Racing Victoria has moved to protect its turf by lashing out at a mooted AFL plan to break with tradition and schedule the grand final for the first week of October from next year.

The AFL and club bosses will meet on Thursday to discuss fixturing requests and how best to accommodate the competition's 17th team, the Gold Coast, when it debuts next season, and the inclusion of Greater Western Sydney from 2012.

The initial plan is expected to have the home-and-away season extended from 22 to 24 weeks, with each team still playing 22 matches but having two byes.

To allow for this, consideration in recent months has been given to starting next season earlier or shifting that special "one day in September" to the first weekend of October.

While Cricket Victoria, which contractually owns the rights to use the MCG in October, is open to a switch in grand final dates, Racing Victoria isn't.

A later finish would mean the grand final clashes with the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington (Nicholas Hall is pictured winning the race on Efficient last year), the first key day of the Spring Racing Carnival.

Racing Victoria spokesman Shaun Kelly told backpagelead.com.au his governing body would not support the grand final being held on one of its major money-spinning days.

"Just on face value, we would strongly object to any change to the AFL season that would impact upon on our 50-day Spring Racing Carnival," he said.

"The Spring Racing Carnival is a significant contributor to the Victorian economy, as well as being a major sporting and social event for local, interstate and international people each year.

"If asked, we would object to any change. We think the timing of the sporting calendar in Melbourne is good and we would like to stick with that."

The AFL would have to broker a deal with Cricket Victoria and the Melbourne Cricket Club before an October date could be booked in.

As it stands, football and cricket contractually are each given six months use of the ground, with cricket season running from October 1 to March 31.

There is some flexibility within this deal though, as shown when Carlton and Richmond kicked off the new AFL season on March 25.

But MCC spokesman Shane Brown said it was unlikely the season could begin any earlier than this.

"Give or take a week here or there, that was agreed to by the parties, it's six months for each sport," Brown said.

"The last few years, footy has started in the last three or four days of March. Cricket obviously gets told about that and there is no issue but we have got the (Sheffield) Shield final that runs pretty close to footy.

"This year there was a four-day gap by the end of the (Shield) final which was fine because we are capable of taking the pitches out and playing footy but that just shows you there is not a lot of scope to go much earlier than they are now.

"We (the MCC) are stuck in the middle. We have two tenants and have arrangements with both. If they conflict, then obviously either the two parties talk to each other or we would talk to them."

If the AFL season ended in October, the MCG's drop-in wickets mean the historic venue could be up and running for domestic cricket within days of the last football match.

What could also work in the AFL's favour is that the Victorian Bushrangers traditionally begin their domestic campaign interstate.

Last summer the Bushrangers' season didn't begin until late October anyway because of commitments in the Indian Twenty20 Champions League.

A season earlier, the Bushrangers started with trips to South Australia, Queensland and Sydney, with its first home game not held until November 12.

Cricket Victoria chief executive Tony Dodemaide said under the current scheduling, the MCG was generally free in early October.

"In terms of state and international matches, probably early October isn't so much of an issue for us," he said.

"In mid-March, our Shield final is on."

But Dodemaide said early October could become busier for the Bushrangers from 2011-12 when an expanded Twenty20 Big Bash tournament would need to be slotted in alongside the Sheffield Shield and limited-overs domestic competition.

"We haven't been approached by the AFL but we are open for talks as we always are," he said.

A Cricket Australia spokesman said an extended AFL season wouldn't impact on the national team as it was generally overseas in early October.