With the AFL offseason raging on, and the media needing to fill column inches, talk of a three-game AFL Grand Final series has been discussed.

Put simply – a best of three AFL Grand Final series doesn’t actually solve anything.

In theory, it removes the bias towards Victorian teams by not only playing a grand final at the MCG, where Victorian teams have an obvious advantage – but playing it at multiple venues, decreases the bias.

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Personally, I see a few issues with this. Firstly, take the 2010 drawn Grand Final.

Interest dropped off significantly, and the reply saw Collingwood dominate a tired St Kilda. Now, what would have happened that day if there was extra time instead of a replay is a conversation for another time, but it wouldn’t have fizzled out like it inevitably did.

Secondly – what if two Victorian teams, one who plays home games at the MCG, one who plays their home games at Marvel Stadium, meet in the Grand Final series?

Maybe it’s just me, but having a game at a stadium that doesn’t exactly have much history isn’t the most appealing. Not to mention – roof on or off?

That’s not to mention logistics. By having a three-game series, you’re at best extending the season by a week, or a fortnight if it goes to a decider. Which way do you extend the season?

Do you eat into AFLW, which is already being hard-done-by, do you interrupt the cricket, or interrupt the soccer? Ground availability is something that hasn’t been discussed as much during this debate, but it’s something that seems partially unsolvable.



Given all this, I should put forth a solution. The idea of each team having a certain amount of games at the MCG is the best solution. Given that we currently have a fixture, rather than a draw, I don’t see why this cannot be accommodated for.

Whilst it is true that certain aspects of the administration seem to be lagging behind when it comes to the concept of a national competition, I hope this can be a wake-up call.

Part of what makes our game, and Australian sport in general, so appealing, is that it’s decided on the day.

You can compare to American sports all you like, but given the differences already present throughout our respective sports, trying to justify a three-game grand final series just doesn’t make sense.

Whilst of course, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it isn’t the right mentality, neither is fiddling with things for the sake of it.

Of course, I suspect that this isn’t a realistic idea. Instead, it’s an attempt for equalisation, which I fully support.

It’s not fair that interstate teams are at such a distinct disadvantage when it comes to playing on the biggest stage of them all. However, a best of three grand final series doesn’t seem like the right solution.

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