Clubs spurn Good Friday footy
Local AFL teams have ruled out an immediate bid to host Good Friday football in Perth next season after new AFL boss Gillon McLachlan gave the green light for an historic clash on the religious holiday.
The departure of former league chief executive Andrew Demetriou, who was staunchly against the AFL playing on Good Friday, removed the last blockage to the fixture, which could become the second match of the 2015 season. The most likely clash will be between North Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs, who have both lobbied hard for the fixture, but Mr McLachlan said the AFL was considering multiple matches on the day.
He said a Good Friday match could also be played in either Sydney or on the Gold Coast.
A Perth AFL game appears highly unlikely anytime soon, with neither West Coast nor Fremantle having put up their hand to be a Good Friday pioneer.
Fremantle chief executive Steve Rosich said the fixture was not something the club had considered. "We will look at it in the context of our fixture submission later in the year," he said.
A West Coast spokesman said the Eagles had also never lobbied or been a strong advocate for hosting a game on Good Friday.
The WAFL competition first broke with tradition and held a Good Friday fixture in 2011.
Subiaco has now hosted four matches on Good Friday after pioneering the concept in the WAFL, with more than 5000 supporters through the gate of the two fixtures held on the holiday this year.
A crowd of 3440 turned out for the club's twilight match against East Perth on the Easter weekend public holiday this year.
Lions' chief executive Peter Capes said the club would accept the AFL scheduling matches on Good Friday as long as they did not feature West Coast or Fremantle.
"It's still disappointing that they have to do it, but we don't think it'll have too much of an effect on us if the games are in the Eastern States," Mr Capes said.
Announcing the policy change, AFL Commission chairman Mike Fitzpatrick said there had been a "growing appetite" to unveil a Good Friday game.
But Mr McLachlan said the battling clubs would need to play "fun football" to give themselves the best chance of being considered.
"If you play competitive, fun football, people watch and you'll get the good (time) slots," Mr McLachlan said.
