Grand moves: AFL ponders concessions for non-Victorian clubs on footy’s biggest day

*Non-Victorian clubs allowed to train on the MCG three times in grand final week.

*Non-Victorian teams funded to spend the full week in Melbourne should they wish in the lead-up to the grand final.

*An extra week off in the lead-up to the grand final to mitigate the extra logistical demands faced by competing clubs from outside Victoria as well increasing player availability.

*The AFL to cover all travel and accommodation costs for the partners and children of players and staff, a cost not incurred by Victorian clubs.

Fagan said that one of his assistant coaches could not afford the cost of flying his family to and accommodating his family in Melbourne for the grand final, with costs estimated at between $6000 to $7000. His comments were strongly supported by other non-Victorian clubs given the AFL does not cover such costs against a backdrop of airline and hotel rate hikes during grand final week.

“My experience at the Hawks tells me that the biggest issues for Melbourne-based clubs are ticketing, who gets into the rooms after the game, and how we get to the after-match celebrations,” wrote Fagan. “The Lions footy ops staff were exhausted by the time we got to Melbourne, which is a real pity and unnecessary.”

The commission changes should prove timely given the strong likelihood that Sydney will qualify for the 2024 grand final. On current ladder positions, the Swans would take on one of three big Melbourne-based clubs in Carlton, Essendon or Collingwood.

Longmire has coached the Swans in four grand finals – all against Victorian teams – for one win. That 2012 victory over Hawthorn was one of only two occasions from the past 10 grand finals between a non-Victorian and Victorian team in which the visiting team has won.

The non-Victorian coaches’ document pushed for fixture changes, funding for more practice games against clubs from other states, a national reserves competition, extra soft-cap funding for non-Victorian coaches in Sydney, family salary-cap exclusions, and all-state representation on the All-Australian selection panel, which currently has no Queensland representative. They did note the new AFL regime under Dillon had reversed the trend of Zoom meetings with clubs outside Victoria and were spending more time travelling for club visits.

Fagan’s observations have received strong support from every non-Victorian club that has contested a grand final over the past decade. One club president from outside Victoria observed: “You’re treated like it’s the America’s Cup and you’re the challenger.”

Brisbane’s attempt at a fourth consecutive premiership in 2004 was disadvantaged by the then-AFL agreement with the MCG, which guaranteed the stadium one preliminary final. Not only were the higher-placed Lions forced to host Geelong in Melbourne, but another deal struck between then-league boss Andrew Demetriou and host broadcaster Channel Ten dictated that the game was scheduled on Saturday night.

As a result Brisbane could not return home until Sunday, handing eventual premiers Port Adelaide a significantly longer break.

That MCG deal was changed in 2005, but even recent history is punctuated with examples of the competition’s cavalier treatment of non-Victorian clubs in finals. Notably in 2013 when – in a radical break from tradition – Fremantle was sent to Kardinia Park to play Geelong in a qualifying final.

The reality of Melbourne’s place at the heart of the AFL industry and the fact the grand final is contractually tied to the MCG until 2059 underline the practical disadvantages to clubs based outside Victoria.

But the fact that Sydney played their last home-and-away game for the season at the MCG in round seven and Collingwood play seven of their last eight at the grand final venue underlines the home-ground advantage. While second-placed Carlton play fewer games at the MCG (nine in season ’24) the Blues travel from Melbourne just twice in their last 11 home-and-away games.

The following instances might seem petty, but they are also symbolic. In 2015 West Coast entered the finals as ladder leaders but were placed below Hawthorn on the MCG scoreboard on grand final day with the Hawks also handed first choice of venue for their post-match function.

In 2016 at the grand final parade both handles of the premiership cup were tied with the Bulldogs’ coloured ribbons of red, white and blue. Cup ambassador Michael O’Loughlin asked for one handle to be changed to adorn Sydney’s red and white but was refused.

The Fagan document stressed support for the grand finalparade but suggested some time and space restrictions after supporters were able to touch players and coaches last year. Fagan described the abuse directed at Neale, who won the 2023 Brownlow, which Collingwood fans thought Nick Daicos should have won, as “relentless” and “deeply personal and, to be honest, unacceptable”.

Fagan and Andrew Dillon were contacted for comment.

Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country. Sign up for the Real Footy newsletter.

*Non-Victorian clubs allowed to train on the MCG three times in grand final week.

*Non-Victorian teams funded to spend the full week in Melbourne should they wish in the lead-up to the grand final.

*An extra week off in the lead-up to the grand final to mitigate the extra logistical demands faced by competing clubs from outside Victoria as well increasing player availability.

*The AFL to cover all travel and accommodation costs for the partners and children of players and staff, a cost not incurred by Victorian clubs.

Fagan said that one of his assistant coaches could not afford the cost of flying his family to and accommodating his family in Melbourne for the grand final, with costs estimated at between $6000 to $7000. His comments were strongly supported by other non-Victorian clubs given the AFL does not cover such costs against a backdrop of airline and hotel rate hikes during grand final week.

“My experience at the Hawks tells me that the biggest issues for Melbourne-based clubs are ticketing, who gets into the rooms after the game, and how we get to the after-match celebrations,” wrote Fagan. “The Lions footy ops staff were exhausted by the time we got to Melbourne, which is a real pity and unnecessary.”

The commission changes should prove timely given the strong likelihood that Sydney will qualify for the 2024 grand final. On current ladder positions, the Swans would take on one of three big Melbourne-based clubs in Carlton, Essendon or Collingwood.

Longmire has coached the Swans in four grand finals – all against Victorian teams – for one win. That 2012 victory over Hawthorn was one of only two occasions from the past 10 grand finals between a non-Victorian and Victorian team in which the visiting team has won.

The non-Victorian coaches’ document pushed for fixture changes, funding for more practice games against clubs from other states, a national reserves competition, extra soft-cap funding for non-Victorian coaches in Sydney, family salary-cap exclusions, and all-state representation on the All-Australian selection panel, which currently has no Queensland representative. They did note the new AFL regime under Dillon had reversed the trend of Zoom meetings with clubs outside Victoria and were spending more time travelling for club visits.

Fagan’s observations have received strong support from every non-Victorian club that has contested a grand final over the past decade. One club president from outside Victoria observed: “You’re treated like it’s the America’s Cup and you’re the challenger.”

Brisbane’s attempt at a fourth consecutive premiership in 2004 was disadvantaged by the then-AFL agreement with the MCG, which guaranteed the stadium one preliminary final. Not only were the higher-placed Lions forced to host Geelong in Melbourne, but another deal struck between then-league boss Andrew Demetriou and host broadcaster Channel Ten dictated that the game was scheduled on Saturday night.

As a result Brisbane could not return home until Sunday, handing eventual premiers Port Adelaide a significantly longer break.

That MCG deal was changed in 2005, but even recent history is punctuated with examples of the competition’s cavalier treatment of non-Victorian clubs in finals. Notably in 2013 when – in a radical break from tradition – Fremantle was sent to Kardinia Park to play Geelong in a qualifying final.

The reality of Melbourne’s place at the heart of the AFL industry and the fact the grand final is contractually tied to the MCG until 2059 underline the practical disadvantages to clubs based outside Victoria.

But the fact that Sydney played their last home-and-away game for the season at the MCG in round seven and Collingwood play seven of their last eight at the grand final venue underlines the home-ground advantage. While second-placed Carlton play fewer games at the MCG (nine in season ’24) the Blues travel from Melbourne just twice in their last 11 home-and-away games.

The following instances might seem petty, but they are also symbolic. In 2015 West Coast entered the finals as ladder leaders but were placed below Hawthorn on the MCG scoreboard on grand final day with the Hawks also handed first choice of venue for their post-match function.

In 2016 at the grand final parade both handles of the premiership cup were tied with the Bulldogs’ coloured ribbons of red, white and blue. Cup ambassador Michael O’Loughlin asked for one handle to be changed to adorn Sydney’s red and white but was refused.

The Fagan document stressed support for the grand finalparade but suggested some time and space restrictions after supporters were able to touch players and coaches last year. Fagan described the abuse directed at Neale, who won the 2023 Brownlow, which Collingwood fans thought Nick Daicos should have won, as “relentless” and “deeply personal and, to be honest, unacceptable”.

Fagan and Andrew Dillon were contacted for comment.

Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country. Sign up for the Real Footy newsletter.