The start of an AFL season is a time of great excitement, we can’t wait for the first ball to be bounced. But I didn’t get that last Friday at the Docklands, even though one of the league’s biggest drawcards, Collingwood, was playing the opening match.
The Docklands stadium is a good AFL venue but its miles behind the Melbourne Cricket Ground, which is one of the best sporting grounds in the world.
In recent years, the season has commenced on the last Thursday in March, with famous arch-rivals Carlton and Richmond doing battle in front of more than 80,000 and the atmosphere is electric.
There’s a buzz in the air similar to grand final morning. Unfortunately it didn’t exist last Friday.
The season kicked off two weeks earlier than usual to cater for two byes each for every team, and even though there’s been saturation coverage on the AFL over the off season, the public in some cases didn’t quite seem ready for the on-field action.
It also doesn’t help that the MCG and Cricket Victoria are locked in a deal, which doesn’t end until 2018, where the G is in cricket’s control from the start of October until that last week in March – after the Sheffield Shield final.
Lsat week we had the farcical situation of Collingwood hosting Fremantle at Docklands, while five kilometres away, Victoria was ending a disappointing Shield season with a tame draw in front of a paltry crowd at the G.
Obviously a deal is a deal, but why not modify it? Victoria’s last two home and away Shield fixtures were at the MCG in the first two weeks of March. They should have only held one at that time and then moved the final forward a week to ensure the ground was ready for the traditional blockbuster in the last week of March.
There’s also the situation, outlined earlier, of the league accommodating the Players’ Association by holding two byes, with the first one in the opening round.
If that is to continue, why not have the first split round later in the the season?
That might extend the season and see the grand final played on the first Saturday of October instead of the last Saturday in September, which has been tradition.
It would also involve adjusting the cricket contract and encouraging Cricket Victoria to take over the ground a week later, but surely that’s not a big issue?Victoria never hosts their first Sheffield Shield match until the end of October at the earliest anyway, so it’s not likely to have an impact on the Shield draw.
It could also be argued that domestic cricket, despite being a wonderful part of the game in this country, is not big or popular enough for the MCG.
Cricket Victoria and the previous State Labor Government had been working hard to redevelop the Junction Oval in St Kilda and turn it into a fully-fledged cricket centre and the home of the Bushrangers, but the Coalition Government doesn’t seem to have the redevelopment on its list of priorities.
Another alternative is to shorten the season and not have as many rounds, but that won’t happen with the current lucrative broadcasting arrangement in place.
Next year, if the AFL wants to start the season at the same time, the MCG won’t be available as the Cricket World Cup final is set to be staged at that time.
Unless you are a Collingwood, Carlton, Richmond or Sydney fan, the footy on the ground last weekend was terrific, full of highlights. But the highest-profile elite sport in the land needs its biggest stadium for the season launch.
Hopefully common sense will prevail, because there’s nothing better than Carlton and Richmond in front of a heaving MCG crowd telling the world the footy is back!
Milo
Guest
Punt Rd ? No way. RFC has spent years negotiating with the RCC to get them off the ground so it can be a year round football ground. Now that has been amicably resolved and RCC has thankfully gone to Monash. Tigers no longer need to put up with the cricket pitch in the middle of the PR ground which disrupted training and often sent the tigers into training at Craigieburn over summer.
Milo
Guest
Well when Ch9 and Ch10 shared the TV rights earlier in the 2000s we had five games on FTA every weekend. Now we only have four. FACT
Beny Iniesta
Guest
You know you're listing grounds used by AFL clubs. Carlton are at VISY Park, Richmond are at Punt Rd. Casey - perhaps, but then why don't they just redevelop the Junction Oval? You can't seriously tell me Cricket Australia/ Victoria are so short of cash they can't put in to redevelop the Junction Oval? The mendicant mentality employed by the cricket authorities has to stop.
Beny Iniesta
Guest
Kardinia Park is for football! What would be the point of freeing up the MCG and then locking the AFL out of Kardinia Park?
Beny Iniesta
Guest
There are more games of AFL on free-to-air TV than EVER BEFORE. FACT. Why do people keep complaining even though they've never had it better. FACT. You've never had it better - stop complaining.
Beny Iniesta
Guest
Why would or should the AFL have to pay cricket to develop cricket grounds! What breathtaking arrogance. Isn't there a little thing called Twenty20 that is rolling in cash at the moment? Cricket can fund it's own future - it has been riding off the back of Australian Football for decades at the MCG.
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
Never underestimate tradition. Its what keeps the Grand Final a) at the MCG and b) during the afternoon.
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
Those who can develop the games do. Those that cant or didnt, whine.
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
It averages more than 70,000 per game as an opener. (81,000) last year. Will do almost as much on Thursday. Hardly a fizzer (geelong v hawthorn first round last year drew 76,000 on a public holiday monday)
The_Wookie
Roar Guru
the joint leaks money because of the way revenue is currently spli, and because its current owners also have to service its debtst. The ALl gets some revenue (signage, pourage, most AFL ticket revenues), the venue gets some (car parking, medallion club, corportate boxes, catering, a percentage of each AFL ticket, income from other events). In 2025, the AFL gets it all - and the stadium evidently has to be turned over debt free and up to date.
vocans
Guest
Agree too. The season should start with a bang all around the country and not with a long drawn out whimper. There are plenty of derbies and rivalries going around and they are the bangs to start off the season with.
Jack Smith
Roar Guru
Why should it be is my question (playing devil's advocate, I couldn't care a toss) ? We are a national game, only reason GF is at MCG is that it is the biggest ground so then most people can get in. Eventually when every state gets their own 80000+ stadiums though GF may be hosted by the higher finisher - which it would have every chance of doing. ANZ for example is not too far off. Stadiums are being upgraded a lot more commonly eg. SCG and Adelaide Oval being recently upgraded as well as Metricon itself being upgraded to 40000 by 2018. I'm not saying a certainty but one day it will be at the very last proposed by which stage our game will have to have truly have been nationalised. Rising population in most AFL areas and interest growing in AFL (as it still remains as biggest football code in Australia and biggest commercially) means this is a real possibility. This is what our game should be aiming at, total equality between states and hosting rights. Truly to become Australia's National Game.
Jack Smith
Roar Guru
It was set up by two of the biggest clubs in the game. I understand the sentiment of sharing it around but unsure if it would work. Don't want it to be the dud teams and not have spectacle of it. E.g. if Giants (at their current state in the comp, low attendance etc) and Melbourne got it it would be a dud. Furthermore, would just be the big clubs fighting it out with their cashed up pockets. Do we really need that?
Jack Smith
Roar Guru
Highly ironic isn't it. And both teams lost this round too!
Jack Smith
Roar Guru
I like idea of that having Adelaide derby in week one. It doesn't have to start at the MCG. I understand that for the 'vibe' of it all, it would be cool but overall - I'm not fussed. I just want decent games and no infernal split round. All make it so Etihad is only ground that is needed. They usually can do do a game a day (for sufficient time between cleaning and maintenance). Have some derbies and have 3-4 games at Etihad from Thursday - Monday. WA is a big AFL state and would probably be able to have two games at Home on first weekend as an example. What did we do prior to split rounds? We survived. Please AFL. Stop split rounds.
Jorji Costava
Guest
AFL got shafted on this deal. They might gain when they sell it to build office and residential towers. Until then, the joint just leaks money. We have the farcical situation where the league has to fork over money to prop up the losses playing at Docklands. Should have kept Waverley. It was a money making machine. Kennett sold the AFL and Victorians a dud pup.
Floyd Calhoun
Guest
The annual MCG Anzac Day game hits a nerve with me too Macca. Always will. It's not right.
alicesprings
Guest
Not a Victorian but makes sense to have the big opening game at the MCG. Surely it wouldn't cost that much money to get junction oval up to scratch?? The poor old ACB probably just needs to swallow their pride and get with the program. After all if it wasn't for the AFL the various world class stadiums across Australia that cricket gets to use wouldn't exist!
Australian Rules
Guest
What an inane comment. The AFL built Waverley, and sold it on the condition that it would acquire the newly built stadium in the Docklands. Yes, Docklands was constructed with private equity, but the AFL will own it outright in 10 years. What, did you want the AFL to actually lay the slab and paint the chairs in order to satisfy your inane "build your own stadium" comment? The AFL is the only sporting body in the country that has built (and paid for) its own stadiums.
langou
Roar Guru
Exactly, I don't think either of those things should happen