Optus Stadium reveal they approached AFL in early July about hosting AFL grand final

The final siren sounded on September 25, but the crucial passage of play which produced Perth’s 2021 AFL grand final unfolded in early July, weeks before Western Australia won the rights to host the decider. The West Australian can reveal Optus Stadium assembled a grand final working committee and commenced conversations with the AFL in early July and submitted a set of financial terms for hosting neutral finals, including the grand final - a week before the AFL’s proposal request came on August 5. Sensing the AFL could run into trouble for a second season after community transmission at the MCG in round 17 sparked Victoria’s fifth lockdown on July 15, Optus Stadium began forming a contingency plan. But while the AFL remained adamant their showpiece would return to the MCG, Optus Stadium CEO Mike McKenna wasn’t willing to be caught on the back foot if things turned south. “We formed a working committee in early July and approached them to talk about what they were looking at and what we should and could do,” McKenna told The West Australian. “No one hopes they run into problems but we didn’t want to wait until the last minute. “On July 30th we proposed the financial terms for games. The terms enable you to work out what you can make for all of the finals, including a grand final. It was the start of negotiations and it certainly wasn’t where we ended up. “We went through this process last year and we were proactive last year. We didn’t wait until we were asked.” AFL Head of Commercial Kylie Rogers conceded Perth’s pre-emptive approach helped get WA across the line. “Two months out, my team were planning for three grand finals,” Rogers told The West Australian. “There wasn’t a single day we weren’t worried about reaching the grand final. “We knew Perth were really enthusiastic and we knew they were really keen and very determined to put their foot forward. “We had to look at all possibilities but there was an energy and proactivity about Perth’s desire to host the grand final.” While the AFL remained publicly committed to the MCG, steps were quietly being taken to send the game west. Merchandise orders were placed, Carlton & United Breweries shipped 1600 kegs of beer across the Nullarbor and the AFL’s entertainment partner began planning two music lineups – one at the MCG and one at Optus Stadium. Joondalup Resort even took the extraordinary financial risk of reserving their entire complex on August 24 without any guarantee the AFL would honour their booking. “It was definitely a risk but it was a risk worth us taking,” Joondalup general manager Justin Peters said.