Roast We've got the season wrong and it needs to change now

[PerthBoy86]

A warm Brisbane winter day is warmer than a cool summer day in Melbourne. Should we stop games in QLD too?

 

[jackster83]

If you think the AFL gives a **** about people attending the game, then you must be new to following the AFL.

 

[M Malice]

I don't think it is a major problem and it seems the AFL don't either.

However if they are play all March games at night, would probably require a radical change re fixturing because of ground availability though, maybe 2 games a weekend in Interstate locations eg. Dockers at home Friday night, Eagles Saturday night etc.

 

[JayJ20]

Thanks Dr Nick.
Given I spent today watching local cricket in this heat I will see my GP on Monday to see what day this week I am expected to die.

/Sarcasm

Harden the * up.

So you think hardening up prevents skin cancer?

Australia and New Zealand have the highest rate of skin cancer in the world. If only they all hardened up.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

Just on the player impacts with fatigue and cramping, I can only speak for my own experience, but I can't remember a round 1 ever where I didn't pull up rougher than hessian undies. Don't think it mattered if the temperature was in mid-teens or high-20s.

 

[Walshawk]

But we have to start when the NRL does or they will steal all of our fans in NSW & QLD.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

So you think hardening up prevents skin cancer?

Australia and New Zealand have the highest rate of skin cancer in the world. If only they all hardened up.

Hat
Sunscreen.

 

[dumb]

fixturing is an imperfect science, especially when teams play others once, some twice.

the only real way to fix most of the problems people have with fixturing (including weather at the bookends) would be to condense the days between games, which isn't likely to happen for lots of reasons.
players probably lose out the most, recovery time etc. list sizes would probably have to increase. it may put some pressure on the condition of the grounds even with improved drainage, we could see some games with the sloppy mud pits of yesteryear (which i miss, personally). it would lose its footing as a weekend sport, and broadcast rights would be an uncomfortable mess of channels setting aside their primetime viewing - this is probably the main reason games would never happen midweek in the evening - at least in FTA's current format. there could be scope to create a dedicated fta footy channel.

you could argue afl administration should mitigate the effects of their fixturing. provide sunscreen during certain months or anytime. ultimately it's people's choice to attend though and there's only so much the afl can account or provide for.

 

[bzparkes]

So you think hardening up prevents skin cancer?

Australia and New Zealand have the highest rate of skin cancer in the world. If only they all hardened up.

Exactly.

Harden up, tell skin cancer to FRO.


Or, wear a hat and apply sunscreen.

We have the highest rate of skin cancer in the world because many people who regularly spend time in the sun are too stupid to take care of their health, due to having their brains baked from all that heat.

 

[deck]

It's terrible for the fans. Moreso in this era of huge, concrete bowl stadiums with little shade and reserved seats.

Good luck finding shade in the outer of the old suburban grounds. These new concrete bowls do a pretty good job of blocking half the ground from the sun and usually another 25% by late in a afternoon game. No big grandstand to do that at the old suburban ground. They certainly didn't have the undercover seating like these new concrete bowl stadiums.

Talk about a flawed memory.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Not happening. Victoria is broke. We're trying to build back better at the moment.

If they didnt waste billions of dollars on a suburban rail loop elephant they would have money to do lots of things.

 

[Crankyhawk]

Cricket generally takes over the MCG in early October.

Cricket goes to junction oval now doesn’t it? I mean there are pretty much bugger all spectators for shield games

 

[Blue1980]

Even with horse racing etc you could push the season back 2 weeks and have GF mid October (or weekend before Caulfield cup).

Shield games can be played at smaller venues, no idea why it’s necessary to play shield games at stadiums when no one is there.

 

[Underarm]

No they didn’t. They sat where their seat was.

I already addressed it. It’s not 1985. Between huge members reserves (half the ground at the MCG), season seat holders and buying a reserved seat ticket weeks before the game, that’s just not the case.

Mate I was there. I've never seen level 1 less full in the GSS, compared with a packed level 4. People with a reserved seat in the sun just sat in shaded GA.

 

[TheEscapeClub]

Players have been cramping up in round 1 in the 50 years I've been following, rain, hail or shine.

 

[The King!]

Ahhh just a way for Essendon to play in September

 

[PAFC66]

If they didnt waste billions of dollars on a suburban rail loop elephant they would have money to do lots of things.

Or millions on your stadium
I wish we got state handouts like that for Alberton

 

[hawkman]

Ahhh just a way for Essendon to play in September

Still probably wouldn't be able to win in September

Not the worst idea as October is generally the dead zone for sport. Preseasons could even start early January to get the AFLPA on board

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Just on the player impacts with fatigue and cramping, I can only speak for my own experience, but I can't remember a round 1 ever where I didn't pull up rougher than hessian undies. Don't think it mattered if the temperature was in mid-teens or high-20s.

For sure. But it’s exacerbated in the heat. Dehydration and exercising in hot conditions are common causes of cramp. It’s well documented.

Players fatigue quicker in the hot weather.

The league always started on April 1, or the weekend immediately before it.

This year we started on March 7.

We all know why the season is longer, and that’s fine.

But to be playing it in March and not October is just stupidity. There’s no good reason for it.

A warm Brisbane winter day is warmer than a cool summer day in Melbourne. Should we stop games in QLD too?

Well no, because there’s no simple, logical fix that we could make to avoid it.

You’re not very bright, are you?

 

[PerthBoy86]

For sure. But it’s exacerbated in the heat. Dehydration and exercising in hot conditions are common causes of cramp. It’s well documented.

Players fatigue quicker in the hot weather.

The league always started on April 1, or the weekend immediately before it.

This year we started on March 7.

We all know why the season is longer, and that’s fine.

But to be playing it in March and not October is just stupidity. There’s no good reason for it.



Well no, because there’s no simple, logical fix that we could make to avoid it.

You’re not very bright, are you?

Average March max in Melbourne is about 24. Pretty comfortable footy conditions. Very unusual to have near 40 degree days like we had. The odd 30 degree day ain't gonna kill anyone. So yeah, it's hardly the big issue you make it to be.

 

[btdg]

I agree with OP completely. If they wanted to extend the season the answer was to head towards October/November, a dead time in the sporting calendar, rather than back into summer.

Times have changed in cricket too. First Class cricket is a non-entity for the general public and in the current schedule one-day cricket is dying a slow death, with both shoe-horned in around the cash cows (ie the big test matches vs England/India and the BBL). Cricket needs a rethink, and its a perfect chance to work together to make things better for both sports.

The seasons in Victoria are pretty well established and in indigenous cultures go back thousands of years - it would make sense to align with what is known about the seasons and work in with that.

- Mid-March - Early April = Eel Season = transition time - summer ends, but weather can still be very hot or very wet = can be hard to predict for sport. Footy preseason makes sense here (teams can adjust to conditions and build slowly with a bit more flexibility if it is really hot, etc)

- April -> August = Wombat Season = winter. Footy regular season, obviously. April weaves in a host of blockbuster early games with ANZAC day in the first month.

- September = Orchid Season = Last month of footy calendar, building up to a really big finish

- October = Tadpole Season = Footy Finals. The most exciting time of the year as everything bursts into colour. As these gravitate to Melbourne, I'd get First Class cricket underway in regional areas and other states.

- November = Grass Flowering Season (aka Hayfever nightmare) = domestic/first class cricket and spring racing carnival. Let cricketers really focus on one thing: long-form matches and getting ready for tests (they can then flip to one-dayers once this is all done)

• December = Kangaroo Apple Season = Test Cricket season, with 5-6 tests running from the start of December through the New Year Test in Sydney and into a final test the week after that. This tends to be days of moderate heat and little rain = perfect for test cricket

• Jan-Feb = Dry Season = BBL time. No one wants to spectate cricket in the day at this time of year, so it's evening and night games, with a sprinkling of international one-dayers and 20-20 woven in this midst. This year, the BBL ran for approx 8 weeks so right up to the second weekend in March... which is exactly 2-3 weeks before the IPL starts (ie: perfect for players involved in both).

That takes us back to Eel season again and footy takes over...

 

[hawkman]

Average March max in Melbourne is about 24. Pretty comfortable footy conditions. Very unusual to have near 40 degree days like we had. The odd 30 degree day ain't gonna kill anyone. So yeah, it's hardly the big issue you make it to be.

It really isn't that usual. There is usually 1 or 2 days that are high 30's and even more so in Adelaide and Perth

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Average March max in Melbourne is about 24. Pretty comfortable footy conditions. Very unusual to have near 40 degree days like we had. The odd 30 degree day ain't gonna kill anyone. So yeah, it's hardly the big issue you make it to be.

The median Melbourne temp in March is 24.6. Which in itself is warm for footy. And that's the median.

The average number of days over 30deg in March is five. That's huge. Significantly more than one day per week is over 30deg.

And I just use 30deg because it's a number they report. It's far too hot. Anything at 27deg and over is too hot for elite footy and affects the product.

The average number of days over 30deg in October is 1. So there's five times more 30deg+ days in March compared to October.

The difference is enormous.

I dunno how we got so fixed on finishing in September but now that the footy season is so long, it needs to change.

The data is totally clear. Playing in March instead of October is ludicrous.



And the change is so simple. Shift it back one month. Job done.

 

[adammania9]

Thanks Dr Nick.
Given I spent today watching local cricket in this heat I will see my GP on Monday to see what day this week I am expected to die.

/Sarcasm

Harden the * up.

"I'm so tough for getting sunburnt and probably melanoma"

 

[Woolly Mammoth]

Seems to me an anthropomorphic cartoon seagull with a speech impediment had the answer 30 years ago. Maybe we should heed his advice instead of completely changing the season around, or spending $500 million quid on a roof for the MCG.