Enough with the negativity! AFLX is here, I’m looking forward to it, and I think you’re going to love it.
It promises to be the AFL’s equivalent of rugby sevens, promoting itself as non-stop action.
Played on a rectangular ground, bringing the fans closer to the action than on a traditional oval, it’s played as ten-a-side, with seven on the field from each team at a time.
There are ten-minute halves, and super goals worth 10 points if kicked from outside 40 metres.
The AFL have gone all out to promote it – their gala launch featured skydivers and acrobats. On game day there’ll be DJs, fireworks and gimmicks galore as the players look to land Zooper goals.
Regardless, the reaction online has been overwhelmingly negative:
“Not real football,” they say, “it’s just meaningless hit and giggle.”
“No need for this,” is the catchcry from many, “I want nothing to do with this circus.”
“It’ll never take off,” many whinge, “doomed to failure.”
[latest_videos_strip category=”afl” name=”AFL”]
But we don’t need a long sporting memory to have heard all this before.
T20 cricket had a gimmicky opening, with nicknames on players’ shirts and Andrew Johns making a guest appearance for NSW.
But from those modest beginnings, a new market for the game grew. Domestic cricket hadn’t drawn a crowd for 80 years but now the Big Bash takes over our summers with night after night of non-stop action.
T20 cricket was a departure from tradition, but those who deride the franchises, the music, the fireworks and the gimmicks as not being real cricket overlook something important.
It’s fun!
So, will AFLX grow from humble beginnings to be a new dimension to our game? The possibility is there.
T20 discovered a market for a family-friendly product over a short time-period, with affordable tickets, and a sense of fun.
Just as the inventors of T20 would never have guessed that its place would be to breathe life back into domestic cricket, AFLX’s place in the footy landscape isn’t yet known.
Maybe it will morph into a pre-season series over several weekends. Maybe it will become a mechanism to keep the likes of Brent Harvey and Stevie Johnson –
who can no longer run out four quarters – in the game for longer.
It could help the game spread internationally, as it can be played in places where there are no oval grounds and not enough players to field teams of 22.
Maybe it has a place at grassroots level? There are old stagers out there, like myself, who no longer have the stamina for a full match but would love to dish out some bumps like you can’t do in AFL nines.
I’m looking forward to watching AFLX.
The moaners can shake their heads like Statler and Waldorf, spreading gloom and cynicism. I’ll be out at the Sydney Football Stadium on Saturday, getting caught up in the fun of something new – it’ll be a sporting adventure.
And if the night finishes with the Giants raising some silverware, that would be perfect.
Mattician6x6
Guest
He was fantastic don, giro for freo impressed me greatly aswell
Don Freo
Guest
You speak contrary to what the coaches and players have said. They do very similar drills exactly to practice transitions. You must be forming an opinion without TV and radio input from those at the coalface. Simpson, Scott, Rock, Hawkins, Brad Hill, Jake Kelly, Mark Blicavs all made similar points.
Harsh Truth Harry
Roar Rookie
Glenn, we don't televise blokes having a kick to kick on the street or do a bizarre media launch qith acrobats when you are getting your boots on. A clearly ridiculous analogy.
Glenn
Guest
Unnecessarily harsh, Harry. That's like calling a kick to kick session disgusting. It's just a bunch of guys kicking a footy around. It's a televised training session. You might as well throw away any footies you have at home as using them could be see as making a mockery of the game.
Glenn
Guest
Would do very little as prep for the upcoming season, or drills, considering nothing they do is under any real pressure and the players are the softest ones on their respective teams. End to end ball work and an intra-club game would provide much more benefit to the players and teams than AFLX.
Harsh Truth Harry
Roar Rookie
it was disgusting to watch. It takes a wonderful, pure game that has evolved over a hundred and twenty years and makes a mockery of it. fair dinkum, dress the players in clown suits and have the biggest clown of all Gilligans island Mclachlan umpire it in a ringmasters suit. Disgusting is what it was. Sacrilege of our great game.
Glenn
Guest
Saying you can't see how you will like something makes you a "hater"? Hmmm? Maybe we should change the meaning of the word " hate" in the dictionary or just create a listing in the Thesaurus that the word "hater" is equivalent to someone being "mildly opposed" to something. In any case, now that we've seen it, I think everyone that suggested they won't like it for the reasons mentioned has had their thoughts validated. It's circle work and quite dull for anyone that likes a contest. And I don't hate it, I just find it dull. Oops, I see where you are coming from, "hater" means someone who is absolutely not head over heels in love with something. I'm a hater. I am also therefore a hater of brown bread, because while I do like it, I will always buy the white loaf sitting next to it when it is available.
Don Freo
Guest
Just goes to show... Opinions, hey? It was very watchable. Great intro to the new players. Excellent for pre-season drills of skills and plays like transitions. Having a grand final was a bit silly when there are more games to play but they'll sort that. This has legs...only as a pre-season things. Just concentrate on the commentary. We don't need interviews. Let's get familiar with the new blokes...That's the point of interest.
Don Freo
Guest
Foot fetish?
anon
Roar Pro
Told you guys it wouldn't work. It's actually even worse than I thought it would be. They won't bring it back next year. This is embarrasing.
Don Freo
Guest
You'd have to be thrilled with Pettruccelle, Mattican. WC won't have much of a pace problem with him around.
dickwad
Guest
Im liking the x games apart from the field. Its not an even playing field. wait.. sorry..I was talkin about the regular season. Bring on this garbage and keep the H&A season uneven forever. No point teams playing each other twice. zopper dopper
Dexter The Hamster
Guest
If he were alive today, I'd suggest he'd be most upset at being in a grave....
Jason Cave
Guest
And all this at the expense of Tasmanian football, which is in free fall right now, with Burnie and Devonport withdrawing from the AFL Tasmania competition. In retrospect, Tasmania should've been included in the AFL instead of the Gold Coast Suns.
Mattician6x6
Guest
Hth- a hammy can indicate a large amount of issues from groin, to buttock, to calf, to back actually it can linked to a large number of lower body issues that prior to a hammy being pinged where unknown. But this is just from speaking with people involved in sport science as their profession, guess I'll take my cues from you next time.
mds1970
Roar Guru
LOL! If Ted Whitten were alive today, he'd turn in his grave.
dave
Guest
I quite liked the beach cricket series.Prefer it to 20/20. If AFLX was played on sand with no shoes I would have more interest.
Harsh Truth Harry
Roar Rookie
Geez Mattician does your GP still use leeches to cure the plague as well? I reckon you need to find another bulk billing joint bloke if you reckon a hammy is the best thing for you!
spruce moose
Guest
Post_Hoc Cricket is played in some form or another in basically every country. It is difficult for any additional countries to play it. What T20 has done is made it more accessible for nations to get involved with seemingly limited resources. Now, these countries are decades away from any meaningful contribution to cricket at higher levels, but countries like China, Korea, Thailand are developing better talent. HK now has a T20 tournament that is slowly starting to attract Chinese ethnic players as opposed to the sub-continental descendants. Oman is currently ranked higher than Ireland in the T20I's.... Baby steps - midget baby steps perhaps! :)
Cat
Roar Guru
T20 wasn’t created to be able to be played in more countries. It’s has the same limitations that regular AFL has ... countries that don’t already play won’t have oval pitches for the game to be played on.