Hawthorn and Richmond fans complain about Thursday night match

[Ulquiorra]

THE AFL has defended its week-one finals fixture in the face of outrage from Victorians over the scheduling of next Thursday night’s qualifying final.

Richmond and Hawthorn supporters flooded social media and talkback radio in the wake of Sunday night’s announcement, venting their anger about the two Melbourne-based giants playing on a weeknight.

Hawks president Jeff Kennett added his weight to the argument, declaring the scheduling made it difficult for his club’s members to get to the game.

There was little opposition in the past two seasons when West Coast (2016) and Adelaide (2017) hosted Thursday night finals in week one.

AFL fixture boss Travis Auld tipped a bumper crowd.

“They go to school in Western Australia and South Australia,” Auld said.

“Families and kids getting to the game from outside of CBD or having school the next day, that issue applies anywhere where we play. Our expectations are we will get 90,000-plus. We are confident with those teams and the strength of those teams that there will be a strong crowd.”

Auld said the schedule took into account the days’ rest each side would have leading into their matches in week two.

“It’s the week off between the home-and-away (season) and the first week of the finals that’s given us an opportunity to launch finals with a Thursday night, which then has taken a game out of the Sunday,” Auld told SEN.

“It also makes it easier in terms of day breaks.

“If you look at week two of the finals, we will have an eight-day break and a seven-day break and two seven-day breaks.

“That’s really important to the clubs that are competing.”

Kennett argued Hawthorn and Richmond members, in particular young families, would be inconvenienced by the Thursday night fixture.

The outspoken Hawks boss said it would make it “very, very hard” for fans to attend the qualifying final and that the two clubs would fail to “satisfy their membership requirements” because of it.

However, Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson was unfazed.

“I think you’ll get a different perspective from the player and coaching point of view than you’ll get from a chairman of a footy club,” Clarkson said.

“We’re pretty much in the space of just being delighted that we’ve been able to qualify and get the opportunity to play against a formidable opponent at the MCG.”

Clarkson said the short break between this Saturday’s VFL finals and Thursday could influence selection.

Defender James Sicily (wrist) is one of several important Hawks pushing to return.