THE MAIN EVENT
Friday not on everyone’s mind. Now it’s all about …
FOOTY’S marquee games are now all about the event rather than the day of the week.
When Friday night footy was booming in the 1990s, it was thanks to the great push by North Melbourne to claim it as their own. It was so successful. Crowds flocked, viewers flocked, clubs fought for the right to play on the big stage and the AFL made it the prime time game. How quickly it has changed. Friday nights are a relative disaster zone for footy these days.
Only one Friday night game features in the top 10 crowds for 2018.
Wednesday, Thursday and Monday are the highest.
All three of those matches have now become major events on the AFL calendar.
Anzac Day, Round 1 and Queen’s Birthday — which after this week should be renamed Fight MND Day.
I don’t think Friday night footy is the be all and end all for a club anymore.
My kids play basketball every Friday night so we never get to go along or even watch the whole game.
I’m certainly not alone as I know plenty of people who have these commitments and footy just has to come second.
From tonight, Thursday night footy at Adelaide Oval will be a fascinating study of TV ratings and full houses.
It’s a venue that can cram in the crowds and I reckon there’s a thirst for the game on TV too.
There’s five rounds of Thursday night footy. Spread across Adelaide, Perth, Etihad Stadium and the SCG.
Clubs need to be looking outside the square to create al- luring reasons to get bums on seats in stadiums.
Dreamtime at the G, Easter Monday and Anzac Eve all make the top 10 for crowds this year.
For all the hooting and hollering fans make about Carlton getting so many Friday night games it actually doesn’t equate to gate receipts.
If Carlton was travelling a bit better it may have a slight impact, but clubs should focus on creating their own event matches.
The Good Friday game should be a cracker, but it hasn’t pulled the numbers yet.
The Big Freeze at the G happened organically.
It made perfect sense to dunk sports stars in icy water on a cold grey Monday in June.
As the years progress and the legacy of Neale Daniher’s work continues that game will become massive for fundraising and the fight to find a cure to motor neurone disease.
A bit like the Sydney cricket Test has changed from the New Year’s Test into the Pink Test with the third day changing from traditionally being called Ladies Day to now being known as Jane McGrath Day raising millions for breast cancer.
So maybe it’s not about the day, it’s all about the event.
I know I’ll be watching Thursday night footy.