GEELONG earned the right to host a home final, but not at its fortress.
If Fremantle, or any opponent, had to head to Geelong's house of pain, where the Cats have won 49 of their past 51 engagements, it should have been declared by the league months ago.
The Dockers' fight to avoid going to the Cattery was as much about their horrible record there, with just one win from 13 visits, as it was to protect their fans. What is the AFL's reasoning? There is a suggestion the whole venue-switching controversy was a clever marketing ploy from league strategists to deflect attention from the Essendon saga.
More likely, it is about the league's grab for finals cash with projections of about $2 million in ticketing profits for the league staging the clash in Geelong and not at Etihad Stadium. The league faces a multi-million dollar legal bill for its ugly fight with Essendon and it's pouring money into the slow settlement of new franchise Greater Western Sydney.
AFL boss Andrew Demetriou and his powers need to generate revenue and in a hurry. The AFL has undersold Fremantle's crowd-pulling power.
It is inconceivable for a projection that only about 7000 Dockers faithful would want to be at Fremantle's first ever Melbourne-based qualifying final as a top-four qualifier. If the Dockers and Cats can attract almost 45,000 to the MCG as sixth and seventh elimination final qualifiers last September, why would there be any fewer this year with Geelong finishing second and Fremantle third?
There were more than 42,000 when the Dockers copped a 69-point thrashing from the Cats in 2010 under former coach Mark Harvey.
The AFL argues that an estimated 10,000 MCC members were a large portion of last year's total attendance.
There could be double that figure alone who want to take a close look at the Dockers under Lyon.
LD: The AFL has a rotten smell comong from and quite a bit would be eminating from big Andrew.
