Melbourne Victory is closer than ever to earning the right to host the A-League grand final, yet it seems the crucial parties are still miles away from a deal to play it in Melbourne.
With Etihad Stadium the only ground deemed appropriate for the showpiece event in Victoria, time is running out before the May 17 decider to secure the venue.
A month before the final, AFL club the Western Bulldogs is scheduled to play Fremantle at the Docklands stadium unless an unprecedented late fixture change can shift the match.
Herein lies the conundrum. It isn’t the AFL’s problem and the Bulldogs are dead against a proposed shift to Geelong’s Simonds Stadium.
Bulldogs president Peter Gordon made as much clear on Thursday: “We’re not moving aside for soccer,” Gordon told Melbourne radio station SEN.
“It’s a home game for us and it’s already been fixtured – it’s a done deal. That’s where we want to play it and that’s where it will be played.”
But Football Federation Australia (FFA) hasn’t given up on a compromise brokered by the state government. Talks are ongoing and FFA believes the Daniel Andrews-led government could help smooth the path.
“FFA continues to discuss the matter with the Victorian government, which has made it clear that Melbourne is a city that wants to host major events, such as the Hyundai A-League grand final,” a FFA spokesperson said.
“There are many complications to be overcome in finding the right solution.”
There is another possibility, of course – that Victory doesn’t finish top.
Victory’s 2-1 win over Brisbane on Wednesday night inched it closer to claiming the premiership, with a three-point lead at the top of the table with just two rounds remaining.
AAMI Park has been deemed too small while the MCG has been ruled out of bounds, it’s understood.