Five-day breaks given tick of approval

AFL players have voted to approve one five-day break per club next year to allow the league to play as many as 12 Thursday night games.

It is understood the league was told by the AFLPA yesterday, the decision so serious it needs the collective bargaining agreement to be altered.

The player approval came after consultation through the mid-season break and was ultimately put to a vote of captains, the AFLPA board and delegates.

The strict conditions for its approval include a single fiveday break per team per season, with the AFL to schedule a seven-day break on either side of that five-day break.

It will allow the AFL to schedule better teams and more Thursday nights, with teams having an equal fiveday break from Saturday to the next Thursday.

Previously it could only play a string of Thursday night games around the bye when teams were coming off a bye so had a longer break.

The league is considering playing as many as 12 games on Thursdays, up from seven in the home-and-away season plus a final this year.

The priority of the player union is the welfare of its players, but it wants to make the game as attractive as possible while also growing the product.

The AFL’s request for fiveday breaks will allow more blockbusters at a time when the battle to maximise TV ratings has never been greater.

Richmond, North Melbourne, Brisbane and the Western Bulldogs all support a single five-day break next year as long as they play off an equal break as their rival.

Richmond CEO Brendon Gale said clubs needed as much rest as possible between games but backed fiveday breaks in principle.