THE Newcastle Jets' most senior player Jason Hoffman has asked fans to stick by the team as a section of supporters plan a protest for the clash against the Brisbane Roar at McDonald Jones Stadium on Friday night.
Newcastle faithful will join other disgruntled fans around the country and stage a walkout during A-League fixtures this weekend.
The move is in response to a three-year deal that the Australian Professional Leagues (APL) signed this week with Destination NSW to hold the men's and women's grand finals in Sydney.
The arrangement will net the APL $15 million in guaranteed income and bring the A-League into line with other major national sporting competitions, which tender out their showpiece events.
Traditionally the highest-ranked team hosts the A-League decider.
The change has outraged many fans.
Hoffman, who will become the Jets' most capped player with 211 games if he takes the field on Friday, said he understood the supporter's frustration but urged them to support the team.
"All you can hope for is that your fans are with you in every moment of the game," he said. "For us, our fans are critical. Without them the game doesn't exist.
"We understand from a players' point of view and the fans' point of view that if you feel you have earned the right to host a grand final, it is a great thing for the region.
"In saying that, the APL has a leadership model that is designed to make decision that are best for the league and the prosperity of the game. You have to trust that."
Jets executive chairman Shane Mattiske said the club would like to "earn the right to host a grand final" but the APL "has to make decisions for the whole of the game and build a strong financial foundation".
Melbourne Victory chairman Anthony Di Pietro resigned from the APL board on Tuesday and called for the decision to be reversed.
The APL have since reaffirmed the arrangement.
"Change is challenging for people," APL chief executive Danny Townsend said. "We certainly don't want fans protesting. We want fans knowing we have the games's best interests at heart.
"We have a fiscal responsibility to ensure the game is well funded and enabled to reinvest in the product, reinvest in youth development pathways and reinvest in the playing squads.
"We want to ensure the product people see for 27 rounds and in finals is world class. We want to bridge the gap between Australian football and the rest of the world.
"We have seen what passion that ignites for football fans with the way the Socceroos performed and no doubt how the Matildas will perform next year [in the World Cup]. The only way we can bridge that gap is to be well funded so we can reinvest that money.
"There are only so many commercial levers in a sport. This is one of the major ones that other sports use to reinvest in their game.
"Easy decisions send you broke. Hard decisions pave the way to growth, and that is what we are committed to."
Hoffman is in the unique position of having played in a grand final away and at home.
The Jets beat the Central Coast 1-0 at the Sydney Football Stadium in 2008 in front of 36,354 people.
In 2018, a full house of 29,410 packed McDonald Jones Stadium as the Jets lost a 1-0 to Melbourne Victory after a VAR malfunction.
"The one in Sydney we won, so, of course, very fond memories of 2008," Hoffman said.
"The grand final in 2018 was something very special. Being a local boy, that is going to be a real highlight when I look back on my career. The buzz around the town and people who are part of the football community here in Northern NSW were so amped up for that game. That is why I can understand the fans wanting to have another opportunity to experience that.
"My focus and the club's focus is on Friday night. There is no point talking about a grand final when there is a lot of work to do to get there."
Goalkeeper Jack Duncan also rated the 2018 decider a highlight.
"It wasn't our day that day, but the buzz around town and atmosphere on the day was amazing," he said. "We also understand that the APL has made the decision, hopefully in the best interests of the game. If that money is coming into the game, we would like to see it distributed in the right way and to strengthen the league."
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