The AFL has defended its packed Anzac Day schedule as a one-off that it hopes will add to the occasion.
April 25 falls on Saturday next season and the schedule that the league released on Thursday features five matches through the day.
St Kilda will host Carlton in Wellington from 11am AEST.
That will be over before the start of the day’s signature match, Essendon v Collingwood at the MCG.
GWS will also host Gold Coast in a Canberra twilight match, followed by two night games.
Port Adelaide are at home against Hawthorn and Fremantle’s annual Len Hall tribute match will feature Sydney.
Asked about the inevitable criticism that the AFL is hijacking the 100th Anzac Day, league chief executive Gill McLachlan replied: “I obviously disagree”
“I don’t think anyone in this building and in our league in any way downplays (Anzac Day).
“This is the biggest thing we have in our game – we would never do anything that we thought was hijacking or downplaying it.”
McLachlan added that they still had to play nine games over the weekend and AFL scheduling boss Simon Lethlean had consulted several times with the RSL.
“It preserves all the best bits of the famous day at the MCG, while actually celebrating all the best bits of it nationally,” McLachlan said.
“If you look through the best bits of it rather than the negative … it’s a real opportunity to grow it and for it to be an even bigger celebration.”
Lethlean said the major concern of the state RSL bodies was that the busy AFL schedule would not impact on their morning marches.
“They didn’t need convincing, they just wanted to know about the NZ game, because it’s earlier,” he said.
And McLachlan is adamant about why next year’s Anzac Day will feature so many AFL games.
“This is because it’s on the Saturday – no other reason,” he said.
Richmond and Melbourne will also mark Anzac Day in their Friday night match.
andyl12
Guest
Yes Mark, I realize that Hawthorn have used injections. So does ASADA, and they have found no issue with it. Name a darker day in Australian sport. Tell me how many injections you think were administered. Tell me why Paddy Ryder left the club. Essendon failed in its duty of care towards its players, and it contributed to the dramatization by sticking by the coach who caused it all, while other more innocent people fell around him.
Mark
Guest
Enjoy the winning feeling with the Hawks while you can Andy. Essendon did not put its players last. You do realise that Hawthorn has an injection scheme for soft tissue repair, where they take blood, treat it and then re-inject it later. Also they are more into pain killers than Essendon, but that is due larely to their players being a little older and carrying injuries (Lake, Gibson, Hodge, Mitchell, Burgoyne etc). I am an Essendon supporter so am biased, but I cant believe the over dramatisation of this whole ASADA issue. It is obvious to me that ASADA is out to get Dank at all costs. And Essendon is caught up in the mess. Darkest day in Australian sport, cancer and deformed babies, 10,000 injections administered. Gross exaggeration.
andyl12
Guest
An Essendon supporter told me that Hird only signed off on the AFL's 2013 penalties because the AFL threatened to take Anzac Day off them. If this is true it shows that: (a) People off the field at Essendon care far more than you'll admit; and (b) Once again the club put its players last- players would've far preferred finals action than to keep Anzac Day. Yes I follow Hawthorn and yes I'm in an awesome position to lay into Hawthorn's biggest rival, but I still make sure I don't post falsities on this website.
Mark
Guest
Who do you follow Andy?
Mark
Guest
I follow Essendon. I dont think they really care all that much. If Essendon players get suspened (depite having not taken TB4), there could be a crowd of 45,000 Collingwood and 1,000 Essendon supporters.
andyl12
Guest
Oh yes, I realise it's a Saturday. But that won't stop Essendon and Collingwood claiming it still should've been exclusively their day and blaming someone else if people don't show up.
Mark
Guest
Other teams should prefer to play on the night before Anzac day and they could pre-celebrate the event by having the veterans parade before their Saturday parade.
Mark
Guest
You do realize that Anzac Day is just a regular Saturday in 2015... and "Victorians will not get an extra public holiday to mark Anzac Day, despite it falling on a Saturday in 2015" So put simply, there is no Anzac Day holiday and who gives a damn. If the other teams didnt play on the Saturday, they would need to all play on the Friday night or Sunday. So AFL has no choice.
andyl12
Guest
Essendon and Collingwood will no doubt fume about this. If they don't get 95,000 at their game then Eddie will say it's because fans were too tempted to stay home and watch other games on TV.