AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan has defended the competition’s pre-finals bye.
The bye has proved polarising since it was introduced in 2016 – largely in a bid to prevent clubs resting players in the final week of the home-and-away season.
But McLachlan cited finals fixture flexibility, fitter teams and strong ticket sales and television ratings as benefits of the bye.
“We’re still playing nine finals, it just means that we have the fittest teams available, we’ve got a great build up,” McLachlan said on Monday.
“Since we’ve been having it we’ve had the highest-attended final series ever, we’ve had the highest-rating final series ever.
“We can play on Thursday night, it gives us flexibility which means we have greater equity through the finals series.
“And people are just … keen for the footy to come. But I think when it starts we’re better prepared, there’s better build up, we’ve had unbelievable finals series since we’ve been doing it. And we’re happy to keep it going.”
McLachlan said the pre-finals bye hadn’t been reviewed this year and looked set to stay going forward.
“It’s here for the foreseeable future,” McLachlan said.
“We didn’t even review it this year. It was part of the fixture, I imagine it’ll be part of it next year.
“It provides the opportunity – now it was originally brought in obviously to deal with an integrity issue – but what it’s meant is you get players back who are fit and ready to go, players are rested.
“And so the quality of football has been unbelievable and you just look at the crowds and the ratings and … it’s provided, I think a level of momentum and planning that means that it’s a great finals series so we certainly don’t think it’s going anywhere.”
Meanwhile, it was confirmed triple-premiership Brisbane Lion Simon Black will present this year’s Norm Smith Medal, while 2004 Port Adelaide premiership coach Mark Williams will present the victorious grand-final coach with the Jock McHale Medal.
Jeansyjive
Roar Rookie
“Since we’ve been having it we’ve had the highest-attended final series ever, we’ve had the highest-rating final series ever.” Nothing to do with Optus stadium replacing Subiaco hey Gill?
Cracka
Roar Rookie
The bye is a waste of a round of footy and so are the preseason games, it would add 4 more games to the season and even out the draw a little bit better by 4 games. 27 rounds of footy. I think we should be playing 30 rounds a season to help even out the seasons of games played against, I think it would work out even over a 3 year period don't quote me on it. We would need to look at the size of the club lists, maybe a veteran list, bigger rookie list along those lines so more champions stay in the game longer or more kids get the chance to play AFL footy or a bit of both, the salary cap would have to be looked at with wages capped for both veteran/rookie lists.
Maxine
Guest
hi truetigersfan (lol).
The Brazilian
Roar Rookie
Never ever question Maxine!
anon
Roar Pro
I remember him in 2013 and 2015 resting players for round 23. Then he was on Fox Footy in 2016 saying the bye is WRONG WRONG WRONG because it puts top 4 teams at a disadvantage because of lack of game time. He voluntarily took game time for his own players in 2013 and 2015. He isn't that sharp. Gift of the gab that's about it.
anon
Roar Pro
The bye works well. I've got other sports and other things I'm interested in. Footy ranks as 4th or 5th favourite sport. Blanket coverage forces me to maintain interest. Everyone was hysterical in the first year saying that the top teams were disadvantaged, but that's since been proven false. Everyone got themselves in a tizzy over nothing.
Gary
Roar Rookie
WAFL over here. I was too busy this weekend to watch footy, although Claremont v South Fremantle was on in the background at a bbq on Saturday. Never discount the AFL's will to disrupt or take away from state leagues or women's leagues to fulfill it's own agenda. It is probably more the excitement of the looming finals that makes the bye appear more intrusive than it is.
Gyfox
Roar Rookie
I did not complain for the sake of complaining, Maxine. What the bye does is give NRL a free pass on tv & in other media. Any hotel (I just started in 2 in WA) will be showing NRL, not AFL.
Nick
Roar Guru
Yet another thing we can thank Ross Lyon for. What a master coach he was.
IAP
Guest
Of course he does. Gil has never made a decent decision since he's been boss; this one is no different.
Pope Paul VII
Roar Rookie
I reckon if it had been the Colliewobbles, Essendon, Hawthorn, Carlton or Richmond who had rested players and not Freo and North, the bye would never have existed.
Maxine
Guest
The pre finals bye is a great idea. It allows for the players to freshen up so we can have a better finals series. People who complain about the bye just like to complain for the sake of complaining. It also gives fans a solid weekend to start preparing the spring garden which is great.
Slane
Guest
The womens state league finals were all being played(the mens too) so I highly recommend trying to tune in for that next year. The Richmond VFL team managed to chase down Essendon from a 40 point 3quarter time deficit live on free-to-air TV.
Gary
Roar Rookie
I think the bye is good... all the teams can rest up, 5-8 can be genuine contenders, and it enables a Thursday night fixture. It does leave that void, which does get filled with rubbish articles and the old fatties footy of VIC v ALL STARS. Perhaps a women's SoO to fill the void?