South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas has revealed his government received and rejected a request for money from an AFL “entity” in talks for the Sheffield Shield final to go ahead at Adelaide Oval during the footy season.
Irrespective of their final-round clash with Queensland, South Australia have earned the right to host the Shield final after securing top spot on the table with their win over Victoria on Sunday.
The venue for the match is yet to be determined but SA cricket officials are petitioning for it to be held at the Adelaide Oval between Rounds 2 and 3 of the AFL season.
Port Adelaide play Richmond on Saturday, March 22 at Adelaide Oval, eight days before the ground’s next scheduled AFL game between the Crows and North Melbourne the following Sunday.
That window of opportunity would give grounds staff enough time to flip the surface around to be fit for cricket, and then back again, to keep all parties happy.
But there has to be a formal agreement first between all stakeholders, including government, before it can be locked in.
And one roadblock has already emerged, with Malinauskas revealing on Wednesday that an AFL stakeholder wants to be compensated financially.
“The honest answer to that question is yes, we have received a request,” the Premier said on FiveAA when asked if his government had been asked to hand over money.
“It’s not from cricket. I won’t say what entity it is within footy.”
FiveAA host David Penberthy interjected with the suggestion that it would have to be the Crows.
“Wouldn’t logic suggest that it’s the Adelaide Football Club?” he asked.
Malinauskas wouldn’t be drawn on exactly who it was.
“What I would say is we’re asking for people to act rationally and pragmatically in the interests of fans,” he said.
“The South Australian government has already shown an awful lot of support to both footy clubs locally, particularly the Adelaide footy club, which has done very well from the support we’ve provided them to be able to see through the issues at Thebarton, we’ve backed them in every step of the way, even when it’s been difficult…”
Pressing on whether it came from the Crows, Penberthy said: “That’s a bit audacious, isn’t it? Is that a bit audacious of Adelaide?”
Malinauskas again refused to confirm who made the request, but insisted it would not be happening under his watch regardless.
“I think it’s a little bit galling that people are trying to use an opportunity to look after fans as an opportunity to slug the tax payer and I won’t be having it,” he said.
It’s unclear exactly why the footy “entity” which requested the money believes it needs the remuneration, or what it thinks the financial downside of having the Shield final hosted at Adelaide Oval is.
“There are two equations,” Malinauskas explained.
“There’s mitigating risk, which we appreciate that much be something the government can contemplate, but just handing over cash is not something that I’ll be doing.
“And I hope this doesn’t get in the way of it, because if it does, I’ll be on your program speaking very publicly about that approach being applied.
“I’m not naming any names here or anything like that, I’m just saying that my government isn’t going to be giving cash just so they get out of the way of something that everyone thinks should happen.”
Content Source: www.perthnow.com.au