The AFL is expected to secure a deal by Friday that will make the MCG the home of the Grand Final until at least 2057. The deal will also see improvements to Etihad Stadium, along with financial assistance to grow women's football and grassroots football.
The massive deal between the Daniel Andrews government and the AFL, which is expected to total at least $500 million, will include improvements to state-league and women's football grounds which include:
AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan has promised interstate clubs, should they make the Grand Final, will receive a charter flight to Melbourne. Interstate clubs will also have access to the MCG as a training ground for home and away games and finals games. The MCG's Great Southern Stand will receive an upgrade to ensure that the ground's capacity will stay above 100,000. Etihad Stadium will receive a $225 million investment to improve the stadium and the surrounding Docklands precinct. Daniel Andrews is expected to make an announcement regarding the $500 million deal on Friday.
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Essendon defender Conor McKenna was suspended for three matches last night after he plead guilty to biting Western Bulldogs forward Tory Dickson, during the second quarter of their round 3 clash at Etihad Stadium.
Match review officer Michael Christian accessed the incident and charged McKenna with serious misconduct, which is a charge that it referred directly to the Tribunal. The incident occurred when McKenna had possession of the ball, but was tackled over the boundary line by Dickson. In the heat of the moment, McKenna bit Dickson's neck while on top of him. Footage was captured from the match following the incident, showing a red mark on Dickson's neck. The hearing at the Tribunal took almost 90 minutes, where most of the hearing consisted of deciding on the punishment for the Irishman. McKenna's legal representative, Adrian Anderson, who was the former football operations manager for the AFL, argued that a two-match sanction would be appropriate. Anderson referred to the biting incident between West Coast's Chris Masten and Fremantle's Nick Suban in 2015, where Masten received a two-match suspension. Suban, who was bitten on his left forearm, had to take antibiotics for almost a week because the bite pierced the skin. Tribunal chairman David Jones argued against Anderson's view, stating that the bite was on Dickson's neck, which brings a higher risk of infection. Jones believed that a sanction between two and four weeks would be more appropriate. Two people were contacted to give character references for the Bombers defender. The first was former Sydney Swans player Tadhg Kennelly, who stated that McKenna "plays the game in the right way". Vic Metro coach Marty Allison, whom McKenna lived with when he first came to Australia, was also contacted to give a reference but was unable to be contacted. Jones, alongside Tribunal jury members Stewart Loewe, Michael Jamison and Wayne Henwood, handed down a three-match suspension. McKenna briefly spoke to reporters after the hearing, sounding remorseful for his actions. "I take responsibility for my actions. I'm very sorry for what I've done and am looking forward to moving on and getting on with the season," McKenna said. The defender will miss upcoming matches against Port Adelaide, Collingwood and Melbourne. |
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