The AFL needs a real blockbuster to open season
Columnist By Michael DiFabrizio, 26 Mar 2010 Michael DiFabrizio is a Roar Expert
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- AFL, AFL fixture, Carlton Blues, Collingwood Magpies, Gillon McLachlan, MCG, Richmond Tigers, Western Bulldogs
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Dustin Martin of Richmond looks to clear the ball during the AFL Round 01 match between the Richmond Tigers and the Carlton Blues at the MCG, Melbourne. Slattery Images
The fixture for the first round of the AFL season can be described in just one word: bizarre. Last night’s season opener between Richmond and Carlton, whilst not as much of a let-down as the corresponding game last year, definitely fell short the term “blockbuster”.
The Blues comfortably beat the Tigers by 56 points.
Meanwhile, a game that has blockbuster written all over it, a game worthy of opening the season – this weekend’s clash between Collingwood and the Western Bulldogs – has been placed in the less-than-glamorous timeslot of Sunday afternoon. At Etihad Stadium. On a weekend where no other games are being played at Etihad.
I’m struggling to make sense of it.
Last year the AFL was at least validated by the hype Richmond and Carlton caused. There was the Ben Cousins factor, both sides were being talked up as top eight chances – it just worked.
This year there was none of that. Chris Judd was always suspended, Richmond were always back in rebuilding mode – there was nothing suggest a memorable match would eventuate.
The Western Bulldogs and Collingwood, on the other hand, both finished top four last year. They both made significant moves during trade week that they are hoping will take them to another level. They could very well be the two sides that play off for a premiership on the last Saturday in September.
Why couldn’t they open the season? Or, at the very least, play at a venue that gives some acknowledgement to the fact it’s a big game?
Curiously, at the announcement of last year’s fixture, the AFL’s Gillon McLachlan was quite happy to boast about the league’s increased desire to have blockbusters throughout the year.
“It’s a fair to say we’ve looked this year, while not walking away from having football fairness, we’ve worked very hard at having big games and these big fixtures that our fans and our supporters love,” the chief operating officer said.
So serious were the AFL about creating more of a blockbuster culture, they even held back the grand final replay between Geelong and St Kilda until the second week of round 13. They held back the only Geelong and Western Bulldogs clash until round 20.
Time will tell whether they made the right call with those games, there’s a chance they won’t look good in hindsight, but they’ve clearly dropped the ball on round one.
If you are going to have a blockbuster game in round one, let it be the first game of the season. Let it be played at the MCG. Let it be the game everyone’s countdown clocks are set to. Let it be the one the media hypes up and looks forward to.
Because the season opener, as last night attested, shouldn’t be the domain of rebuilding teams and sides that seem 50-50 chances to make the finals.
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March 26th 2010 @ 11:34pm
Geoff said | March 26th 2010 @ 11:34pm | Report comment
75k at the ground. Fixtures get based on maximizing attendances. Screw you Collingwood supporters who think you have to have everything.
March 27th 2010 @ 11:51am
Michael DiFabrizio said | March 27th 2010 @ 11:51am | Report comment
Did I just get called a Collingwood supporter? Ouch.
March 29th 2010 @ 8:34am
Michael C said | March 29th 2010 @ 8:34am | Report comment
Round 1 attendances in review -
337K for 8 matches……down on last year by 12 K (effectively a tad less than the Cousins/Judd factor for the Thursday night blockbuster…..i.e. that was a 15K factor).
That being the case…..not too bad. Was 2K up on 2008, and 77K up on 2006. 2007 was the cracker first round with 364K attending.
At any rate – given going head to head with 4 days of Melb F1 GP – - not too bad at all that the 4 Melb matches returned 225K at 56K avg, the 4 interstate matches across Perth, Adelaide, Sydney and Brisbane generated 112K attendances avg 28K……..not too bad……it piddle down in Adelaide from an hour before the game. Reality is the AFL would’ve hoped for more like 40-45 in Sydney and probably might’ve hoped for 35K in Brisbane…..but, starting 2 weeks after the NRL raises the question – - – - 18 teams, drop the NAB cup – - have 2 practice matches and start 2 to 3 weeks earlier for a 24 round season with an extra ‘split round’ during the season????
btw – NRL first 2 rounds in 2008 drew 306K, last year 316K and this year 286K. Week one of 165K saw 64.5K of that in QLD and the othe 101K in Sydney for 6 games at avg just under 17K.
a lot of the NRL ‘bouyancy’ is still heavily disguised mediocrity made to look good by big crowds in Brisbane……NRL needs desperately to look at Rnd 1 Sydney based blockbusters?? At any rate – - point of it is still whilst Swans 31K at Homebush is ordinary, the NRL had 3 Syd games on rnd 1 Saturday that managed 41K between them, and the 2 on the Sunday another 41.5K.
You do just wonder how the Swans would fare going head to head round 1 vs round 1????
March 29th 2010 @ 11:46am
ac said | March 29th 2010 @ 11:46am | Report comment
But the point with the Swans is that they did get 31k at the ground and only got the same figure on TV , the swans do not rate on tv at all. In fact, it seems those interested in AFL actually attended the game. AFL is in a pickle its TV audience in he Northern States in very very poor. But at least people (31k) go to the games. AFL is a far better product live at a game. I saw Hawthorn play the swans and it was beaut. On TV AFL is just so so. Rugby League is a game built for the square look of tv and thats why its tv ratings are very very good.
April 21st 2010 @ 1:30pm
Carringbush said | April 21st 2010 @ 1:30pm | Report comment
I’ve never forgiven Richmond for turning their back on the gate sharing arrangement they asked to participate in against Collingwood. Karma is coming back to bite them hard . Having said that, they have a huge membership (albeit not reflected in their memberships thus far) and if they are to have a blockbuster, it’s better off being at the start of the year before reality bites and the crowds drop off. They will come good again but it will take several years after very ordinary recruiting, given the quality of picks they garnered.