Bombers in line for Good Friday

Essendon is in line to play on Good Friday. Picture: Getty Source: Quinn Rooney / Getty Images

ESSENDON has emerged as a serious contender to play in a historic Good Friday game as the AFL attempts to start the 2015 season with a bang.

The AFL seems determined to push back the season until the first week of April as a twilight Good Friday game looks increasingly likely.

Essendon ticks several boxes as a loyal Etihad Stadium tenant which pulls big crowds and is based in the inner northern suburbs near the Royal Children's Hospital.

The return of the prodigal son James Hird will also have massive drawing power if the Bombers dodge infraction notices and he is the 2015 Essendon coach.

Carlton-Richmond is a strong chance to go ahead as the season-opener on Thursday April 2, despite the Blues wanting to play a Good Friday game the following day against North Melbourne.

Carlton boss Greg Swann was this weekend extremely confident about the North Melbourne-Carlton proposal, saying of its chances: "Lock it in".

But the AFL has made it clear that proposal has not been ticked off, with the AFL Commission not yet ruling on the game going ahead on the religious holiday.

North Melbourne has led the charge on playing on Good Friday, with Western Bulldogs president Peter Gordon also launching an official request.

Roos chief executive Carl Dilena said the club's first submission in 1992 was to play Carlton and little had changed.

"We are waiting to see what happens, but at least the AFL have done some due diligence around it and it is being seriously considered,'' he told the Herald Sun.

Cartoon: Macca Source: Supplied

"We haven't had any guidance from them about whether it will go ahead and who the participants will be.

"Carlton have said they would forgo that opening round with Richmond and they are keen to play against us.

""People are becoming more tolerant of playing (on Good Friday) as generations change and society becomes more multicultural. The theme of a twilight match would be marrying it into the Good Friday telethon with crosses into the game, some interviews and then the coaches and players would head up to the Appeal after the game and donate money."

The AFL will closely monitor the A-League final on Good Friday final between Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC this Friday night at Etihad Stadium.

Essendon already has two marquee games — the April 25 Anzac Day clash against Collingwood and the Dreamtime at the 'G fixture against Richmond.

But as much as the AFL wants to help develop marquee games for struggling clubs, it also believes maximising revenue through blockbusters will allow it to raise money to distribute across the 18 teams.

The AFL executive is working on all options, with AFL football operations manager Mark Evans saying on Tuesday no one was locked in.

"There hasn't been a decision to play on Good Friday. I noticed some clubs are jockeying and there are about 15 who think they were the first two write in proposing a match on Good Friday. It's not relevant unless a decision has been made,'' he said.

"Next year is tricky with the fixturing around the World Cup. of cricket. We won't have access to the cricket venues for a couple of those weeks, so it will be tricky for us at the start of the year."

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