Cricket Australia says it is disappointed after the AFL blocked its bid to have the Sheffield Shield final at the Adelaide Oval.
The marquee domestic fixture, involving South Australia and a yet-to-be determined opponent, will now be held at the suburban venue, Karen Rolton Oval.
Game over: A bid by CA and SACA to stage the Sheffield Shield final at the Adelaide Oval has failed. The match would have been wedged between two AFL games.Credit: Getty Images
South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas and the South Australian Cricket Association had pushed for the five-day match to be held at Adelaide Oval, shoehorned between Port Adelaide’s match against Richmond on Saturday, March 22, and the Adelaide Crows’ game against North Melbourne at the same venue the following Sunday.
But the AFL, which has rights to the ground from March 15 each year, and the Crows raised concerns about player welfare. One issue was that the outfield would need to be shaved for cricket, and the grass would not grow back to meet AFL requirements before the Crows’ game.
CA chief executive Todd Greenberg maintains the Adelaide Oval should have held the final.
“We are disappointed South Australia has been prevented from hosting the Sheffield Shield final at Adelaide Oval,” Greenberg said on Friday.
“The Sheffield Shield final is a significant event for Australia’s national sport, and we believe Adelaide Oval would have been the most appropriate venue.
“I would like to thank Premier Malinauskas for his advocacy in this matter and his passionate support of cricket and the South Australia Cricket Association which made an extremely compelling case to host the final at Adelaide Oval.
“March is a very important month for cricket, including the Sheffield Shield and premier and club cricket finals.
“We will continue to work collaboratively at all levels to ensure cricket gains and provides appropriate access to shared venues across the country.”
The AFL released a statement on Friday, saying it was unwilling to risk the safety of its players by allowing the cricket game to go ahead.
“After extensive consultation with a range of AFL stakeholders, the AFL has determined that the risks involved in turning around the Adelaide Oval in time to meet the safety and playing standards required for AFL matches are not acceptable,” the statement said.
“The tight turnaround required to remove the cricket pitch and restore the surface for football, including the Adelaide home game on the Sunday into the demands of Gather Round, where multiple matches will be played over a short period, meant the AFL felt it couldn’t be satisfied that the quality of the playing surface could be guaranteed to the requisite level.
“This challenge was further heightened by the potential impact of any adverse weather conditions. The AFL has explored all reasonable options to make this work, but after extensive discussions and advice this week, was not satisfied that the planned arrangements met the appropriate risk profile for a safe surface.”
Malinauskas had shut down any talk of government compensation for the AFL and its clubs to allow the switch.
“We are asking people to act rationally and pragmatically in the interest of fans,” Malinauskas said on FIVEAA radio in Adelaide earlier this week.
“The South Australian government has already shown an awful lot of support to both footy clubs locally, particularly the Adelaide Football Club, which has done very well from the support we have provided them to get through the issues at Thebarton [Oval] – we have backed them all the way.”
AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon said earlier this week that football would not seek anything more than “risk mitigation” from cricket.
While the stadium’s drop-in pitches had already been removed, they could still have been reinstalled, with ground officials insisting there would be minimal impact on the playing surface.
Former Adelaide Oval curator Les Burdett said that there were no safety concerns for players as far as he was concerned.
The Redbacks, having already locked in their berth in the final, will have their opponent confirmed after the final round of Shield matches, beginning this weekend. They have not won a Shield title since 1996.
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