The AFL fixture is sorted out in October, but recent form has proven how hard it is to get a true blockbuster in the premier Friday Night timeslot.
I have made a number of attempts at predicting the movements of the AFL (one in March, and two in May), and learnt that I am rubbish at it.
Today I am more interested in looking at the AFLs gurus, specifically in their allocation of Friday night football, and how well they’ve done in making the premier timeslot the best game of the round.
Firstly, the Friday night results thus far:
Straight of the bat, you can exclude the two Richmond games as first was played on Thursday night as the ‘traditional season opener’ and the game against Melbourne was before Anzac Day, so it could be argued that the Saturday timeslots were more preferred that round.
West Coast (ninth last season) taking on Carlton (13th) on paper should have been a close game, and the traditional rivalry of Carlton/Collingwood (11th) will bring the fans even if its 17th versus 18th. Equally, Collingwood hosting Geelong (third) has attracted large crowds in previous years so should be expected.
If the closeness of previous season results are taken into account, the Essendon (seventh) and North Melbourne (sixth) game with both teams on the up would be a blockbuster, which didn’t disappoint.
The one that raised my eyebrow though was Collingwood hosting St Kilda (18th) at the MCG. It doesn’t really have blockbuster written over it, with most punters predicting St Kilda for the wooden spoon and Collingwood missing the eight. The result would have had most fans switching off at halftime.
In the next seven rounds however, Friday night fans will be treated to:
Before the season started, these would have all been locks for blockbusters. The two South Australian teams opening their Friday night accounts in June is harsh given the popularity of the Adelaide Oval. Of those games, four are still likely going to be close contests that keep viewers on the edge of their seats.
However, the two glaringly obvious downers are this week’s Geelong versus Carlton and next week’s Sydney versus Carlton games.
I can’t be too harsh of the Geelong game, as it should still draw a crowd, and pre-season predictions had Geelong on the slide and Carlton on the up.
But Sydney hosting Carlton is another story. Sydney were in the grand final, and likely going to be at the pointy end this season; Carlton coming from 13th. The NRL in comparison will have Penrith and Parramatta playing, which will probably attract the NSW/Sydney based fans. And the Melbourne-based fans are probably not that interested in watching Lance Franklin have some goal-kicking practice as Sydney walk it in.
Obviously, there isn’t an easy fix. I am a fan of having a set fixture. It allows stadiums to be locked in (see the A-League grand final) and interstate fans can plan travel around it. Also broadcasters (who pay the bills) get first choice at who they believe will bring the most eyeballs to their telecast. But sometimes fans miss out.
Paul W
Guest
How do I "Like" Me Too's response.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Yep, that 7:30 Broncos game on 9 every Friday is up there with death and taxes as a certainty. To be fair though, it rates extremely well in QLD. I always find it hilarious to hear the squawks of outrage from those around me on those few rare weeks when the showponies are shunted off to Foxtel to play on a Saturday night.
Wayne
Roar Guru
NRL aren't much better with the Friday Night Broncos
Wayne
Roar Guru
Good catch. I personally believe that Friday Night should be shared among the clubs. But realistically, it's who AFL and Channel 7 want to play for Crowd Numbers and Ratings. GWS v Gold Coast would not rate the Victoria VS Essendon V Geelong
Me Too
Guest
Friday night should be a showcase - every team gets at least one game, preferably two. It would give fans a chance to see our clubs at a time most are free of work, sport, or social activities. I don't think i've bothered watching a single Friday game past the half way mark this year and have popped on a dvd or even skipped over to the NRL. Why Carlton get so many i can only assume is some kind of secret rescue package for the club given their membershop woes - well all it's done is drag the whole competition down with it. While carlton, richmond, and collingwood are boring the neutral, exciting young teams like the Dogs and the Giants are quietly playing some very attractive footy.
Avatar
Roar Guru
The Adelaide vs Hawthorn game you listed is actually on a Thursday night. The Friday night game that round (12) is Richmond vs West Coast at the MCG. On the topic of Friday nights, it'd be great to see the expansion clubs (namely the Gold Coast Suns and GWS Giants) gain some exposure in the timeslot. Both clubs did play in the timeslot during the pre-season, with the Suns playing out a draw against the Lions and the Giants thrashing a second-string Essendon side. I was at the latter game, as well as the recent GWS vs Hawthorn game which was in a Saturday twilight timeslot, and the atmosphere at Spotless Stadium is second to none. But of course Friday night football is a commercial privilege and if you don't perform well, you don't play in the timeslot. Simple as that. Melbourne played its first match in the timeslot this year and beat Richmond by 32 points. Will that be enough to earn them another Friday night match in 2016? Who knows.
Paul W
Guest
I said the same thing to my son !! So the rest of us have to put up with the rubbish the Blues serve up to see what reaction Stevo gets from Mick. Unfortunately for 7 by that time most people have switched over to the rom/com movie on Ch 9 because the footy was so bad.
Paul W
Guest
Take the AFL's money, do as you're told.
Lroy
Guest
Well the Friday night game was supposed to be a showcase of the game. Get home from work, have diner, grab a six pack and sit down to watch a battle royale... •Richmond defeated Carlton by 26 points •West Coast defeated Carlton by 69 points •Collingwood defeated St Kilda by 74 points •Richmond defeated by Melbourne by 32 points •Carlton defeated by Collingwood by 75 points •Collingwood defeated by Geelong by 41 points •Essendon defeated by North Melbourne by 11 points None of these teams would have been predicted as serious contenders pre season so why the timeslot?? Ok, the Pies draw a lot of viewers, the Cats will probably finish top six... as for the rest... looking at that schedule pretty much means Ill be heading out to a restaurant or cinema instead of staying in.... you know what, that may not be a bad thing .. thanks AFL for freeing up my Friday nights
Chris
Guest
Why don't they just play two friday night games? Increases the chances of a good one.
Martin
Guest
I am surprised that the Western Bulldogs have not played on a Friday night since May 2012. Wow, so perhaps the Dog's management are not making enough noise about this fact because in life, it is usually the squeaky wheel that gets oiled.
Dean
Guest
You could have re-written the title as: Carlton are terrible, get them off our screens. Mick will resign on Friday night, so maybe that will boost viewers keeping it switched on.
Ant
Guest
Essendon get two for the entire year. Ridiculous.
Axle an the Guru
Guest
Carlton get Friday's because channel 7 love to know what Mick has to say Mark Stevens after the match. I must say I get a laugh out of it also at times.
Jack Russell
Roar Guru
Everyone knew Carlton were going to be trash. I don't know how the AFL fixture committee didn't.
Paul W
Guest
Ch 7 get what they deserve, seriously how could Carlton be given six Friday's. I don't know of anyone, except Mick, who thought that Carlton would be "on the up". At least it makes getting your first tip of the weekend right easy. Every club should get at least one Friday, I want to see different teams play. The Dogs are playing great footy to watch at the moment yet we get zero and in fact haven't had a Friday night since May 2012. Sure no one really saw our rapid improvement coming, but this is what happens when you let TV executives have too much say in the fixture. Thank God for Fox Footy.
Wayne
Roar Guru
Yes and No. There have been a few floggings recently, but there have also been some really good games. Its just be chance the floggings have fallen on the FTA games and premier timeslots when most people are watching.
Wayne
Roar Guru
Carlton V Richmond to open draws well, so no point changing it. I guess the current AFL mantra is "strengthen the Victorian Market". Carlton/Collingwood/Essendon/Richmond feature heavily in Friday night football. Only Rounds 11, 12, 14, 21 will not feature one of those four clubs
GD
Guest
Speaking as a recent, casual watcher of AFL, it seems like almost every game is a flogging anyway? Generally it seems a lot more predictable than the other codes, except for when the very top few teams play each other.
AR
Guest
The rule of thumb for Friday night games should be that the best teams and the biggest matches (largely derived from the previous finals series) should be showcased on Fridays every week. I'm with Demetriou in that clubs must *earn* the primetime Friday slot. It honestly beggars belief that Carlton were gifted so many Friday games this season - a whopping 4 in the first 9 weeks, and the opening Thursday night game. The AFL will be sorely rueing that decision. TV ratings will be awful.