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The Storm celebrate Dane Nielsen's try. NRL Rugby League, Round 4 Melbourne Storm v St George Illawarra Dragons at Etihad Stadium, Friday April 2nd 2010. Digital image by Colin Whelan © nrlphotos.com
If the AFL was starting to have doubts about its stance on Good Friday, then surely seeing the NRL’s Melbourne Storm notch up a record home and away crowd at the home of the AFL will have them reconsidering their position for 2011.
With the AFL in religious hibernation for the day, the NRL smartly moved into Melbourne, scheduling the Melbourne Storm against St George Illawarra – two form teams of the competition and favourites for the premiership – at Etihad Stadium.
It was an intelligent move that paid huge dividends.
The Storm not only romped home to confirm their premiership favouritism, they also won off the park with a record crowd for a home and away game of 25,404.
To put that impressive figure into perspective, there were 2,165 more people at Etihad on Good Friday compared to the previous benchmark set in March, 2000 against St George Illawarra at a rare MCG appearance in what was then a Grand Final rematch, and almost 5,000 more than the figure for their first ever home match back in 1998.
Only the 2007 and 2009 home preliminary finals saw a bigger crowd than Good Friday’s.
The Storm’s new regular season record proves that there is a huge demand for matches on Good Friday, and that the religious significance of the day won’t detract people from attending sporting fixtures en masse.
The AFL has solid arguments for why there is no footy played on Good Friday , but the logic that’s missing in this debate is that Australia is a secular country, not bound by religious rule and encompassing a variety of faiths.
If it is acceptable for the NRL and Super 14 to play on Good Friday, let alone the AFL on other religions’ significant dates, then why can’t the AFL play on the day?
And for those who believe the day should be a non-sporting day in respect to its religious significance, why should we non-believers go without?
After all, those who believe Good Friday should be a day of religious reflection have a choice not to go to the footy, let alone watch it on television. Isn’t sacrifice a religious trait?
But the NRL’s success on Good Friday may force a rethink of the AFL’s position.
The AFL administration, under Demetriou, isn’t one to allow rival codes to get such a free-kick, and seeing the Storm notch up their new record at Etihad, of all places, will have raised a few eyebrows at AFL House.
North Melbourne is now leading the charge for a match on Good Friday, and the AFL may need to listen to them and the public on this issue.
It won’t be any sort of religious awakening which forces the AFL’s hand on Good Friday. It’ll be the reality that it’s giving its rival codes a huge leg up by leaving such a gaping hole in its calendar.