FREMANTLE is spearheading a bid to end more than a century of football tradition by scrapping grand final replays, with the Dockers arguing they are unfair on teams from outside of Victoria.

Under the terms of the AFL’s contract with the MCG, the Grand Final is played there every season regardless of the finishing positions of the competing teams.

Fremantle chief executive Steve Rosich said grand final replays favoured Victorian teams if they were playing a side from outside of Victoria, which would be forced to travel back to Melbourne again the following weekend.

Rosich said yesterday that any move to a twilight or night Grand Final should only come with the axing of grand final replays.

“It is our strong view that the AFL should move to doing away with the replay and deciding the winner on Grand Final day via extra-time, should there be a draw,’’ Rosich said.

“I think philosophically it should ultimately be decided at that game, and secondly there is a clear disadvantage to any team that has to travel in consecutive weeks interstate.

“This would become even more important if the Grand Final was played at a later time in the day than 2.30pm, because of the travel requirements for WA teams.’’

Fremantle has raised the issue several times at AFL meetings and Rosich said: “it is clear that the AFL are warming to the idea as well.’’

West Coast chief executive Trevor Nisbett said while the Eagles had not raised the replay issue with the AFL, they supported the position of their Western Derby rivals.

“It’s probably a sensible thing to do, but we haven’t discussed it at any length as to what our board’s position is,’’ Nisbett said.

“It just makes sense and it’s probably time for the AFL to at least consider it while they are considering the time changes.’’

Rosich said staging a future Grand Final replay involving either Fremantle or West Coast at the 60,000-seat Perth Stadium was an “interesting possibility’’, but he would prefer the replay was scrapped altogether.

Replays of drawn grand finals have survived into the modern age, with VFL/AFL replays staged in 1948, 1977 and 2010.

The first ever replayed Grand Final was the South Australian decider between Norwood and South Adelaide in 1894, while a replay was needed to decide the WA State Premiership in 1906.

An exhausted and emotional Collingwood captain Nick Maxwell famously called for the end of grand final replays immediately following the siren in the drawn 2010 decider with St Kilda.

Camera Icon Collingwood was the last team to win a replayed grand final, defeating St Kilda back in 2010. Credit: News Limited

“It’s probably going to take this for the AFL to change the rule - because it’s an absolute joke,’’ Maxwell said.

“Guys come here for a win or a loss and that’s what we should be leaving with.’’

In December 2010, the AFL Commission considered whether to introduce extra-time for future drawn grand finals but decided to retain the status quo.

Both Rosich and Nisbett said they did not have a strong preference regarding the starting time of the Grand Final.

The AFL will enter this season without a start time for the Grand Final

“My view is if we’re good enough and and lucky enough in what is a very long season to make another grand final, then we’re happy and keen to play at whatever time the AFL determines,’’ Rosich said.

“However, we have and we will continue to communicate with the AFL about the unlikely and irregular occurrence of a replay for the Grand Final.’’