The shambolic mess of Opening Round

[Gavin Excell]

Go easy on the AFL executive. In order to justify their bloated salaries, they need to invent more changes to the game. People would be questioning why they are there if everything remained the same.

This was supposed to be A Dillons legacy to the game

 

[smasha]

Like practically everything in today's World.
Motivated by greed.

 

[Purple Suit]

Caro's report said the AFL believe they were giving the NRL a month head start off the back of Opening Round because of all the byes. Reading between the lines that sounds like it wasn't having the desired effect in the northern states.

Good to see the AFL have finally employed blind Freddy and are now listening to him for once.

 

[jwikked]

Caro's report said the AFL believe they were giving the NRL a month head start off the back of Opening Round because of all the byes. Reading between the lines that sounds like it wasn't having the desired effect in the northern states.

At some point, the AFL have to realise that there are people out there who simply prefer rugby.

They’re not rugby fans because they don’t know what they’re missing out on. Getting a head start on the NRL season isn’t going to convert anyone to being an Aussie rules fan.

GWS made prelim finals, Grand Final, and still nobody care about them. That’s okay, west Sydney love rugby and they love soccer. It doesn’t matter if opening round involves only Sydney teams

 

[Jim Prideaux]

I’m not a fan of the current format, but opening round could be done better. Make it a proper round, full games, outside Victoria.

Brisbane v Geelong - Gabba
GCS vs Essendon - GCS
Sydney vs Carlton - SCG
GWS vs Dogs - Engie
Hawthorn vs Freo - York
North vs WCE - Blundstone
Dees vs Richmond - Darwin
Saints vs Collingwood- marvel
Port v Adelaide - Canberra ( they get an extra home game during gather round)

 

[beside the seaside]

I’m not a fan of the current format, but opening round could be done better. Make it a proper round, full games, outside Victoria.

Brisbane v Geelong - Gabba
GCS vs Essendon - GCS
Sydney vs Carlton - SCG
GWS vs Dogs - Engie
Hawthorn vs Freo - York
North vs WCE - Blundstone
Dees vs Richmond - Darwin
Saints vs Collingwood- marvel
Port v Adelaide - Canberra ( they get an extra home game during gather round)

Port v Adelaide in Canberra lol

 

[Jim Prideaux]

Port v Adelaide in Canberra lol

Yeah, that one definitely needs a re think. But you get what I mean, play a full round just outside of Victoria (or Melbourne at the very least).

I’m sure there’s another option or 2 that would make it work without the obvious showdown in Canberra issue

 

[beside the seaside]

Yeah, that one definitely needs a re think. But you get what I mean, play a full round just outside of Victoria (or Melbourne at the very least).

I’m sure there’s another option or 2 that would make it work without the obvious showdown in Canberra issue

I see where you're coming from but hopefully they just scrap the whole thing..it really sucks.

 

[Jim Prideaux]

I see where you're coming from but hopefully they just scrap the whole thing..it really sucks.

Would it be so bad to have a full round outside Victoria to pen the season, particularly with the sesquicentenary test on at the MCG?

 

[Bay53]

Would it be so bad to have a full round outside Victoria to pen the season, particularly with the sesquicentenary test on at the MCG?

It would be when the broadcaster for the Test and the AFL is the same.

 

[Jim Prideaux]

It would be when the broadcaster for the Test and the AFL is the same.

Yeah, the pink ball element throws a spanner in the works. But at the end of the day it’s that or no footy in mid March. Some won’t mind that, I’m personally agnostic on it, and some will.

 

[Gavin Excell]

Would it be so bad to have a full round outside Victoria to pen the season, particularly with the sesquicentenary test on at the MCG?

When is that scheduled?
Test cricket is usually done and dusted first week of January after Sydney test
Rest of the summer is limited over dross

 

[Jim Prideaux]

When is that scheduled?
Test cricket is usually done and dusted first week of January after Sydney test
Rest of the summer is limited over dross

Mid March - 11-15. MCC reckons it will take 5ish days to get the ground ready after that if it goes the distance (it won’t - but you can’t schedule in that timeframe)

 

[Mat Mann]

Would it be so bad to have a full round outside Victoria to pen the season, particularly with the sesquicentenary test on at the MCG?

as a one-off, no, but surely you don't alienate the largest fanbase from the season opening, year on year. Seems crazy, then to back it up with gather round 4 weeks later..........

 

[jwikked]

Would it be so bad to have a full round outside Victoria to pen the season, particularly with the sesquicentenary test on at the MCG?

Why does it need to be outside Victoria? People who don't care about Aussie Rules in NSW or QLD don't suddenly tune in, just because there's no games happening in Victoria.

The idea that the AFL needs to take away from Victorians in order to appease the northern states is bizarre. They don't watch football, because they don't care for it. They like rugby, and that's okay.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

I’m not a fan of the current format, but opening round could be done better. Make it a proper round, full games, outside Victoria.

Brisbane v Geelong - Gabba
GCS vs Essendon - GCS
Sydney vs Carlton - SCG
GWS vs Dogs - Engie
Hawthorn vs Freo - York
North vs WCE - Blundstone
Dees vs Richmond - Darwin
Saints vs Collingwood- marvel
Port v Adelaide - Canberra ( they get an extra home game during gather round)

For 2027 Geelong could be at hgome, and no Melbourne games. Tasmania at home 2028, nine games all outside Victoria. Still give NSW and Qld games the prime time.

But, really, I do believe the gimmick has exactly zero impact in the northern states, so just play a normal round in round one (without Carlton and Richmond guaranteed to open).

 

[The Tilt]

Why does it need to be outside Victoria? People who don't care about Aussie Rules in NSW or QLD don't suddenly tune in, just because there's no games happening in Victoria.

The idea that the AFL needs to take away from Victorians in order to appease the northern states is bizarre. They don't watch football, because they don't care for it. They like rugby, and that's okay.

I agree we don't need the opening round to be entirely outside of Victoria, but you're underestimating the impact of showcasing matches in NSW and Qld. The first three years of Opening Round have consistently delivered crowds in above what you'd expect otherwise.

 

[jwikked]

I agree we don't need the opening round to be entirely outside of Victoria, but you're underestimating the impact of showcasing matches in NSW and Qld. The first three years of Opening Round have consistently delivered crowds in above what you'd expect otherwise.

What does it mean to showcase a game and what benefit does it have? It doesn’t make more people in Sydney tune in

 

[The Tilt]

What does it mean to showcase a game and what benefit does it have? It doesn’t make more people in Sydney tune in

That's my point: the evidence indicates that it does. Crowds have been substantially higher than what you'd normally expect for those matches.

 

[Not a mere cat]

That's my point: the evidence indicates that it does. Crowds have been substantially higher than what you'd normally expect for those matches.

What evidence? Not saying you’re wrong just I haven’t seen anything claiming it’s been successful. I’ve seen complaints that the AFL didn’t promote it and so it wasn’t. Also because the AFL are caning it, if it was successful they wouldn’t

 

[jwikked]

That's my point: the evidence indicates that it does. Crowds have been substantially higher than what you'd normally expect for those matches.

Crowds are always higher in round 1, people are desperate for footy, and their teams haven’t crushed expectations yet.

And for what it’s worth, Sydney vs Carlton had 40372 people there. Round 11 last year had 39082. Round 11 2024 had 44047 people there. So I don’t really buy it

 

[deck]

People whining about the season starting later do realise that up until 2017 the season nearly every year didn't start until the last weekend in March. It started in April in 2015 to accommodate the Cricket World Cup.

It started earlier in 2014 with a split round to start the season. Everyone thought that was shit. Not sure why the AFL keep trying to rehash ideas that didn't work in recent time so soon.

 

[deck]

That's my point: the evidence indicates that it does. Crowds have been substantially higher than what you'd normally expect for those matches.

Your trying to convince people that more people would go to Sydney v Carlton at the SCG in the opening round of the season with only 4 other games being played. But less people would turn up if the opening round had 9 games being played over the weekend?

 

[Coolangatta]

Scrap it and scrap Gather Round. Go back to 11 home and 11 away games.

Allow clubs to sell home games if they want to.

Back to top 8 as well, even when we get 20 teams.

Keep it simple.

 

[Corkintheocean]

I’m not a fan of the current format, but opening round could be done better. Make it a proper round, full games, outside Victoria.

Brisbane v Geelong - Gabba
GCS vs Essendon - GCS
Sydney vs Carlton - SCG
GWS vs Dogs - Engie
Hawthorn vs Freo - York
North vs WCE - Blundstone
Dees vs Richmond - Darwin
Saints vs Collingwood- marvel
Port v Adelaide - Canberra ( they get an extra home game during gather round)

That looks like a full round outside of Victoria, WA and SA. Good way to burn your bridges further with the three actual football states (with a combined populace of 12m+ people) who truly care about the game.

At least we've found Dill's account on here.