News Tom Harley: Opening Round is here to stay

[Jirik13]

Call it round 1.

Keep games fixture as it is this year Thu - Sun with first 3 days focused on QLD/NSW market. Then finish round 1 the following week Thu - Sun. Or could even schedule a game on Mon/Tue?

Basically spread round 1 into 10 days with first 3 days focused on QLD/NSW if AFL insist.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

I don't understand this "Opening Round" nonsense and never have.

They want to start the season in Sydney and Brisbane. Ok fine, whatever. Schedule the games there. Go for it.

Why would there not also be games elsewhere? What difference does it make?

Why is it not "Round 1"? You know, cos that's how numbers work. You start with 1.

I don't get it.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Also it can easily be "national" if required

Thurs night - Brisbane host
Fri night - Sydney host
Sat afternoon - Adelaide host
Sat twilight - Hawthorn host in Tassie
Sat night - Gold Coast host
Sat night - West Coast host
Sun early - Port host
Sun afternoon - GWS host
Sun twilight - Freo host

 

[jwikked]

Because that’s the point of opening round.

It’s not Gather round

 

[jwikked]

Also it can easily be "national" if required

Thurs night - Brisbane host
Fri night - Sydney host
Sat afternoon - Adelaide host
Sat twilight - Hawthorn host in Tassie
Sat night - Gold Coast host
Sat night - West Coast host
Sun early - Port host
Sun afternoon - GWS host
Sun twilight - Freo host

I’d never considered a Vic team playing a home game in Tasmania. Makes perfect sense.

 

[Elixuh]

It’s not Gather round

No it’s opening round. Which is northern states. I feel like you’re slowly catching on but let me know if further explanation is required!

 

[The Terrible Thinker]

In fine with opening round as long as all 18 teams are playing.

If required all Qld & NSW teams can all play at home as intended.

SA & WA teams to play off against each other because no one cares anyway.

Remaining 3 matches in Vic in non-primetime slots.

 

[Billy ray]

its obvious to have a split opening round over first two weekends
weekend 1 - 4 games like now Thur night, fri night sat twilight, sat night

Weekend 2 conclude the round with 5 games Thur night (this can be car v rich?), Fri night, Sat twilight, Sat night, Sunday twilight (or night if its a public holiday the monday)

 

[jwikked]

its obvious to have a split opening round over first two weekends
weekend 1 - 4 games like now Thur night, fri night sat twilight, sat night

Weekend 2 conclude the round with 5 games Thur night (this can be car v rich?), Fri night, Sat twilight, Sat night, Sunday twilight (or night if its a public holiday the monday)

What’s the point of a split round? The idea is to get rid of the byes needed from the ridiculous opening round

 

[Jirik13]

What’s the point of a split round? The idea is to get rid of the byes needed from the ridiculous opening round

I guess AFL wants first games focus solely on QLD/NSW. Spreading games of round 1 (forget Opening round name) over 10 days as suggested above makes sense to me.

 

[Billy ray]

What’s the point of a split round? The idea is to get rid of the byes needed from the ridiculous opening round

the point - to have the launch soley focused on northern markets
but at same time, ensure that every team (from weekend 3 onwards) has played same number of games, and ideally after that, have another split round mid season for the byes

 

[Peters_Nuts]

Also it can easily be "national" if required

Thurs night - Brisbane host
Fri night - Sydney host
Sat afternoon - Adelaide host
Sat twilight - Hawthorn host in Tassie
Sat night - Gold Coast host
Sat night - West Coast host
Sun early - Port host
Sun afternoon - GWS host
Sun twilight - Freo host

This is way too logical for the AFL.

This makes perfect sense though and it's the right move since there's now a game at the MCG.

 

[dylan123]

outside of fantasy players and carlton supporters i dont know anyone who thinks opening round is a bad idea

Haven't come across any SA/WA supporters who don't have their teams play in opening round? Footy is back, kinda...

The flow on affect of vsing a team the following week who has a game under their belt also isn't great either.

 

[crows dude]

Just call it Round One and have every Victorian side travel
Syd V Carl SCG
GC V Geelong People First Stadium
GWS V Hawks Engie Stadium
Brisbane V Bulldogs Gabba
Crows V St Kilda Adelaide Oval
Port V Collingwood Adelaide Oval
West Coast V Essendon Optus Stadium
Freo V Melbourne Optus Stadium
North V Richmond at Tassie/NT/Canberra

 

[crows dude]

Also it can easily be "national" if required

Thurs night - Brisbane host
Fri night - Sydney host
Sat afternoon - Adelaide host
Sat twilight - Hawthorn host in Tassie
Sat night - Gold Coast host
Sat night - West Coast host
Sun early - Port host
Sun afternoon - GWS host
Sun twilight - Freo host

I just thought the same thing.

 

[Blackhawk42]

outside of fantasy players and carlton supporters i dont know anyone who thinks opening round is a bad idea

Opening round is fine as a concept.

Everybody just hates that it's called 'opening round' and not 'round 1', all because it might piss off some Richmond and Carlton fans for some reason.

 

[jwikked]

Opening round is fine as a concept.

Everybody just hates that it's called 'opening round' and not 'round 1', all because it might piss off some Richmond and Carlton fans for some reason.

That’s not true at all. People don’t care what it’s called, they care that there are only 4 or 5 games and then there’s a month of byes to make up for it. It’s farcical.

It doesn’t matter what they call it, have every team involved and people will stop complaining

 

[Teen Wolf]

The "have every team involved" crowd are still struggling with the main motivation of Opening Round, which was explained in last year's thread and the year before.

Doing it this way means an extra Thursday and Friday night game for the AFL and its ratings hungry broadcasters.

That it can also be dressed up as something beneficial for the northern states is just an afterthought (much like Gather Round came after the decision to introduce a 23rd game).

 

[Mitchell Madness]

I don't understand this "Opening Round" nonsense and never have.

They want to start the season in Sydney and Brisbane. Ok fine, whatever. Schedule the games there. Go for it.

Why would there not also be games elsewhere? What difference does it make?

Why is it not "Round 1"? You know, cos that's how numbers work. You start with 1.

I don't get it.

Its not round 1 because of the last administration stupidly signing a contract woth Carlton and Richmond that they get the first game of round 1

 

[jwikked]

The "have every team involved" crowd are still struggling with the main motivation of Opening Round, which was explained in last year's thread and the year before.

Doing it this way means an extra Thursday and Friday night game for the AFL and its ratings hungry broadcasters.

That it can also be dressed up as something beneficial for the northern states is just an afterthought (much like Gather Round came after the decision to introduce a 23rd game).

The broadcasters get an extra Friday night game with opening round as it is, why gift them 2 extras?

Everyone knows what the round is for, but having games played in WA and SA doesn’t change anything for the northern states. They’re not going to tune out because football isn’t played exclusively in QLD.

 

[Teen Wolf]

The broadcasters get an extra Friday night game with opening round as it is, why gift them 2 extras?

Everyone knows what the round is for, but having games played in WA and SA doesn’t change anything for the northern states. They’re not going to tune out because football isn’t played exclusively in QLD.

It really doesn't sound like you know what the round is for tbh.

The AFL are moving R2-R4 games from dud or overcrowded timeslots into better vacant slots.

There is zero benefit in moving a 1pm April game to a 1pm March game, which is the kind of thing they'd be doing by including more teams.

 

[Obeanie1]

outside of fantasy players and carlton supporters i dont know anyone who thinks opening round is a bad idea

Launching a new season for a national comp shouldn't be restricted to promoting football in expansion states.

The reason for doing it is not to benefit the entire competition.

What are the pros for it working?

 

[Partridge]

Opening round is fine as a concept.

Everybody just hates that it's called 'opening round' and not 'round 1', all because it might piss off some Richmond and Carlton fans for some reason.

Or because it's absolutely unnecessary, pointless, and just proves it's all about marketing and money.

The season should only start with Round 1. Anyone who has the intelligence of a potplant can grasp that.

 

[Obeanie1]

Tom Harley grew up in South Australia, spent 11 years playing AFL footy in Victoria and captained the Cats during one of their most successful eras, then spent a few years commentating for Channel 7 and has served in admin / COO roles for both GWS & Sydney. Now he's the new COO of the AFL and I think it's fair to say this guy is very knowledgable in terms of what is and isn't a priority for football around Australia.

So when Harley says it's "unbelievably important" to retain Opening Round in its current format because it's crucial for growing the game in the northern markets, I tend to believe he knows what he's talking about.

Or he is just peddling the party line?

He wants the top job he isn't going to say anything outside AFL policy is he?

It's a boys club. Everyone knows it. And the AFL don't care.

 

[Obeanie1]

No it’s opening round. Which is northern states. I feel like you’re slowly catching on but let me know if further explanation is required!

Aren't the Saints playing Pies at the MCG?

Is Vic a Northern state now.