Nothing quite says footy like a big game in front of a passionate crowd that knows there is more than the usual four points on the line.
For many of us, it really is more than a game; the results from the weekend generally dictate our mood for the week.
Matches like Anzac Day, Dreamtime and the Round 1 opener between Richmond and Carlton have all proven to be successful events that have not only fans but players eagerly awaiting these fixtures.
In the average season there are a handful of big matches that excite fans with all the zeal provided by the media and the fans. There is, however, an underlying issue that many clubs feel left out of the allocated marquee matches.
It is felt that these ‘big matches’ are reserved for the bigger clubs with many media commentators insisting that perhaps a change is required.
I really don’t see the argument in changing or removing these matches, other than the jealousy of fans either because their teams aren’t involved or because these matches have delivered successful results for the AFL.
There is the constant raising of the idea that the previous year’s grand finalists should open the season or should feature on Anzac Day, however isn’t it special that many of these games are due to years of rivalries?
Matches like Anzac Day are the closest things to derbies that we have in the AFL (aside from the Western derby and the Showdown) and is the only time that we see the power of the masses getting behind and passionately supporting their teams over the line.
With the clubs only being allocated 20,000 or so seats for members on grand final day, a match like Anzac Day is special due to having 95,000 genuine fans at the match.
In the build-up to the Richmond versus Carlton opener, there were complaints over whether this should be the season opener, due to the expectation that it would be quite a one-sided affair.
However what people don’t realise is that in a big match between two rivals, form and ladder positions go out the window as demonstrated on Thursday night.
If anything, the build-up ahead of these contests should be increased to create a finals-like atmosphere.
It is clear that these marquee matches work, however it is not by any means the AFL’s responsibility to make these happen. If we reflect on the inception of these games they have all integrated through the clubs getting together and creating something.
Kevin Sheedy singlehandedly created two of the most anticipated fixtures in the season – Anzac Day and Dreamtime – and it was Richmond that approached Carlton some ten years ago with the idea of opening the season.
If clubs want to participate in big matches, they should not be relying on the AFL to make it happen.
This is where clubs like St Kilda, North Melbourne and the Bulldogs can get together and look to make something out of nothing. An opportunity has risen with the AFL contemplating the idea of Good Friday Footy, so what’s stopping two clubs coming together and selling their idea to the AFL to feature in this marquee match?
It all comes down to the clubs. Rivalries are not built on through the AFL trying to make something, but through the clubs and fans. Look at the Dreamtime fixture for example. Richmond and Essendon are not traditional rivals; however the Dreamtime match adds a little spice to the mix and creates a bit of rivalry between them.
North Melbourne and Bulldogs claim to be two of the toughest teams in the competition, so why not build a concept around it? With the right amount of hype and publicity, a sense of rivalry could be created and we could see a sellout at Etihad every time these two sides meet.
It is surprising that the competition’s two oldest teams in Melbourne and Geelong have not attempted to create any type of special match between them. Neither of these clubs feature in many big matches throughout the season and both have relatively strong supporter bases.
I doubt the AFL will have any objections to clubs wanting to create an annual fixture to create a bit of rivalry and publicity for themselves. Any chance to get more people through the gates and to create on-field tension will have the AFL licking its lips.
All it takes is one idea.
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