The shambolic mess of Opening Round

[beside the seaside]

Just start the whole season when round 0 is and give everyone two byes throughout the year.

Having half the teams get an early bye and the others miss out is a joke. I mean I know the fixture is already compromised but it's just too much.

 

[masai tu]

It’s a mess no doubt. But so is the fixture in general, how hard is it to make every side play each other before double ups. Longmuir seems like a nice guy but whinging like he did when his side plays west coast guaranteed twice every year is a bit rich (are WC now the worst side since university with their record?)

For the record, if you watch the interview, JLo was asked a question, and he answered it. If he didn't answer, the media would have headlined a story, "Longmuir Stonewalls Media".

Whinging is when you come out, without prompted and blurt on about a subject. Think of a chap like Eddie, who yesterday mumble about his favourite player.

 

[SSSSSS]

I just realised it's going to be 18 days without footy for Hawthorn supporters between our bye and Easter Monday.

Opening Round can GAGF. Completely sucks the momentum out of the season.

 

[FrankDrebin]

I keep reading that OPENING ROUND is required because it will attract new audiences in the east and to grow the game (or to that effect). But i wonder how many rusted on fans from traditional footy states they are losing. Maybe not to the game forever but general interest declining?. I've only watched 1 full game so far, bits and pieces of others, tuned in once to a footy panel show and probably not going to bother going to my teams first home game this season. Of course maybe my general interest could have waned because my team looks like it will be pants this year. But i used to be a footy tragic that consumed, bet and went to games. Now I'm not doing any of the 3. The AFL seems intent on sucking every last $ it can, at the expense of having a fair competition (despite being a Not for profit organisation). I cant imagine I'm the only one doing this?

 

[SC_Power]

If you want to 'highlight' the interstate sides - just have an interstate round.
2 Games in Perth over the weekend, 2 in Adelaide, one in Brisbane, Gold Coast, Western Sydney and the SCG.

Then, play the other game in Melbourne - either a usually low-drawing game, or maybe play in Geelong and Ballarat, and have no football in Melbourne that weekend. All the other sports (Soccer, Netball, Bball, NRL) would then pump up that weekend as a special occasion.

Yes, it means fiddling the fixture, but that happens now for less important reasons, anyway.

Start the season everywhere
Finish the season at home at the G

An AFL wet dream advertising blitz

 

[010203]

Get rid of round 0, it just looks stupid. The NRL start their season with a bigger bang, despite having 2 or in this year's case 3 fewer games than the AFL on its opening weekend.

What I would do is start with round 1, but if they really want to start with a bang in the Northern markets for round 1, give them all a nationally broadcast match against a big Victorian club. If not, just do round 1 how it was pre 2024.

Also, have the reigning premier unfurl the flag in a nationally broadcast game, not behind a paywall, shown on a 90 minute delay on channel 7 in that club's own state. Win the premiership, and unfurling the flag in front of a national audience should be the norm.

This year, 8 of the 24 rounds contain byes, which is ridiculous. What I would do with the mid-season bye rounds is have 3 weekends of 6 games, no Thursday games but 2 channel 7 games on a Sunday instead. It'd go Friday night footy as normal, 3 games on Saturday (1:45, 4:40 and 7:50) with the 2 Sunday games being the normal 3:20 and the 2nd one having a 7:30 AEST start.

 

[AlwaysHawks15]

I just realised it's going to be 18 days without footy for Hawthorn supporters between our bye and Easter Monday.

Opening Round can GAGF. Completely sucks the momentum out of the season.

Not sure how this will help us. It's ridiculous. Schedule our bye after Easter Monday considering their are byes up to round 4. It's really not that difficult. Geelong will have a considerable advantage IMO having played the week before and we will be out surfing down on the peninsula.

 

[sthmelb_dimmies]

After an interesting Round 1 where all teams played, we now have this ridiculous situation where momentum for the season halts to allow byes for clubs in Round 2, 3 and 4.

And this is even before discussing the inequalities OR creates in match ups between teams coming off breaks.

Its a disaster and the exclamation mark on the Dillon administration

Pick one

Opening round as it currently stands,

Or an extra $10/month on your Kayo subscription

Can’t be neither. Choose

 

[ferball]

Wave enough money under their nose and they'll happily play a 37 game season with 19 minute quarters, a change of guernsey in the second half, a wildball "8 pointer" when the ball bounces off the umpire's head, 29 players on the bench, and a hushed interview afterwards saying how difficult it all is.

There's always a good idea in the dross somewhere.

 

[ferball]

It is run by professionals who put money ahead of sport, in a supposed not-for-profit.
Its the same with sports everywhere, except AFL runs both the game and the professional league so have additional ability to really screw things up in the short term media dollar chase.

Only cricket's self-destruction is worse (or maybe I'm just more aware of those two).

Professional what tho?


They have no feel for the game and are actively trying to change it into a marketable highlights package instead of managing a game that regularly provides spectacular, marketable highlights.

 

[Partridge]

I keep reading that OPENING ROUND is required because it will attract new audiences in the east and to grow the game (or to that effect). But i wonder how many rusted on fans from traditional footy states they are losing. Maybe not to the game forever but general interest declining?. I've only watched 1 full game so far, bits and pieces of others, tuned in once to a footy panel show and probably not going to bother going to my teams first home game this season. Of course maybe my general interest could have waned because my team looks like it will be pants this year. But i used to be a footy tragic that consumed, bet and went to games. Now I'm not doing any of the 3. The AFL seems intent on sucking every last $ it can, at the expense of having a fair competition (despite being a Not for profit organisation). I cant imagine I'm the only one doing this?

You're not. I've never cared less, and my team made the Grand final last year.

It's been death by a thousand cuts for sure. But the combination of unnecessary and idiotic rule changes, a complete farce of a fixture, more and more players acting like spoilt entitled arseholes (including my own), a gutless and compliant footy media, plus probably oversaturation have all contributed. The neverending propaganda certainly helps too. Brian Taylor breathlessly telling us how big the crowds are and how many attended this round - so they should - pretty much every game is the only one played in that state at the time. They still don't get (per capita) what six games in one city at the same time used to get.

So yep, it's definitely not just you.

 

[Purple Suit]

Pick one

Opening round as it currently stands,

Or an extra $10/month on your Kayo subscription

Can’t be neither. Choose

This isn’t how it works and it is possible to have opening round and make it a lot fairer than the current system. Instead the AFL are slowly morphing it the opposite way and making it worse.

 

[SSSSSS]

Not sure how this will help us. It's ridiculous. Schedule our bye after Easter Monday considering their are byes up to round 4. It's really not that difficult. Geelong will have a considerable advantage IMO having played the week before and we will be out surfing down on the peninsula.

I don't think it helps us at all. Teams usually look rusty coming off a week bye but coming off two and a half weeks is a long time without footy.

It's bizarre scheduling.

 

[The Tilt]

I don't think it helps us at all. Teams usually look rusty coming off a week bye but coming off two and a half weeks is a long time without footy.

It's bizarre scheduling.

Of ffs, the whingeing in this thread. You have two marquee slots (Thursday night and Easter Monday) and happen to have a bye scheduled in between, having played in opening round and then had the apparent benefit a round one match up with your opponent playing their first game of the year.

Enough with the whining - you're not hard done by.

 

[420]

The afl is now, such a reactionary league. Nothing is inventive or new, nothing is ground breaking any more. It's the same slop shite that the NRL came up with and the AFL are just trying to steal their lunch after the fact. Why the bigger, more popular league is so hopelessly afraid of its little brother makes no sense to me

 

[SSSSSS]

Of ffs, the whingeing in this thread. You have two marquee slots (Thursday night and Easter Monday) and happen to have a bye scheduled in between, having played in opening round and then had the apparent benefit a round one match up with your opponent playing their first game of the year.

Enough with the whining - you're not hard done by.

I'm not saying we're hard done by. I'm saying the scheduling is stupid.

Opening round is stupid.

Just start all games at Round 1. The fixture is an unequal mess as it is. This just adds an extra layer of inequality.

 

[Gavin Excell]

I just realised it's going to be 18 days without footy for Hawthorn supporters between our bye and Easter Monday.

Opening Round can GAGF. Completely sucks the momentum out of the season.

That is staggering

 

[Gavin Excell]

Pick one

Opening round as it currently stands,

Or an extra $10/month on your Kayo subscription

Can’t be neither. Choose

This makes no sense

Why does Kayo have to cost more without OR

 

[SSSSSS]

That is staggering

I can't wait to see one of two results on Bigfooty.

Geelong wins - Hawthorn nuffies blame the 18 day gap.
Hawthorn wins - Geelong nuffies blame the 18 day gap.

 

[The Tilt]

I'm not saying we're hard done by. I'm saying the scheduling is stupid.

Opening round is stupid.

Just start all games at Round 1. The fixture is an unequal mess as it is. This just adds an extra layer of inequality.

Ok. If/when they do away with opening round, round 1 will almost certainly be moved to labour day weekend (i.e. with 9 matches scheduled), and teams having at least two byes throughout the season.

Yes, there'll be still inequities. A club having an 18-day break (as opposed to a 14-day break) barely ranks as an issue at all. If i was to list the problems with the fixture, it wouldn't make the top 50.

 

[sthmelb_dimmies]

This makes no sense

Why does Kayo have to cost more without OR

Why do you think they added ANOTHER round early in the season?

 

[Gavin Excell]

Why do you think they added ANOTHER round early in the season?

But you dont have to have what we are currently getting with OR

 

[SSSSSS]

Ok. If/when they do away with opening round, round 1 will almost certainly be moved to labour day weekend (i.e. with 9 matches scheduled), and teams having at least two byes throughout the season.

Yes, there'll be still inequities. A club having an 18-day break (as opposed to a 14-day break) barely ranks as an issue at all. If i was to list the problems with the fixture, it wouldn't make the top 50.

It's one of the many issues and peculiarities stemming from the stupidity of opening round.

 

[sthmelb_dimmies]

But you dont have to have what we are currently getting with OR

 

[LukeParkerno1]

I'm not saying we're hard done by. I'm saying the scheduling is stupid.

Opening round is stupid.

Just start all games at Round 1. The fixture is an unequal mess as it is. This just adds an extra layer of inequality.

I agree and I hate it. I posted this on our board too. Seriously it's not hard, play all sides but give the Northern clubs the marquee slots

For example and you can flip a few around

Thursday night
Brisbane or Sydney vs St Kilda

Friday night
Carlton vs Richmond

Saturday

1:10 WB vs Port Adelaide (Marvel game)

a) Twilight

GWS vs Geelong

b) Prime Time

Sydney or Brisbane (whoever doesn't play Thurs) V Hawthorn

Fremantle vs Essendon (Perth game)

Sunday

1:10 North vs West Coast (Marvel game)

(prime slot afternoon)
Gold Coast vs Melbourne

Adelaide vs Collingwood (AO game)

Something like that you can flip the sides around, but basically, you still are highlighting the Northern clubs, you get the Opening round game at the G on friday, the Northern clubs get the prime games on Sat/sunday, and everyone is playing. it shouldn't be that hard, everyone plays no silly byes in the first month, you highlight the northern sides minus this round 0 rubbish