AFL finals issue exposed after Andrew Dillon's admission about Sydney Swans clash with Giants

AFL CEO Andrew Dillon's insistence that the league never considered moving Sydney's blockbuster finals clash against GWS to the much larger Accor Stadium is sure to raise eyebrows at rival clubs. The AFL has copped backlash over its finals fixturing after being accused of missing a golden opportunity to tap into the lucrative Sydney market by not scheduling the Swans' clash with the Giants in one of the prime time Thursday or Friday night slots.

The AFL was also criticised for scheduling the Western Bulldogs' elimination final against Hawthorn on the same night the club's AFLW side opened its season at home at the newly redeveloped Whitten Oval - a move that was later rectified. And the league's decision to give second-placed Port Adelaide the shortest turnaround of all finals teams by scheduling their home qualifying final against Geelong on Thursday night was also questioned around the AFL world.

The likes of the Bulldogs and Cats will find it curious to hear Dillon's comments on Monday after the AFL CEO said the league never considered moving the Swans' finals match from their sold-out SCG home to the much larger Accor Stadium. The Swans will host the Giants at their 48,000-capacity home ground instead of the 83,500-capacity Accor Stadium, which last hosted an AFL game in round one, 2022.

The league could almost double revenue by moving the Sydney derby to the much bigger venue but Dillon says the Swans deserve to host the finals match at their home ground and the AFL never considered moving it. "It's not something that we contemplated," the AFL CEO said. "Sydney played all their (home) games at the SCG. It's their home final. I think it's the right call to play that at the Sydney Cricket Ground."

AFL double standards exposed in Sydney finals call

The comments expose a glaring double standard from the AFL though, with the Bulldogs' home final against Hawthorn moved to the much larger MCG. Never mind the fact the iconic venue is the Hawks' home ground and potentially hands them an advantage over the Dogs. If the Cats go down to Port on Thursday night in Adelaide, their home finals clash is also likely to be moved from their GMHBA Stadium base to the MCG.

Accor Stadium could only have been used for a Thursday night finals showdown between the Swans and Giants as there are NRL matches being played at the venue on Friday and Saturday night. But Dillon also defended the decision not to schedule the all-Sydney affair in either one of the prime time Thursday or Friday night time slots, despite veteran AFL reporter Caroline Wilson describing it as a "failure" to tap into the lucrative Sydney market.

Dillon said a range of factors - including "crowd, attendance, viewership, venue availability" - contributed to the "complex" decision. And the AFL CEO noted that Saturday afternoon was the best-attended timeslot in Sydney. Dillon also insisted the pre-finals bye "served the competition well" but indicated a wildcard round would be looked at.

AFL responds to backlash around Western Bulldogs matches

The AFL CEO also responded to the backlash around the Western Bulldogs' fixtures after the decision was taken to shift the AFLW clash with Port Adelaide from a standalone fixture at Whitten Oval on Friday, to a curtain raiser for the men's elimination final against Hawthorn at the MCG on the same night. He warned that the AFL won't rush to move more AFLW games to accommodate men's finals in future though. "We've got an AFLW fixture in place. We won't move games without serious consideration," Dillon said.

"But when we looked at where the Bulldogs men's and AFLW games were scheduled, we put ourselves in the shoes of what would the Bulldog fans want, and it was to be able to have the two games at the same venue... I think what we've got is a great outcome for the fans." Carlton's clash with Geelong on Saturday September 14 and North Melbourne's game against Port Adelaide on Friday September 20 are two future AFLW games that could also have potential fixture clashes.

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The AFL also announced on Monday that the the winning grand final captain in 2024 will be awarded the inaugural Ron Barassi Medal, in honour of the six-time Melbourne premiership player and four-time flag-winning coach, who died last September, aged 87. The Ron Barassi Medal will be presented by 1963 Geelong premiership captain Fred Wooller, the oldest living premiership captain.

Former Geelong star Steve Johnson will present the Norm Smith Medal for the player judged best on ground in the grand final. The triple-premiership Cat won the Norm Smith Medal in Geelong's drought-breaking grand final win in 2007. Retired West Coast champion Josh Kennedy, who won the 2018 flag, is the premiership cup ambassador and will deliver the coveted trophy to the MCG on grand final day.

AFL week one finals schedule:

• Second qualifying final: Port Adelaide v Geelong - Thursday September 5, Adelaide Oval, 7.40pm

• Second elimination final: Western Bulldogs v Hawthorn - Friday September 6, MCG, 7.40pm

• First qualifying final: Sydney v GWS - Saturday September 7, SCG, 3.20pm

• First elimination final: Brisbane Lions v Carlton - Saturday September 7, Gabba, 7.30pm

with AAP