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Round 20 has just passed in the AFL Premiership Season, and whilst there were a couple of cracking games, there were also ones which left a sour taste in the mouth of even the most ardent AFL supporter.
Friday Night at the MCG was an absolute shocker.
Only Collingwood supporters would have been happy with what they saw. What Essendon served up was by no means disgraceful, it just had not a hope in the world of competing against the best team in the competition.
An attendance of less than 60,000 was disappointing considering it was the blockbuster game of the round. Collingwood were good to watch, but a game that’s over at quarter time is a boring game from that point on.
Credit to the 48,000 fans who turned up on Sunday afternoon for the Hawks Vs Demons game.
With a finals spot on the line for Melbourne, the game was an enjoyable one, going by highlights alone. Richmond completely rolled over against Carlton, and the Western Bulldogs were made to look second rate against the Cats.
Both games featured good crowds; both games were over by half time.
Sunday twilight can only be characterized as a failure.
A mere 23,000 fans attended Etihad Stadium for North Melbourne and St.Kilda, one playing for a chance to make Finals, the other a legitimate premiership contender. Why was there a crowd almost identical to the one that attended the Melbourne Victory Vs Perth Glory game in the middle of August, in the middle of AFL mad Melbourne?
I can only lay the blame on the fixturing: 2.00pm at Etihad Stadium on a Sunday afternoon sounds a lot better than 4.40pm on a Sunday night.
Interestingly, the three genuinely exciting games came from the ones that attracted the least amount of attention from media circle in Victoria.
Port Adelaide Vs West Coast Eagles featured a last quarter worth watching again. Unfortunately, only 14,000 people were there to see it. Yes, both teams are bottom four and a long way from Finals.
But 14,000 on a Saturday night is just disappointing, no matter how much spin is applied.
Luckily, in 2010, Fremantle are a competitive team, so a committed 34,000 fans turned up for the Finals-like contest against the Sydney Swans at Subiaco Oval. A hard fought, close, fast and skillful contest eventuated.
The game was not decided until the final seconds. One of the games of the season!
The pity is Victorian AFL fans were more interested in watching Collingwood smash Essendon for the second time this year.
The Brisbane Lions have been mighty disappointing from Round five onwards this season. With finals chances completely shot, they took on an out of form Adelaide Crows on a hot Sunday in Brisbane.
Two disappointing teams on a hot day when some would rather go to the beach and nearly 26,000 people turned up. A great crowd.
The AFL’s aggressive push into South-East Queensland appears to be working. If only the Lions were a competitive outfit and the Crows were in the top 8!
Round 20 has taught me two things.
One, there are too many blowouts in the AFL, with many games practically over by half time, and it is reflected in up and down crowd attendances.
Two, the Victorian media is too obsessed with Victorian AFL teams.
The six inter-state teams are what makes the A in AFL. How the above problems can be rectified seems to be impossible to figure out. Our great game at its most senior level suffers from big games featuring lopsided results and disappointing teams willing to accept second best on the field.
Whilst there are hardened AFL supporters in Victoria and other states who are committed to their teams cause no matter what they serve up on the field, the rest of Australia is not fooled.
Who’s in your ultimate team? Pick the best team and compete with other fans for daily prizes on Draftstars. For the best odds on the game try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Think. Is this a bet you really want to place? Set a deposit limit.