Grand Final rematch

As we wrote before the Grand Final on Saturday was a draw and the rules of AFL is a bit different from other sports, instead of playing another quarter or extra time, the premiership will be decided with a full replay rematch next Saturday. This doesn’t happen that often though, it actually only happened two times before in the history of AFL, back in 1948 and 1977.

If the replay game turn out to be a draw too, extra time will be played instead of having another replay so on Saturday there will be a winner of the 2010 AFL premiership – the Magpies or the Saints.

The MCG - Melbourne Cricket Ground

The last game was attended by 100 016 spectators, the highest crowd for a AFL game since the Grand Final back in 1986. The ticket sale alone for the rematch is tipped to make more than $20 million and I read in the Herald Sun that the players demand a slice of the AFL grand final replay profits. A lot of other people will of course also make a big profit out of the replay, hotels, airlines and so on because people will be travelling to Melbourne to be part of this historic event. If you were hoping on getting tickets for the replay game you’re out of luck.

The AFL wishes to advise that the ticketing allocation for Collingwood and St Kilda club members for the 2010 Toyota AFL Grand Final Replay has now been sold out. A total of 40,000 tickets were allocated in less than six hours up to 3pm today, Monday September 27. As such, there will be no public tickets available for sale to this game.

The replay affects other sports too for example the official start of the Spring Carnival – the Turnbull Stakes meeting at Flemington has been moved from Saturday to Sunday to dodge the AFL.

The AFL grand final replay will have a significant financial impact on the VRC and the Victorian racing industry, as well as other organisations and major events. -Victoria Racing Club (VRC) chief executive Dale Monteith.

Flemington Race Course, right by the apartment hotel I lived at when I was in Melbourne.