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For over 150 years, Australian Rules Football has been one of the most romantic games in the world. But AFL football is not what it used to be.
In an era where ‘spectacle’ and ‘ratings’ have become buzzwords in the headquarters of elite sporting codes around the land, the essence of what the fans buy their tickets to see is missing: the game itself.
We’re living in a world where people want to see fast-paced sports, resulting in the evolution of Twenty20 cricket, rugby sevens and Fast4 tennis.
The spectacle of these games and their resulting spike in crowds and TV ratings is pushing the AFL to go where every other sporting code has gone – not an abridged version of the game, like they are doing with AFLX, but playing the grand final under lights.
The spectacle would be great, there is no denying that, but the day the AFL decides to play the grand final at twilight or night time is the day the grand final becomes bigger than the game.
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Look to the Super Bowl and the performance and production are brilliant. The dollars spent and the star power available allows them to splash the cash and put on a show. But, unlike the AFL, the Super Bowl isn’t all about the teams playing in it.
Many argue the Americans are more worried about the halftime show and TV commercials, both of which get scrutinised more than the game itself.
Entertainment is a factor in Australia and it is slowly improving every year – we had Ed Sheeran in 2014, Bryan Adams and Ellie Goulding in ’15, Vance Joy and The Living End in ’16 and who could forget the stunning performance of The Killers last year, with a dose of Jack Riewoldt?
It’s not Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé or Lady Gaga keeping everyone in their seats to be a part of the spectacle, but the traditional fans know exactly what the day is all about: the two best teams of the season, fighting it out at 2:30pm at the home of football.
It’s the force driving every player who pulls on a jumper, hoping one day they will get their day on the dais receiving their medallion. The game is about them, their teammates and their opponents, not who will appease the crowd around the actual game.
Jack Riewoldt of the Tigers sings on stage with The Killers. (Photo by Scott Barbour/AFL Media/Getty Images)
The AFL has expanded rapidly in the past decade to become one of the leading industries in Australia. The introduction of free agency, the broadcasting rights deal, and the collective bargaining agreement allows players more freedom to move around, while receiving a bigger chunk of the pie.
Sponsorships for both the clubs and code flood the ground, while the AFL carefully doctor the fixture to ensure the best-looking games and teams are set aside for prime time television to maintain ratings and keep the revenue piling up.
At its core, Australian football is still that traditional game for the fans, and historically, it was played on a Saturday afternoon. While that is not possible in this day and age, with an 18-team competition and the will and the want to broadcast every game live, traditionalists hope that the one thing that remains is the biggest day on the football calendar staying a daytime match.
While it may seem exciting, for the sake of the tradition of our great game, we should stay far away from the twilight zone.
Who’s in your ultimate team? Pick the best team and compete with other fans for daily prizes on Draftstars. For the best odds on the game try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Think. Is this a bet you really want to place? Set a deposit limit.