Racing
League
Rugby
Cricket
Golf
Motorsport
Combat Sports
Football
Netball
Basketball
Other Sports
Sport Nation
The AFL's thought to reschedule Suns/Dons to post Round 24 is absolutely ridiculous
Gerard Whateley • March 6th, 2025 1:15 pm
It was to have been the dawn of the AFL season… instead it’s the eve of the opening game.
It wouldn’t be the least bit surprising if either of the two matches this weekend were reprised in heavyweight finals come September. So the quality before us is undeniable.
But two games out on a limb Friday and Sunday in Sydney isn’t a season launch worthy of the modern behemoth that is AFL.
Nor would the ridiculous notion of rescheduling Gold Coast and Essendon in the pre-finals bye be a fitting finale.
I have to get this fully off my chest…
If we want footy on the pre-finals bye, do it properly – either scrap it and play on like we did prior to 2016 or play actual Wild Card games – climactic clashes to determine who makes the finals.
It would be total dumb luck if a displaced fixture is live and decisive. And that’s actually the worst outcome!
How can 16 teams complete Round 24 and not know whether they have qualified for finals or not – just hang around for the next week would you until the last game is played.
Part of the shifting AFL justification of the pre-finals bye is to sell tickets and make plans in an orderly way – you won’t be able to do that if the Suns and the Bombers are alive.
If Essendon and/or Gold Coast are qualified, then you are compromising the Finals series – they will play straight through while other teams rest.
It’s a variable you can’t know the outcome to, so it corrupts any thought of a level playing field in September.
And god forbid if both teams are out of contention … a standalone dead rubber – it’ll be the most meaningless game ever played.
I thought the pre-finals bye was a stupid idea. The one thing worse would be to play Gold Coast and Essendon as a standalone game in it. Just ridiculous.
