gytre
6 Mar 2006, 13:43
It seems that every year now we seem to go through this farcical situation in Aussie Rules football where players are expected to play pre-season matches in scorching temperatures. Concerns are often raised about player safety. As Australian summers seem to be getting hotter and longer, this has become a yearly ritual. Although officially considered autumn, March is now the second hottest month of the year in much of Australia.
The AFL finds itself scheduling games at 2 or 3 pm only to find they have to be re-scheduled for later in the day so players can better cope with the heat. Such things as new rule changes, ice vests, cool rooms, and high-powered sideline fans have been introduced to help players cope with soaring temperatures. Players are instructed to drink enormous amounts of water before playing a game on these occasions, and a player may lose as much as five kilos in body weight after playing in such stressful conditions.
All this for a very physically demanding sport where much running is required, and that was always intended for being played in cooler weather. Football is traditionally a winter sport for very good reason. Yesterday in Perth it was a scorching 38 degrees ahead of the Fremantle v Collingwood quarter-final, and it had only dropped a few degrees before the first bounce at 4:15 pm. Needless to say, there was a disappointing crowd at the game - everyone was at the beach instead.
A few years ago, an American NFL gridiron player died after playing football in scorching temperatures. Different sport, but the principle is the same. As long as the AFL pre-season competition is played in late February through to mid-March, there is a very real threat to the safety of AFL players.
St. Kilda coach Grant Thomas has suggested the pre-season competition be scrapped altogether. Other coaches though, like the opportunity to trial young players in a less important competition before the season proper.
So what I'd like to know is why doesn't the AFL consider pushing the whole AFL season (including the pre-season) back by about a month in order to better fit in with Australia's modern weather patterns? October is a much cooler month than March, so why is it not being exploited? Is the AFL so stuck in following a tradition that they continue with the farce of having players play this demanding sport in scorching February/March heat? I believe it is high time they "got with the programme". Why should it be so difficult to change? The regular season should begin on Anzac Day and the grand final should be in late October.
The AFL finds itself scheduling games at 2 or 3 pm only to find they have to be re-scheduled for later in the day so players can better cope with the heat. Such things as new rule changes, ice vests, cool rooms, and high-powered sideline fans have been introduced to help players cope with soaring temperatures. Players are instructed to drink enormous amounts of water before playing a game on these occasions, and a player may lose as much as five kilos in body weight after playing in such stressful conditions.
All this for a very physically demanding sport where much running is required, and that was always intended for being played in cooler weather. Football is traditionally a winter sport for very good reason. Yesterday in Perth it was a scorching 38 degrees ahead of the Fremantle v Collingwood quarter-final, and it had only dropped a few degrees before the first bounce at 4:15 pm. Needless to say, there was a disappointing crowd at the game - everyone was at the beach instead.
A few years ago, an American NFL gridiron player died after playing football in scorching temperatures. Different sport, but the principle is the same. As long as the AFL pre-season competition is played in late February through to mid-March, there is a very real threat to the safety of AFL players.
St. Kilda coach Grant Thomas has suggested the pre-season competition be scrapped altogether. Other coaches though, like the opportunity to trial young players in a less important competition before the season proper.
So what I'd like to know is why doesn't the AFL consider pushing the whole AFL season (including the pre-season) back by about a month in order to better fit in with Australia's modern weather patterns? October is a much cooler month than March, so why is it not being exploited? Is the AFL so stuck in following a tradition that they continue with the farce of having players play this demanding sport in scorching February/March heat? I believe it is high time they "got with the programme". Why should it be so difficult to change? The regular season should begin on Anzac Day and the grand final should be in late October.