BF -
I know you’re just trying to stir – but, you’ve actually touched on a bit of a political issue presently, in that ‘footballVictoria’ is rapidly becoming ‘AFLVictoria’ with the AFL seeking to effectively take control.
However, a large part of what they want has been based upon poor integration of auskick groups with junior clubs with senior clubs, also, the administration of leagues has been an issue here and there. So, the capacity for the AFL to rule over all of the lower tier footy in Victoria is probably going to increase soon.

In all fairness I don’t think that one day of is going to help the local footy if it is ‘monstered’ the other 364 days of the year.

I’m saying this is the historical reason, as you suggest there are alternatives.

Redb

The AFL may have steered clear of offending religious groups but the kids hospital appeal looms as just as a big a reason so as not divert the publics attention and overcoming the difficulties of the Ch 7 full media resouces devoted to the appeal.

Do we need Good Friday?, not really. But there is no reason the game couldn’t start at 5pm and turn into an appeal game (as mentioned above) with Ch 10 covering it, if Ch 7 will let them. Ch 7 usually covers Friday night football.

Redb

It is possible that attending a footy match at the MCG brings back long lost memories of how their own kind were mercilessly slaughtered in the stadia of pre-Christian Rome.

However I’m not too sure why religious group should object to having a sporting match on this day. Just assuming that there is something wrong for christians to watch a sporting match during good friday (i’m not religious so I don’t know) that doesn’t mean you should stop people who are non-religious or follow different religions from enjoying a good sporting event on that same day.

No – don’t tell me – I don’t want to know!!

Cold Showers : Most numeraries take cold showers every day and offer it up for the intentions of the current Prelate.

What the AFL should have done is promote a game at the Gabba in the afternoon before the league game. Could have been good to maybe have a crack at both games. This might happen or be planned with the coast team. ? who knows .
Nobody understands the culture, it’s dark middle age stuff. Your starting to scare us humans.

After all we have already all sorts of rounds and games dedicated to all sorts of causes…women, the community, the indigenous community, eskimos (not to sure about the eskimos).

They can call it the Resurrection Round. We can use this round’s fixtures as an example.

The AFL can re-enact The Passion at the MCG before the big Geelong v Collingwood game on Good Friday.
This time Christ will be wearing a Collingwood jumper. The poor bugger gets beaten to a pulp and put on the cross. Collingwood lose by 100 points. We can explain this to the kids as Christ paying for our sins.

Come Sunday, before the game, he is resurrected wearing an Essendon jumper. He gets Matty Lloyd demoted and captains the Bombers to a famous victory over the arch-enemy, Carlton.

We can explain this to the kids as J.C leading his flock to the promised land, while at the same time dealing a blow to the money lenders.

Come on AFL…Get your act together.

The requirement to observe a particular ‘religious’ holiday has the whiff of faith as adherence to a human construct rather than a transcendant reality. Personally, if they had Good Friday footy, I’m sure I’d find the time and head space to BOTH go to church AND worship at the alter of footy (particularly if the Pies are involved!).

My only concerns would be along the lines of Kurt’s, namely the encroachment of 24/7 activity into life, but this is as much a secular as faith-based issue anyway.

Maybe a good middle-ground option would be similar to what they do at the MCG on Anzac Day – a pre-game service! As long as we can ensure the bloke preaching the sermon is interesting enough to ensure we avoid the spectacle of 90,000 people sleeping in the pews/seats. Ha!

You raise another interesting point. In the northern hemisphere at the moment, the issue with church leaders is that football (the round ball kind) games are being played on the Sunday. (The AFL, curiously, will have 3 games on the Sunday this year.)

Here’s an article about it: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article6047319.ece

The EPL, which does not usually play on Fridays, has in the past broken from regular scheduling to have one or more Good Friday games, however as far as I can see that won’t be the case this year. Not sure why, but as I said, Fridays are not the norm there anyway.

As a theology student myself (*gasp* a religious person…NOOO!!), one of the subjects I have this semester is Early and Medieval Church history and it really sheds a lot of light on this issue, and really questions the logic of some church leaders who try to force a total ban on secular activities on Good Friday.

The origins of the Easter holiday are very interesting – Basically during the second century there was a dispute between the Quartodecimans, who observed Jesus’ resurrection on Nisan 14 (the Jewish Passover), while many churches had abandoned the Jewish calendar and remembered it on the Sunday after the first full moon of spring (which was based on a pagan festival – In fact the word “Easter” is based on the pagan goddess Ishtar). It’s still early in the semester and I haven’t found out where Good Friday comes into it or why this day seems to have greater significance, seeing as the early church saw the resurrection (Sunday) as the most important day…But then again, that’s why most churches have their weekly worship on Sunday (and that’s another topic in itself).

To be honest, I’ve never understood the fuss of having a game on Good Friday, and I personally think it’s a perfect opportunity to raise money for a cause. I understand your point, Kurt, but I don’t see the AFL as playing a sole hand in the whole consumerism thing. If you’re gonna blame anyone for that, blame the big-chain shops that ram Easter and Christmas shopping down our throats months before the actual event. And I’d also add, free will and personal choice and all that – you don’t HAVE to buy anything if you don’t want to!

But that’s just my two cents worth…I’m done.