"WE'RE lovers, not fighters in here."
That was AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan on Thursday, talking about the League's accommodations for rival codes when it came to assembling its 2015 fixture.
Speaking at the launch of next year's fixture, McLachlan was asked about a potential clash with the A League Grand Final, to be held in May next year.
The AFL said in a press release on Wednesday it had accommodated a request from Etihad Stadium (in July) and Melbourne Victory (in August) to "consider the availability" of the venue for Sunday, May 10.
The next correspondence the AFL received was in October, with the FFA asking if May 17 could be kept free instead, in case a Melbourne-based team hosted the competition's decider.
"It wasn't a miscommunication," McLachlan said, as he detailed the 2015 fixture at AFL House on Thursday.
"We weren't advised of the date change when it came in mid-September, we work with everyone, there's a whole series of accommodations for lots of sports in this fixture.
"We're lovers, not fighters in here. I cry at romantic comedies."
The AFL has scheduled Western Bulldogs v Fremantle at Etihad Stadium on May 17 at 1.10pm, and Richmond v Collingwood at the MCG at 3.20pm.
McLachlan indicated the AFL won't back down after meeting the earlier requests made by the relevant bodies but emphasised it might not matter anyway.
"There's a lot of things that have to happen but it's very difficult from here," he said.
"But, a Melbourne team has to make the Grand Final first and we're a long way from that."
These "accommodations" started with cricket, given the World Cup will be held in February-March next year in Australia and New Zealand and has pushed the season's start date to Easter.
McLachlan also said the League had complied in leaving the MCG free in mid-July for visiting European football giants competing in the International Champions Cup.
Racing Victoria had been understanding of the fact the AFL Grand Final had to be on October 1 – up against the Turnbull Stakes, the first big meet of the Spring Carnival – because of the late start to the season and won't move the event.
And, the League avoided scheduling against the Super 15s in Canberra when the Brumbies were playing, and worked with the NRL regarding the SCG and ANZ Stadium precincts.
McLachlan admitted he had placed "lots of pressure" on the fixture's main creator, general manager of broadcasting, scheduling and major projects Simon Lethlean, with his recent public statements about righting some wrongs of the 2014 season.
He said Lethlean had "gone the extra mile" and consulted more people in the building of next year's schedule.
This included talks with the RSL regarding Anzac Day's unprecedented five games, which start at 1.10pm AEST with St Kilda v Carlton in Wellington.
He said there was no concern from the AFL's perspective the commemorative day had been "hijacked" by games that will start in New Zealand and end with an evening game in Perth.
He said the day's bumper fixture was only possible because it was a Saturday.
"This is the biggest thing we have in our game so we would never do anything what we thought was hijacking or downplaying it," McLachlan said.
"We have to get nine games away that weekend.
"It's an unbelievably clean and distinct approach and it preserves all the best bits of that famous day at the MCG while actually celebrating all the best bits of it nationally.
"If you look through the best bits rather than the negatives, it's a real opportunity to grow it and be an even bigger celebration."
With the fans and attendance at the forefront, the League scrapped Sunday and Monday night football, with little chance of the former being resurrected any time soon.
"I don't think you ever have close ended statements but I think Sunday night is going to have to dig its way through a fair bit of dirt to get back out and aerated," McLachlan said.
McLachlan said next year's fixture had seen some "complex issues" worked through after a season where fans were less than complimentary about scheduling and ticketing.
"I don't think we shied away from that, we talked about that consistently," he said.
"We've done a hell of a lot of work to understand clearly where we made mistakes.
"We've been listening and I'm really pleased the way the fixture has come out this year."
