Not since July 11, 1987, when Bob Hawke defeated John Howard to retain power has a Federal election been held during football season, but that's what we have now got as Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Coalition leader Tony Abbott do battle.

But it won't be the only battle in town. That weekend happens to be the penultimate round of the AFL home-and-away season, featuring - as it stands - a pair of crucial Saturday-night games.

Top-of-the-table Collingwood host the suddenly resurgent Adelaide Crows at the MCG that night while top-eight teams the Western Bulldogs and Sydney Swans square off at the SCG.

The importance of both election and AFL coverage has meant the likes of leading radio networks ABC and 3AW and host AFL television broadcaster Network 10 have each held internal discussions in recent days about just how best to keep all viewers and listeners happy. This conceivably includes even Ms Gillard who, after all, is the Bulldogs' fan and famously quipped earlier this year there was more chance of her becoming "full forward of the Western Bulldogs" than replacing Kevin Rudd.

At 3AW, director of football Graeme Bond says live coverage of the clash between the Magpies and Crows will take precedence.

"Under our AFL agreement, we have to broadcast the game. So I would think we would have to honour our obligation to the AFL," he said.

"No doubt, there will be plenty of around the grounds for the election, probably at quarter-time, half-time and three quarter-time and post match."

Bond said the customary analysis of the match would be cut.

"We will have a very reduced half-time summary which will probably involve mostly an election update and, of course, post game will be probably wrap it up a bit earlier and just go straight to an election wrap," he said.

"But it will depend on our newsroom and what our current affairs producers want to do. We have already had a discussion about it. It will be dependent on how much (election presented) Neil Mitchell wants to do. That will obviously dictate how our evening goes."

Where fellow AFL broadcasters Triple M and sports radio station SEN are likely to also have election updates of some kind, initial discussions at the ABC appear to point towards the coverage of the SCG clash being heard only on its digital station and streamed live on the internet.

Standard ABC policy dictates that all platforms of television and radio - News Radio, Radio Australia and local radio - take election coverage. That means the ABC's NRL coverage that night will also be heard only on digital.

It's understood the ABC's election coverage will even impact this Sunday when coverage after half-time of the twilight Showdown between Port Adelaide and cross-town rivals the Crows will be shifted to the digital network to make way for the first debate between Gillard and Abbott.

While Foxtel will, naturally, proceed with its AFL coverage on election night, Network Ten has yet to finalise its plans. It appears almost certain football will win this battle, with Ten's executive producer of the AFL David Barham suggesting live election updates would keep viewers informed. "I presume we would have updates and then go with live coverage after the game," he said.

Bond, for his part, says of all the results that night, one is likely to garner the most interest.

"I am sure the Collingwood-Adelaide game would out-rate the election," he said.

When it comes to general and die-hard interest in a Magpies team that is now a legitimate premiership threat, he could well be right.