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Round 5 was a beauty, perhaps the best AFL round produced for some years. It’ll be hard to topple. It had everything you could’ve asked for: sizzling on-field matchups, close final margins and heroic individual performances – none better than Dustin Martin’s effort against the Roos and Scott Pendlebury’s best-on-ground game against the Bombers.
Oh, and the Suns won their first ever AFL match, too, just quietly.
However, amongst all the hype, all the tension and all the magnificence, there was one tiny glitch; a silly and unnecessary problem that needs to be attended to before it happens again in future years.
Round 5 was too extensive, too widespread across an array of days. There was too much footy – who would’ve thought that phrase would ever be uttered?
The Brisbane Lions and St Kilda kicked off the round on Thursday night with an error-dominated, yet hard-fought contest at the Gabba. After a rest on Good Friday, two games were then played on Saturday, one on Sunday, two on ANZAC Day and one yesterday.
Whoa. Timeout please, ref.
Even though all games were played at a pulsating tempo, high intensity and first-class standard, the round dragged. Seven games across six days? That’s too widespread, even for the fanatical footy freak.
But wait, there’s more.
Just when you thought you had an opportunity to reflect on an enthralling round of action, along comes Round 6, almost unexpectedly – with West Coast and Melbourne to kick-off the round at Patersons Stadium tomorrow night.
Then another six games spread across Friday, Saturday and Sunday to complete the round.
It’s mentally draining.
Today is the only rest day for the AFL in nine days. By Sunday, at least one match would’ve been played in eight of the past nine days. Even for the stereotypical mad footy fan, that’s hard to comprehend.
Yes, the timing of all the holidays was far from ideal, with the Easter weekend, ANZAC Day and Melbourne school holidays all clashing.
Never again though. If it weren’t for such an enthralling group of matches, the ‘footy festival’ could’ve easily turned into a ‘footy mess-tival’.
Seven in six days? 14 in 11 days? Seemed the chef overcooked the meat a tad.
Some might disagree though. Some might’ve enjoyed their meat a little burnt. Some might’ve enjoyed each game having its own isolated timeslot. Some might’ve enjoyed each match receiving decent coverage in the press with thorough previews, reviews and accommodating stories.
But if fanatical AFL followers struggled to cope with the bombardment of Round 5, how would ‘normal’ or ‘less passionate’ footy fans have felt?
A line needs to be drawn somewhere.
New AFL supporters don’t fall in love with the game overnight. They don’t attend their first match and go home to watch the replay over and over again, or dissect and analyse the game through the papers. It takes time to win over new fans, so a match every day might’ve turned a few borderline fans off in Round 5.
Stick to the general structure of the modern-day AFL round. It’s perfect.
One match on Friday night, two on Saturday afternoon, two on Saturday night and three spread across Sunday. When Greater Western Sydney enters the competition next year, there will be nine matches a round and that extra game would slot straight into a Saturday twilight spot perfectly.
Round 5 was too full on and the structure should never be replicated.
Yes, the game is enthralling and beautiful to watch. How could you have not loved what happened over the past six days? It was brilliant stuff.
However, the AFL community needs a break.
If a tricky holiday situation like the one just gone arises again, let’s just get the round out of the way as quickly as possible.
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