt Road Oval.
While the Tigers won the right to host the game by finishing higher on the ladder, tickets to the match sold out in minutes given the small 3,000-capacity at the venue.
Given that Geelong in the AFL have played home finals at the MCG instead of GMHBA Stadium to maximise profits, Healy understands why the competition’s call to not move the AFLW Semi-Final to a venue such as the 20,000-seat Ikon Park is a controversial one.
“Sometimes you just shake your head and ask to quote Professor Julius Sumner Miller, ‘Why is it so?’,” Healy said on SEN Sportsday.
“The AFLW competition rarely generates too many controversies, but given the long-standing battle the AFL have had with Geelong over the scheduling of finals away from the Cattery to the MCG because of crowd numbers, the Punt Road decision was always going to be one – a controversy – and that’s what it’s become.
“Brendon Gale told us last night that he was entitled to fight hard for his club to give them the best home ground advantage, and so he should, that’s their right and that’s his job.”
Perhaps even more baffling than the decision itself, Healy described the competition’s decision to not explain the unique call as “bizarre” as the game would have certainly been moved if the maximising crowd logic was applied in this instance.
“But where’s the explanation from the AFL? What happened to the logic applied to Geelong about maximising crowds? There is none, how does it apply to Geelong for a decade and a half and all of the sudden doesn’t apply to the Tigers?” Healy asked.
“It’s baffling, it’s bewildering and I guess disappointing for those that would like to go and can’t get in, but mainly it’s bizarre that there’s no explanation has been produced on the apparent backflip of the hard-line policy.
“That (policy) would normally have seen the game shifted to Ikon, which would comfortably hold whatever crowd was keen to turn up.
“As much as we’ve tried there’s been no explanation given and no one available to give an explanation.
“It looks like we’re left in a state of bewilderment as far as the home ground is concerned.”
The bounce for the Richmond v North Melbourne AFLW Semi-Final at Punt Road Oval is set for 1:40pm (AEDT) on Saturday.