Gillon McLachlan's perfect storm could soon strike Sydney, where the third week of football finals may feature zero NRL games and an AFL blockbuster.
If Greater Western Sydney defeat Adelaide on Thursday night they will secure a home preliminary final for the second AFL season in a row.
It would be an upset win over the Crows but far stranger things have happened in a topsy-turvy year.
The Giants' opponent in that grand-final playoff could be Sydney and if so it should be played at ANZ Stadium, McLachlan reaffirmed on Wednesday.
The Swans would need to defeat Essendon on Saturday then roll either Richmond or Geelong to advance to the penultimate week of the season.
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That scenario could help AFL steal a march on their rival code, especially if Melbourne Storm and Brisbane Broncos both win this weekend.
Such results would mean there isn't a single NRL game in Sydney in preliminary final week, ensuring there is no scheduling scuffle at ANZ Stadium while helping the Swans and Giants capture locals' attention.
"I don't know what is going to happen in the NRL or our game," McLachlan told reporters in Sydney.
"But if it's an all-Sydney prelim, that's a 70,000-plus crowd and we need to have it at ANZ. We can make the turf work, so that's what we would do.
"The NRL have got some scheduling priorities and there's some challenges .. we'd want to have it at ANZ to showcase that game.
"There's 80,000 members (combined at GWS and Sydney)."
The AFL no longer has any form of agreement with the Olympic Park venue. The league would reportedly have to shell out approximately $500,000 to host a final there.
A crowd of more than 60,000 attended the derby between GWS and Sydney during week one of the 2016 finals series.
The prospect of the Swans and Giants clashing at the MCG in the grand final is also in play if the expansion club loses this week.
"If they made it and they're the best two teams, that'd be great," McLachlan said.
"We're very bullish about where AFL is positioned in this city and state but we've got work to do and we'll keep doing it."
