The Victorian Government and the AFL are weighing up whether to move the Grand Final during construction of the new Shane Warne Stand.
A second feasibility study is close to being finalised on the best way to navigate a $2 billion rebuild of the famous, but ageing, 50,000-seat stand.
At the centre of the issue is the time it will take to complete such an enormous project.
There is a water-tight contract between the government, AFL and Melbourne Cricket Club that states the Grand Final must be played at the MCG until 2059. That contract was extended from 2057 following the COVID-enforced relocation of the AFL decider to the Gabba (2020) and Optus Stadium (2021).
But there’s a clause in that contract which states that if capacity of the MCG drops below 70,000, there is grounds to move the AFL’s showpiece game interstate. The feasibility study is exploring the timeline of a Shane Warne Stand rebuild, which is likely to take place in sections.
A construction period of three years would enable a minimum 70,000 capacity during the build and go a long way to ensuring the grand final stays at the MCG. But the government and the AFL could be tempted into a shorter timeframe, losing the Grand Final due to a reduced capacity, but saving hundreds of millions of dollars in construction costs.
The league could be tempted to shop the Grand Final around to the highest bidder if the planets aligned.
The 1991 Grand Final was played at Waverley Park while the then-Southern Stand was knocked down, but the MCG retained the Grand Final while the Ponsford and Olympic Stands were demolished and rebuilt.
Construction isn’t expected to start on a new Shane Warne Stand until 2028 given the Commonwealth Games will be held in Victoria in 2026, while the MCG has set its sights on hosting the Rugby World Cup final in 2027 should Australia’s bid for the tournament be successful.
But the Shane Warne Stand will be 40 years old by 2030 and no longer caters to the public like other modern stadiums around the country.
No public bars, restaurants and a congested layout means it sits well behind the amenities now on offer at venues such as Optus Stadium and the Adelaide Oval.