The AFL has given the green light for the Matildas’ World Cup quarter-final against France to be shown on the big screens at the MCG before the Carlton-Melbourne blockbuster on Saturday night.
The league is awaiting approval from FIFA and is also working through other logistical issues, but a formal announcement is expected on Thursday afternoon.
The Matildas’ run at the World Cup is capturing the imagination of Australians.Credit: Reuters
Though the AFL has traditionally fiercely guarded its territory against other codes, the league has recognised the national importance of the Matildas’ World Cup charge on home soil and the significance for women’s sport in this country.
But there is a twist. The AFL will not push back the start time of the Blues-Demons clash, having already changed it from 7.25pm to 7.30pm after the Matildas beat Denmark in the round of 16 on Monday to progress to the quarters.
It means there is a possibility the Matildas will be bumped off the big screen if extra time is required once the AFL match starts, and if the World Cup match progresses from that to a penalty shootout. The match, though, would still be shown on TVs in bars and boxes at the ground.
The SCG will allow members to stay after the Sydney Swans’ game against Gold Coast to watch the Matildas, and will keep its bars and food outlets open.
A crowd of 60,000 is expected at the MCG to watch the two form teams of the AFL go head-to-head in a match with huge ramifications for the finals. The Demons are hunting for a top-two berth, while the Blues are striving for their first finals appearance since 2013.
The AFL was widely criticised on social media last year when they released the 2023 fixture on the same morning as the Socceroos were playing Argentina in a knockout match at the World Cup in Qatar.
