Leading figures in the AFLW have urged officials to think big around the venue for November’s grand final, and prioritise women’s football over concerts and supercross at the AFL-owned Marvel Stadium.
Last year’s premiership was decided at a sold out, 12,000-capacity Ikon Park in Carlton where North Melbourne overcame Brisbane to win the club’s first flag in 25 years.
Jasmine Garner, who takes over the Kangaroos captaincy from Emma Kearney this season, said locking in the grand final at Marvel Stadium each year ensures the AFLW showpiece is given its best chance of success.
“You don’t have to worry about what the weather’s going to do on the day because, you just never know with the suburban grounds, the weather can play a huge part in it,” she said.
Bre Koenen, the Lions skipper, said it was important for the AFLW to establish traditions and build supporter habits even if it meant interstate teams would forego hosting rights and had to travel to compete in the grand final.
“I’d love it to be at the same place, same time, just predictable to people,” she said. “It makes sense to me at Marvel, in the heart of footy [in Victoria],” she said.
“People come to Melbourne for [men’s] grand final weekend, even if their team’s not in it. If you’re a footy lover, it’s where you want to be, so I feel like we need to create that for ‘W fans.”
The AFL has been criticised in recent years for sticking with Ikon Park despite selling out the ground quickly.
Marvel Stadium is owned by the AFL but is used largely for concerts and non-football events after the men’s season finishes in September, creating tension between the need to support women’s football with the economic appeal of international tours. “We got kicked off there last year for what? Like BMX and concerts and all this sort of stuff,” Koenen said.
This year, the AUSX Open Supercross event is scheduled for the weekend before the AFLW grand final, before Lady Gaga plays two shows the weekend following the decider.
Rebecca Beeson, the GWS Giants captain, said she wasn’t opposed to the game being held at Marvel Stadium, but wherever it was the game needed to be at a “showpiece” venue such as the Adelaide Oval. The 2019 grand final was played at the South Australian venue and attracted 53,034 fans, then a record for a standalone women’s sporting event.
“In order to generate a bit of hype and crowd, the ground that it’s going to be played at has to have the capacity to do so,” Beeson said. “If it’s played at a community oval with no proper grandstand, then you’re going to limit the number of people who are going to go.”
Cats captain Meghan McDonald said she was in attendance for the 2019 grand final, and described the atmosphere as “unreal”. The defender agreed that the decider needed to be held in a “stadium”, but she was open to which venue – including even GMHBA Stadium in Geelong if her team earned the right.
Western Bulldogs’ skipper Deanna Berry said Marvel Stadium made the most sense “Young girls then get to sit in a venue like this and watch their idols play,” she said. “Sometimes you can go to the smaller ovals and you’re not really seeing the full atmosphere because you might be stuck standing up behind a few people.”
