What’s the best timeslot for the AFL’s ninth fixture?

 
Ben Somerford Columnist

By , 12 May 2011 Ben Somerford is a Roar Expert

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Karmichael Hunt of the Suns in action during the AFL Round 07 match between the Gold Coast Suns and the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba, Brisbane.

The AFL got its first look at its new Saturday twilight fixture last weekend when Richmond hosted Fremantle in front of 34,090 fans at the MCG. Ironically, during the same weekend we also got another dose of Monday night footy, which is particularly interesting in the context of how the AFL will handle its extra fixture next year when the league becomes an 18-team competition.

First things first, I must point out the AFL made it clear a fortnight ago when the new broadcast rights deal was announced, that it intends to use the new Saturday twilight timeslot for the majority of rounds to accommodate the ‘ninth’ fixture per weekend which will be created by Greater Western Sydney entering the league.

AFL chief operating officer Gillon McLachlan said: “Our standard round will have one Friday night match, two Saturday afternoon games, a Saturday twilight game, two Saturday night games, an early Sunday game, a Sunday afternoon and a Sunday twilight game.”

McLachlan did state that the AFL would fixture a maximum of two Thursday or Monday night matches as ‘event’ fixtures throughout the season.

Essentially the rationale behind such a decision was with Thursday or Monday night games the football weekend becomes too lengthy. It’s too much of a good thing.

As well, it causes irregular breaks between games for players which isn’t ideal.

TV has a lot to do with these decisions, so it was curious to hear Channel Seven boss David Leckie say at the time: “I think it just makes the weekend too long. I reckon Friday, Saturday and Sunday is the way to go.”

So given those comments the weekend’s showcasing of the Saturday twilight fixture alongside Monday night footy was worth observing.

Saturday’s 4.10pm (AEST) bouncedown at the MCG was nicely sandwiched between the Dogs-Swans clash (which started at 1.10pm) and the Suns-Lions clash (7.10pm).

TV-wise the twilight game worked quite nicely, with Channel 10 getting 383,000 viewers in the key cities, while FoxSports’ coverage had 214,000 viewers, which isn’t bad for a Saturday given the competitiveness of the timeslot.

This was all before the record-breaking ratings success which was the ‘Q Clash’ up in Brisbane. It certainly made for a big day of watching footy on the couch. And the attendances didn’t appear to suffer as a result.

So a big tick for Saturday twilight fixtures then?

Well it’s worth noting next season there will typically be five games on the Saturday, rather than just the four we had last weekend. It will be increasingly crowded and competitive.

But with the new broadcast deal kicking in in 2012, footy fans who are FoxSports subscribers should lap up the entertainment. Then again, perhaps that drawcard of a Saturday TV footy bonanza could take away from attendances?

On the other hand, Monday’s tight clash between St Kilda and Carlton drew a fine crowd of 41,576 on a school night, while the TV ratings were good with Channel 10 and OneHD combining for 613,000 viewers in the key cities.

There has been a common complaint the timing of the game’s TV coverage is poor for a school night as it’s too late, with Andrew Walker’s winning goal kicked on TV at roughly quarter past eleven.

But we shouldn’t forget in 2012 the game will be available at a more accessible timeslot live on FoxSports. That certainly nullifies that argument against Monday night footy, at least for Pay-TV subscribers.

Thursday night is another potential timeslot which has been used on three occasions this season and rated okay, with the Round 6 clash between Brisbane and St Kilda attracting an impressive 682,000 viewers for Channel Seven in the key cities, but that was the night before Good Friday which inflates the figures.

Certainly it’s fair to say neither of the Thursday or Monday night timeslots are shouting out for a regular game, but they are worthy of continued experimentation, particularly the latter.

The Saturday twilight fixture showed encouraging signs for the AFL with the TV ratings bonanza which followed with the ‘Q Clash’ and the day may evolve into an armchair fan’s dream.

But it’s worth pondering the effect of the new broadcast deal which comes in next year. We’ll wait and see if that squeezes out crowds on Saturday’s packed schedule.

For now, though, with what we know, the choice of a Saturday twilight fixture for the ‘ninth’ fixture appears the best.

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