Dutchy wrote:SANFL semi-finals will be played at neutral venues at Glenelg and Richmond ovals if the state league is locked out of Adelaide Oval by the AFL elimination finals on the first weekend of September.
The SANFL’s planning for the state league semi-finals is complicated by the prospect of each of the Crows and Port Adelaide qualifying for home elimination finals.
If the Power ranks fifth, it would host an elimination final at the Oval — probably against eighth-ranked Essendon — on Saturday, September 6.
If the Crows rank sixth, they would claim a home elimination final — most likely against seventh-placed North Melbourne — on Sunday, September 7.
This leaves at least one SANFL semi-final and possibly both locked out of the Oval.
SANFL football chief Chris Davies on Tuesday told The Advertiser the league’s planning has:
ONE semi-final at the Oval on Friday night and another at either Glenelg or Richmond ovals.
ONE semi-final at each of Glenelg and Richmond ovals. Both venues have floodlights to allow for night finals.
RETURNING to Football Park, although this option is unlikely to gain favour.
Davies has rejected the option of home finals to the higher-ranked semi-finalists.
“Our thinking is if we were going to reward teams with home finals, we should have told the clubs at the start of the year,” he said.
“Our final decisions will be determined by how the AFL fixture plays out, particularly with the Crows and Port Adelaide.
“If the Oval is not available for the semi-finals, we do have the option of taking the games to suburban venues.”
The SANFL will play its elimination and qualifying finals at the Oval — as a twilight-night double-header on Saturday, August 30.
This coincides with the final weekend of the AFL home-and-away series in which Adelaide is hosting St Kilda on Sunday, August 31.
The preliminary final, on the second weekend of September, will be played at the Oval, along with the grand final on September 20 or 21.
“It is only the second week of the SANFL finals that may have to be moved from the Oval if the AFL teams qualify for home finals that weekend,” Davies said.
What a crock of shit. Like they considered this a possibility when they decided to bring the finals forward.
Surely the SANFL and the fans would want to play at AO. Prestige, media coverage, reward for the team and the players and an opportunity for the players to get a game on AO, all swept away due to inept planning.
Personally I couldn't give a rats sack about the AFL or if either the Crows or Power make the finals. As an SANFL fan I'd want my team to get a crack at playing finals at AO.