THE AFL has reiterated Saturday’s AFLW preliminary final between North Melbourne and Port Adelaide will remain at its scheduled time of 3.05pm AEDT, despite a looming heatwave that is expected to hit Melbourne later this week.
The Bureau of Meteorology is currently predicting temperature that soar upwards of 35 degrees on Saturday, with the heat likely to peak at the same time as Saturday's preliminary final at Ikon Park.
But the League will leave the fixture as is, instead suggesting it could enact its heatwave policy that may see additional water carriers allowed on the field and the potential for longer breaks at quarter, half and three-quarter time.
A final call on the heatwave policy will likely be made in the 24 hours before the game.
The AFL's heatwave policies were enacted in various ways across the last weekend, when Adelaide's semi-final victory over Fremantle was played in 35 degree temperatures and featured longer interval breaks.
Port Adelaide's win over Hawthorn was also played while it was 33 degrees in Melbourne, but was a night fixture meaning there were only additional water carriers allowed but the quarter intervals remained the same.
North Melbourne will be looking to make its second consecutive AFLW Grand Final when its hosts Port Adelaide, while Brisbane plays Adelaide at Brighton Homes Arena in the other preliminary final on Saturday night.