Stifling conditions in Round 14 reignited the debate around playing A-League matches in the heat of the day during the summer period.
The demand to do so by the competition organisers once again raised significant workplace issues for the players.
While conditions were still demanding at 7:45pm (AEDT) when the Mariners and Wanderers kicked off at Industree Group Stadium in Gosford on Saturday night, it was the earlier women’s fixture at McKellar Park in Canberra that drew much attention in relation to heat and player welfare.
The women took to the pitch in the absolute heat of the day, suffered in what were extreme conditions, and looked completely depleted and exhausted at the conclusion of the contest.
For competition organisers, the intention was, of course, to stick to the schedule and ensure that there was no cross-over in broadcasting, with Macarthur FC and Western United set to kick-off in A-League Men at 5pm (AEDT).
However, one wonders about those who insisted the women take to the pitch at the originally designated time.
Sending players onto a pitch under the intense heat of the sun during the hottest portion of the day could only be done guilt free by someone who has never exercised in their life.
I mowed my front lawn that very morning and was swathed in sweat within minutes. Two litres of water were consumed in the process and after 50 minutes of work, I enjoyed a sit down in the shade. That was at 10am.
I called a relative in Canberra and enquired about the heat and whether they would be attending the game.
The chuckle I received said all that needed to be about the stupidity of asking footballers to play at the designated hour.
Michelle Heyman of United (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
Ominously, my relative said, “Someone will die out there one day.”
Far from intending to be alarmist, the comment is in fact reality and – considering the A-League’s place in the sporting calendar across the summer months – lessening the chance of it happening should be paramount in the APL’s thinking.
It would be naïve to not comprehend the complex A-Leagues schedule, the broadcast commitments that must be adhered to, seemingly at all costs, and the challenge of not disturbing the fan experience by making excessive changes at the last minute.
Yet by 9am on Saturday morning, a decision to protect the players should have been made and the match pushed back two to three hours, at a minimum.
The players should stand united and deliver a firm message to the APL that inserting a couple of drinks breaks per half does not alleviate the danger in which they are placed in such oppressive conditions.
Western United did brilliantly to put on a show, scoring five goals in handing out a second thrashing on the trot to the home side. However, the pace of play was ridiculously slow at times and many players were absolutely spent within 15 minutes of the game starting.
By the final whistle, there were few smiles and most appeared desperate to get off the pitch.
Frankly, the players looked unwell.
Any suggestion that professional athletes should be able to cope with such conditions is absurd, with the quality of football, fan experience and attendance numbers all negatively affected by the demand to stick to the schedule.
Where the true inflexibility lies is unclear, whether it be Network Ten, Paramount+ or the APL itself, yet the simple fact remains that all Australian matches played in the warmest months should be planned with an asterisk alongside them, subject to a heat-assessment criteria by mid-morning.
(Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images)
Kick-off times would be then automatically altered regardless of when other matches in both leagues are set to be played around the country.
The APL has scheduled a host of A-League Women games at 3pm this season, with up to three being played at the same time on a number of occasions. Seemingly, there is little concern of cross-over in that instance, something that frustrates me greatly as someone hoping to watch all the matches.
Therefore, with crossover occurring elsewhere, player, spectator and product quality should all be respected with a more flexible approach during the summer months.
Had Canberra United versus Western United taken to the pitch on Saturday a mere three hours later, the conditions would have remained challenging, yet fans would also have felt comfortable that APL had taken all possible steps to alleviate unnecessary stress on the athletes involved.
Instead, they put player welfare in serious jeopardy. It was hot in many places around the country across the weekend, yet without the blazing Australian sun, football can still be played at dusk and into the evening.
That is the model towards which both A-League competitions need to be moved immediately, before another group of professional players is placed in danger.
At work
Roar Rookie
Well we'll have the exact same issue this Saturday at Allianz where the double header has the women kicking off at 2:30pm
Sheffield WesDay
Roar Rookie
FQ NPL Academy starts round 1 this week. I will be vigilant in ensuring my boy floods his body with water over the next few days to battle the heat we currently have.
Sheffield WesDay
Roar Rookie
In this "post Netflix/ streaming" world I am not sure why broad cast times are as important as they once were. We all now watch what we want, when we want. That coveted 8pm Friday or Saturday night spot is not eh be all and end all that it used to be.
Sheffield WesDay
Roar Rookie
It was easier to find shade at Suncorp in the Western stand than it is now at Redcliffe. Sitting for 2 hours in the the direct sun at over 30 degrees is not enjoyable. Western stand cost more money than eastern but cant hold more than 2 or 3 thousand people. I know we only get about 5K to a game, but that is a lot of very hot people who would in the end prefer to stay home on those days with a cold one in the air con in front of a big screen.
apaway
Roar Guru
In the early 1980s the NSL would play a pre-season tournament, and I remember travelling to Marconi Stadium for a Youth team game which kicked off at 3pm. It was 43 degrees. At half time, there was no team talk; we simply sat on a cool (by comparison) concrete floor and poured cold water over our heads. NPL competitions in NSW kick off this weekend and the youth leagues start in 2 weeks. It's going to be really hot. But the demands for more games, at both youth, NPL and A-League level, means an inevitable clash with the hottest months no matter when the competitions start. However, it it utter madness to be dictated by TV requirements. A temperature policy operates for the aforementioned NPL in NSW, which seems to get abandoned at A-League level.
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
The powers that be SHOULD want the players they have, regardless of anyone's opinion of their quality, to play in conditions that don't compromise player and spectator welfare or the quality of play.
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
It also helps build a fan base if you play in the best timeslots.
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
AL-W games would presumably overlap one another, and be primarily on Saturday nights.
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
His name was Stuart, and his eyes were even more piercing than the sun...
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
For one thing, less games per weekend. When only 5 games were on, that meant one less daytime fixture. And the additional rounds were broken up midweek (at nighttime).
AR
Guest
Maybe the ALeague players should don a suit and tie, sit in a boardroom for hours with directors and shareholders and customers, and debate how to contractually broadcast content that less and less people are watching each year. This is all just nonsense. The heat is not the issue. If you schedule the season to winter, it’ll be the ragged rugby pitches that are driving away the crowds.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
The W-league has to be in summer, it alternates with the US league and northern european leagues, and then those players not playing overseas can all play state leagues.
AR
Guest
“…supporters dont want to sit in a baking hot stadium in the sun, with potentially no shade, getting absolutely fried.” I just don’t buy this. They used to be fine about the summer weather. The ALeague has always been played at this time of year. The unbearable searing heat didn’t deter crowds 10 years ago. What’s changed ?
TheSecretScout
Roar Guru
its about parity for the league as a whole, not exclusively benefitting 2 clubs when it comes to the broadcast shedule - this is just one of the many reasons why the league is dying P+/10 know the ratings are dire regardless for the a league, so theres no point giving favourable broadcast schedules to the big sides you can look at any league in europe, the big clubs predominentely get the main 3:00 fixtures, but its not unusual to see them with lunch time kick offs, 5:00 or even in spain 8:30pm kick offs like i said, name a time in recent memory (lets say past 3 years) where either the victory or sydney have played in temperatures 35+ and above.....
Jordan Sports Fan
Roar Rookie
Yea so it’s cool down by then a little bit (not really for someone that sites in the Eastern stand at Redcliffe), but then you still have silly and unnecessary “double-headers”. So why not then have these matches at 6pm and really get out of the heat if you aren’t worried about silly and unnecessary “double-headers”. There is no logic to their approach.
Jordan Sports Fan
Roar Rookie
So you are ok with playing in the heat of summer then? You might have indicated as such in other comments, apologies I'm at work. No concurrent matches PLUS no heat are incongruous, especially once more teams are added. Being that every other sporting competition (excepting the NRL) the AL might want to compare itself to plays matches concurrently, I'd suggest this is the lesser of two evils. Better quality football at night, and then if P+ functionality can come to the table (PiP, goal-rush type programming), you'd be able to absorb the issues with concurrent scheduling. https://www.apple.com/au/newsroom/2022/12/major-league-soccer-announces-2023-season-schedule/
Timmuh
Roar Guru
I'm not across Association Football or the two Rugbies enough to be sure, but wouldn't it lead to more choppy surfaces on shared venues? And that itself becomes a quality problem, though at least not a safety one as the heat is. It may actually be easier to move the ALW to winter, where the high capacity venues are not as necessary. And it would give Ten/Paramount year round product.
Garry
Roar Rookie
oops ya got me! – but I blame Brainstrust :happy: :silly: , he referred to double headers when I think he meant concurrent games. I dont think ALM (or even ALW but that seems a lost cause) should play concurrent games unless unavoidable
Jordan Sports Fan
Roar Rookie
A double-header is two matches back-to-back in two timeslots, using in the same venue and mostly refers to baseball where the same two teams play two games in a row. Is this what you mean or do you mean two matches scheduled concurrently i.e. at the same time? “a sporting event in which two games or contests are played in succession at the same venue, typically between the same teams or players.”
Garry
Roar Rookie
that games in march "Daytime temperatures usually reach 28°C in Brisbane in March with moderate heat and humidity, falling to 19°C at night." so would seem ok..BUT yes we all agree when the temp gets over 30 with high humidity efforts should be made to delay games