AFL relief on planning wrangle

The AFL has commended the State Government for intervening in a planning wrangle that threatened to bankrupt the Western Bulldogs.

The club was locked in a standoff with the City of Maribyrnong which refused to approve plans for the club to host classes for Victoria University at the redeveloped Whitten Oval.

The government's decision to override the council and grant the relevant permit freed-up $6million in funding which allowed building work to proceed.

"They were on the brink," AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou said of the Bulldogs.

"They've got a $6million hole which was being put in jeopardy as part of their redevelopment - couldn't make any headway with local government which was terribly frustrating."

"That jeopardised that project and that would have tipped them over the edge and if not for the intervention of the State Government which we congratulate and commend, we would be talking about some real tragic things at the Western Bulldogs."

"They would have been almost bordering on insolvent."

Meanwhile Demetriou told 3AW that he was in contact with Channel Seven as late as Thursday in an attempt to have Friday night's Hawthorn-Geelong blockbuster televised live.

But he said the broadcaster refused point blank to change its programming schedule and that 'Better Homes and Gardens' was locked-in for the 7.30 slot with feature stories on 'how to make warm chicken broth and something about citrus trees'.

"In the original agreement that we struck up with Nine and Foxtel that Seven and Ten matched, it was provided in that agreement that all Friday night football would be live, but that was varied at Seven's request because they wanted to show it at 8.30 and have a lead-in program," Demetriou said.

"We thought (a live telecast) would be a good idea this week given that it's a sell-out."

"We've tried, but we haven’t been successful."