The AFL has seemingly softened its stance on Good Friday football, with AFL deputy chief executive Gillon McLachlan revealing it is now a "50-50" chance that a game will be scheduled on the religious holiday for the first time in 2015.

The Gold Coast SUNS support the concept, with significant benefits to the coast’s economy on offer, with a game on the Gold Coast attracting high tourist numbers over the Easter weekend in southern Queensland, as well as the opportunity for the AFL to match the NRL's ''ownership'' of the day as a sporting platform after that code staged a record-breaking double-header on the religious holiday in 2013. 

Western Bulldogs chairman Peter Gordon also launched a bid to play on Good Friday. 

However the AFL has long regarded a Good Friday fixture as a non-negotiable, knocking back requests from several clubs over the years.

On top of the obstacles of playing a game on Good Friday, the AFL also need to take into account Victoria’s traditional Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal. The event is broadcast throughout  the day on the Seven Network, who are also the AFL’s free-to-air television broadcaster.   

McLachlan said the AFL would need to carefully plan any Good Friday match. 

‘‘If we did it in 2015, we need to be properly prepared and that means a proper, respectful consultation with the stakeholders, and they are varied, for what is a day of religious significance for a lot of people,’’ he said.

‘‘There is a lot of clubs who would like to be playing, there is issues around timing, so I think it’s something that, if we were going to do it, we need a long time to plan and we don’t feel like we’ve had that this year.’’

‘‘I think there is gathering momentum, and if I’m here saying that it is 50-50 for the year after next, then that is probably a good sign of momentum’’.

Brownlow medallist and committed Christian Gary Ablett said in September he would have no problem playing games on Good Friday.

Ablett said there was no conflict between his faith and the move for the GC SUNS to play on Good Friday.

"I'm happy to play whenever we're told we need to play to be honest. If that's a good thing for the club and a good thing for the AFL, I'm all for it," he said.