In an ideal world, the Melbourne Victory would win its home semi-final; have a week rest, before hosting the Grand Final on its home turf. Just like the past nine A-League seasons.
But for the last several weeks the Victory, according to which news network you are a fan of, might or might not host the Grand Final on May 17th, if it makes it that far.
With Etihad Stadium unavailable for the season-decider because of the AFL and Victory’s 30,000 AAMI Park considered too small, talk was been rife that the final will be held interstate.
Talks were ongoing, with the Victorian government getting involved. ANZ Stadium was mooted if the Sydney FC makes it. Adelaide Oval too, if the Reds do. Suddenly, AAMI Park was being considered. Again. There was the possibility of the FFA compensating the AFL so it can use Etihad.
This debacle could have easily been avoided, if the FFA planned out its season accordingly. It is difficult, considering the host grand finalists are not decided until a week before, but if the FA managed to book Subiaco (Perth), ANZ Stadium, Adelaide Oval, Suncorp Stadium (Brisbane) and Westpac Stadium (Wellington), on May 17th, why did it not get Etihad?
Yet it seems the FFA have sorted it out. According to the latest reports, and straight from the mouth of CEO Davjd Gallop, the FFA is “highly unlikely [to] move the game away from Melbourne” and it is “definitely planning to play the game at AAMI.”
Which is the right thing to do because Melbourne should host it. It has every right too. It has proved to be the best team of the league by holding firm and not crumbling under the pressure of securing top spot, unlike the rest of the league. It should be rewarded.
Furthermore, the final should be held at AAMI Park.
It is a football stadium through and through. A fully packed 30,000-filled AAMI Park is a cauldron of passion and intensity with the close action to the pitch strengthening the bond between fans and players. It is an enthralling experience.
It does not have the ideal capacity, but that should not matter. The FFA has always promoted itself as a humble organisation build on fairness and integrity. Moving it away from the Melbourne just for the sake for a bigger crowd and more money speaks of a classic heartless company that cares only for profits and not the fans.
And speaking of fans; how is it fair the Victory fans have to cough up hundreds of dollars to go watch their team play interstate when they have the right to watch them at home?
It is not just flights; it is accommodation (unless you fly-in-fly-out, but that is pushing it), food, transport, the tickets and losing a day of work on the Monday. This adds up to the quite a hefty weekend away. And that is just if your single, imagine if you had family with three kids? How many of Victory 22,000 members will actually go?
Of course, away fans from Sydney, Adelaide and Wellington might argue the same, but it is the nature of the beast. If their teams had performed better and finished first, so be it. They would surely be complaining if they were stuck in the situation Victory fans are in.
Yes some spectators will miss out at AAMI. But it will not be those pure and dedicated 22,000 members who come week-in-week-out. There is enough room for them, plus the travelling fans, which can and should have a fair portion of AAMI Park to themselves.
Why should room be made for bandwagoners that do not care for the sport and only want to be part of the spectacle? Or corporates who take advantage of their status, but could not care less who wins.
This whole mess reflects badly on the integrity of the competition. The idea that the top team hosts the grand final shows fairness to all teams, unlike the AFL or NRL, which has a dedicated base for grand finals. If the FFA actually did back out of this promise now, how would it look?
Thankfully, it has learnt from its mistakes and has planned to ensure it does not happen again. It has harped on about the A-League being fair to all teams (and the ruthless approach to the Glory salary cap scandal shows it does care) so it should remain true to that mantra and stick by its principles. And that is to let Victory host the grand final.
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