Troy G
8th September 2004, 08:26 PM
By AAP reporters
MELBOURNE, Sept 8 AAP - Reigning premier Brisbane was dealt a double blow today over its preliminary final as the AFL tried to increase pressure on the Melbourne Cricket Club.
Not only will the Lions "host" the game at the MCG against a Victorian side, but the winner will have one day's less break than its grand final opponent.
The fixturing again put the focus on the league's complex arrangement with the MCC, which forces the AFL to play a certain number of finals each year at the MCG.
It is understood the AFL yesterday offered the MCC more than $1 million to move the Lions game to the `Gabba.
League chief executive Andrew Demetriou would not confirm the amount, but said it was "absolutely significant".
The timing of the match drew predictable criticism from the Lions, while Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy was also non-plussed with the game being played at night.
The league argued it had been as fair as possible by fixturing Brisbane's preliminary final on the Saturday, but Demetriou agreed that the venue was totally unfair on Brisbane.
On Monday, Lions coach Leigh Matthews said Victorian parochialism was stopping a solution to the AFL-MCC impasse.
While Demetriou did not share Matthews' implication that the Victorian government could help solve the problem, he said many people shared his concerns.
"I share Leigh's comments - Leigh's frustrations and disappointments, you won't get an argument from the AFL about it," Demetriou said.
"There are lots of people who share his views.
"It is extremely disappointing when a team earns the right....and they get there, and all of a sudden they can't (host) because of a reluctance to deal or a reluctance to even entertain the thought of coming to a commercial arrangement or anything sensible to try to resolve this impasse.
"So Leigh Matthews gets a tick from me on that one."
Brisbane will play the winner of the Geelong-St Kilda semi-final in a night match on Saturday week.
The evening before, Port Adelaide will host the winner of the St Kilda-Sydney semi.
Lions chairman Graeme Downie said the club was "pretty disappointed" about the Saturday fixture.
"We didn't want players to be travelling on Sunday because they're expected to be back in Melbourne the following Thursday, which is only a four-day break," he said.
Demetriou accused the MCC of refusing to deal with the AFL over the finals issue.
"All we did is put an offer, then up the offer, then up the offer and it just comes back as `no'," he said.
"As late as yesterday, we offered a significant financial offer - and when I say significant, I'm talking absolutely significant, and the answer was `no'."
MCC chief executive Stephen Gough said his body would keep negotiating, but did not think the matter would be solved soon.
"We will continue to talk - I don't envisage any solution for this year," he said.
The league did not schedule the two preliminary finals on the Saturday, as was the case last year, to allow the two semi-final winners seven-day breaks.
Demetriou added no Saturday afternoon game would help local competitions in South Australian and Victoria attract interest for their finals matches.
He flatly denied Channel 10 had any influence over the scheduling.
"Did Channel 10 put any pressure on? - the answer is simply no, in fact we told Channel 10....and Channel 10 was thrilled," Demetriou said.
"Make no mistake, we initiated where the games would be played."
Sheedy was not so sure and said it was another pointer to the AFL eventually playing its grand final at night.
Demetriou today again said part of the grand final's appeal was that it is a day game.
"It rings true to me that we're not too far off an AFL night grand final - that's what I'm more suspicious of," Sheedy said.
"They're just not sure where they're going, it's probably a pretty good week to announce it because it's been a pretty full-on week for a number of other reasons - slip it out quietly.
"It's very hard on young kids and elderly people that love and have been loyal to the game all through their life.
"It's probably a Channel 10 issue, a TV issue."
On Monday, Matthews said the league should pay for a charter flight so his team had more flexibility in its preliminary final travel.
But in a less serious moment today, Demetriou made it clear that would not happen.
"Brisbane can come down any way they like - as we've said, they're welcome to use the world's leading airline, Qantas," he said of the AFL's official carrier.
"I wouldn't hold my breath that we're rushing off to charter someone's flight."
AAP
MELBOURNE, Sept 8 AAP - Reigning premier Brisbane was dealt a double blow today over its preliminary final as the AFL tried to increase pressure on the Melbourne Cricket Club.
Not only will the Lions "host" the game at the MCG against a Victorian side, but the winner will have one day's less break than its grand final opponent.
The fixturing again put the focus on the league's complex arrangement with the MCC, which forces the AFL to play a certain number of finals each year at the MCG.
It is understood the AFL yesterday offered the MCC more than $1 million to move the Lions game to the `Gabba.
League chief executive Andrew Demetriou would not confirm the amount, but said it was "absolutely significant".
The timing of the match drew predictable criticism from the Lions, while Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy was also non-plussed with the game being played at night.
The league argued it had been as fair as possible by fixturing Brisbane's preliminary final on the Saturday, but Demetriou agreed that the venue was totally unfair on Brisbane.
On Monday, Lions coach Leigh Matthews said Victorian parochialism was stopping a solution to the AFL-MCC impasse.
While Demetriou did not share Matthews' implication that the Victorian government could help solve the problem, he said many people shared his concerns.
"I share Leigh's comments - Leigh's frustrations and disappointments, you won't get an argument from the AFL about it," Demetriou said.
"There are lots of people who share his views.
"It is extremely disappointing when a team earns the right....and they get there, and all of a sudden they can't (host) because of a reluctance to deal or a reluctance to even entertain the thought of coming to a commercial arrangement or anything sensible to try to resolve this impasse.
"So Leigh Matthews gets a tick from me on that one."
Brisbane will play the winner of the Geelong-St Kilda semi-final in a night match on Saturday week.
The evening before, Port Adelaide will host the winner of the St Kilda-Sydney semi.
Lions chairman Graeme Downie said the club was "pretty disappointed" about the Saturday fixture.
"We didn't want players to be travelling on Sunday because they're expected to be back in Melbourne the following Thursday, which is only a four-day break," he said.
Demetriou accused the MCC of refusing to deal with the AFL over the finals issue.
"All we did is put an offer, then up the offer, then up the offer and it just comes back as `no'," he said.
"As late as yesterday, we offered a significant financial offer - and when I say significant, I'm talking absolutely significant, and the answer was `no'."
MCC chief executive Stephen Gough said his body would keep negotiating, but did not think the matter would be solved soon.
"We will continue to talk - I don't envisage any solution for this year," he said.
The league did not schedule the two preliminary finals on the Saturday, as was the case last year, to allow the two semi-final winners seven-day breaks.
Demetriou added no Saturday afternoon game would help local competitions in South Australian and Victoria attract interest for their finals matches.
He flatly denied Channel 10 had any influence over the scheduling.
"Did Channel 10 put any pressure on? - the answer is simply no, in fact we told Channel 10....and Channel 10 was thrilled," Demetriou said.
"Make no mistake, we initiated where the games would be played."
Sheedy was not so sure and said it was another pointer to the AFL eventually playing its grand final at night.
Demetriou today again said part of the grand final's appeal was that it is a day game.
"It rings true to me that we're not too far off an AFL night grand final - that's what I'm more suspicious of," Sheedy said.
"They're just not sure where they're going, it's probably a pretty good week to announce it because it's been a pretty full-on week for a number of other reasons - slip it out quietly.
"It's very hard on young kids and elderly people that love and have been loyal to the game all through their life.
"It's probably a Channel 10 issue, a TV issue."
On Monday, Matthews said the league should pay for a charter flight so his team had more flexibility in its preliminary final travel.
But in a less serious moment today, Demetriou made it clear that would not happen.
"Brisbane can come down any way they like - as we've said, they're welcome to use the world's leading airline, Qantas," he said of the AFL's official carrier.
"I wouldn't hold my breath that we're rushing off to charter someone's flight."
AAP