The AFL could be plagued by more Friday night Blues if the match between the Sydney Swans and Carlton, which will open the Indigenous Round for the second time in four years, unfolds the way many expects it to – a blowout.
The clash between the fourth-placed Swans and last-placed Blues will be the third time (of four) in which Brendon Bolton’s men have featured in the AFL’s premium timeslot, which the fixturing department have put down to an anomaly of an early Easter, as well as Anzac Day falling on a Wednesday.
They had already contested two Friday night matches this year, losing to Carlton and the Western Bulldogs in Rounds 3 and 6 respectively, and, after this weekend’s trip to Sydney, have one more against fellow strugglers St Kilda, in Round 17.
They were fairly competitive in the losses to the Pies and Bulldogs, but the Swans at the SCG will be their toughest assignment yet as they return to the scene of their 81-point humiliation from Round 23 last year.
In that match, Lance Franklin kicked ten goals, one more than what the entire Carlton side could manage, to take out his fourth Coleman Medal and continue a pattern of winning it every three years (after first winning it in 2008, and then in 2011, 2014 and last year).
The prospect of the Blues suffering another heavy loss this Friday night will almost certainly force the AFL into not only not scheduling the club for matches in this timeslot next season, but also giving other clubs the chance to shine in it.
Several have questioned why Carlton has been given four Friday night matches – the equal second-most of any club, with Essendon, and only behind the Adelaide Crows – when they have been rebuilding for such a long time.
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“If you’re a Carlton supporter, you’d be feeling a bit embarrassed about the fact that your side, on the back of a developing year, is going to appear on four of the marquee Friday night games, as well as the season opener,” Garry Lyon said upon the release of this year’s fixture in October last year.
Following the Blues’ loss to Collingwood in Round 3, Lyon said: “I don’t care how you justify it, they don’t deserve to be where they are. They had big six games in 2015, then they [the AFL] said, ‘No you’ve got to earn it’, then they didn’t earn it in 2016 and then they’ve handed them all these prime time slots.”
He went on, “My side, Melbourne, hasn’t been worthy of a Friday night slot for five, 10, 15 years, but they’re now getting to the stage where they should. That’s life, that’s the way it goes.”
The club has not made the finals on merit since 2011 (discounting 2013, when the Bombers were demoted from seventh to ninth as punishment for their supplements scandal) and have finished in the bottom four in each of the past three years, finishing 18th in 2015.
It was in that season the Blues lost all six of their Friday night matches, including a record 138-point loss to Hawthorn in Round 17.
The AFL fixturing department reacted savagely to the embarrassing results, wiping them out of the premium timeslot for the 2016 season and making it clear that clubs had to “earn their place” to be given Friday night matches.
However, they were scheduled one Friday night match in 2017, against Port Adelaide at the Oval in Round 5, and despite their continual poor results under Bolton, were given four this season.
The Blues have been on the record as saying that they are in a rebuilding process, which suffered a significant setback when Bryce Gibbs left the club to join the Crows, and Sam Docherty suffered a serious ACL injury 40 days before Christmas last year.
But who would want to watch a developing club like them continue to suffer Friday night humiliation when we could be watching an up-and-coming club like Melbourne?
Jesse Hogan of the Demons (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
In contrast to the Blues’ predicament, the Dees – who have gone through hell and back over the past decade – have been one of the most improved teams this season, with their exciting style of play seeing them win their past two matches by a grand total of 200 points.
Yet they have only one Friday night match this season, and it’s away to Port Adelaide, in Round 14.
Last year, they had a home game in this timeslot against the Swans, who, despite their strong support in Melbourne, don’t regularly draw a large crowd to their games in the city.
The Dees’ match against the Power will be just their fourth Friday night match since the start of the 2012 season, the club having been plagued by uncompetitive performances and the tanking scandal in the interim.
Sydney have, for the most part, taken advantage of the Friday night privileges given to them on a regular basis since the start of the 2012 season, with the relaxing of the anti-siphoning rules allowing primetime matches to be televised earlier on free-to-air in Sydney and Brisbane.
That and their rather controversial acquisition of Buddy Franklin prior to the start of the 2014 season have made them huge television drawcards and they have consistently delivered, even though they are yet to win a flag in the time Buddy has been at the SCG.
The man himself, as well as the rest of John Longmire’s team, will be primed for another big showing in front of what is expected to be a crowd of over 30,000 this Friday, having won their past three matches to displace Adelaide in the top four.
This includes a win over the Hawks at the MCG, in which rookie Ben Ronke kicked seven goals in just his third AFL game, and last week’s win against an improving Brisbane Lions side at the Gabba.
A win for the Swans would see Carlton suffer their 12th consecutive loss in a Friday night match, which should be enough for the AFL to exclude the struggling side from the premium timeslot in 2019.
Avatar
Roar Guru
Sorry I meant "losing to Collingwood".
The Original Buzz
Guest
I would be happy if they relocated to Darwin, I could watch them live every second week. Have a look at the NT Thunder in the VFLW, we produce winners here.
The Original Buzz
Guest
I expect to see the same drivel written about the Bulldogs fairly soon, they have done worse on Friday nights. I am not defending Carlton as they are rebuilding and are not yet up to Friday night standard (but they do draw the crowds still). The Blues fans can see what the club is trying to achieve and the media just love to bag them regardless. It will be interesting to see what is said at the start of next year.
The Original Buzz
Guest
"They had already contested two Friday night matches this year, losing to Carlton and the Western Bulldogs in Rounds 3 and 6 respectively, and, after this weekend’s trip to Sydney, have one more against fellow strugglers St Kilda, in Round 17." I am confused, who are you talking about here?
Aligee
Roar Rookie
Commonwealth games, wedding sees games shunted to 7mate i suppose, which has probably had a big impact. Should judge over whole year I remember years ago when St kilda seemed to be on every Friday night when Ross Lyon was coaching and when they got a goal ahead the whole team seemed to flood their backline, gees it was shocking to watch, if that is what people are subjected to over and over they will turn off. Football fans know a good game from a bad one and many watch to see a good game or a potential good game, if subjected to rugby rolling mauls they will turn off, but maybe it is still to early to judge. One other point, how many are now live streaming via phones, tablets, computers by passing the ratings system ?.
Kane
Roar Rookie
And he's back with another alias. You must have a sad existence Matty, if that is your actual name.
Raimond
Roar Guru
AFL TV ratings are in the toilet: New figures show that Seven’s prime time AFL telecasts across the first ten rounds of the season are averaging a mere 292,000 viewers in Melbourne. That is a huge drop from the 361,000 Melbourne viewers that watched the matches in the first ten rounds of 2017." (@footyindustryAU on Twitter)
Alchemist
Guest
The problem is that the foot bridge was going taken as part of the entry and exit strategy for the crowd. With it not being completed everyone has to take the train or bus as there's no parking per se at the ground. It wouldn't be a problem if the match could be scheduled for the usual 7:50pm timeslot but that wouldn't fit in with the eastern states TV so it has to be scheduled right in peak hour.
Leonard
Guest
Here's a scenario for all those who have the attitude (if not the T-shirt) of "I barrack for [Club] / and every other club playing Carlton": Carlton get banished (officially 'relocated') to Tasmania / NZ / Cairns / Darwin / PNG / Shanghai / London / Londonderry / Cox's Bazaar / Abbottabad / Truth & Consequence / Krungthepmahanakornamornratanakosinmahintarayutthayamahadilokphopnopparatrajathaniburiromudomrajaniwesmahasatharnamornphimarnavatarnsathitsakkattiyavisanukamprasit or deepest darkest anywhere, with all its games scheduled late on Sunday arvos.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
They won't intervene during season Fractal, but the AFL have an obligation to the game to do something about this clog footy that clubs like Geelong are playing. It is harming our game and needs to be taken out by introducing new rules. 2018 will be the last chance for a team to clog their way to a flag IMO.
Joe B
Guest
V poor that Freo don't get a prime time fta game... but Gil McLachlan is keen to curry favour with the Vic clubs, esp his beloved Carlton, and the MCC.
Timmuh
Roar Guru
The Dogs were premiers just two years ago, it was reasonable to expect them to be OK. Carlton, well, big Vic clubs (even though Carlton aren't "big" any more) always get timeslot advantages above their expected ability.
Cat
Roar Guru
Not a lot of $11 or greater odds games the last few years. Happens more often when there are clear stand out sides and clear bottom sides. These days no team is consistent enough for enough punters to get behind them to push them out that far. Also five years ago isn’t that far back.
Avatar
Roar Guru
Yes, that game vs St Kilda that you mentioned was the 2005 season opener. It was the first time an AFL season was ever opened outside of Melbourne. Brisbane won that game but would then struggle for the rest of the season, to the point where they suffered a humiliating 139-point loss to the Saints in the return match at (what was then known as) Telstra Dome in the final round. It was in that match where Stephen Milne kicked eleven goals, four more than the entire Brisbane team that night. Fair to say the Lions haven't recovered since that defeat.
true blue
Guest
Eddie Betts played a blinder that night, when we beat you.
Doctor Rotcod
Guest
You have our Pilbara heat, but our cold fronts go to Tassie
true blue
Guest
We, unfortunately never win at those odds, whereas other teams do.
fractal pixie
Guest
I agree. The AFL should not intervene. Yes we are playing ugly football but we are winning. It is not up to the AFL to dictate how we should play.
User
Roar Rookie
% wise I would confidently say those who love footy are still the majority over here, be careful with back in rge day statement cause I may be forced to regale stories of games of the distant past ;)
Macca
Guest
You are giving him way too much credit - I think the moderators are finally fed up.