Dangerfield sees fans flocking to AFLX

PATRICK Dangerfield has encouraged fans to get behind the new AFLX format, which will be rolled out next month in a one-night event at Marvel Stadium.

The Geelong dynamo will captain one of the four teams, which will be made up of players from different AFL clubs, and said he was hopeful the tournament would bring in new supporters.

“To mix it up this year with different players playing with each other from different clubs is going to be well received,” Dangerfield said.

“The great thing about it is that there are all of these players throughout the league that you’d love to play with but you don’t have the opportunity to, obviously, and this provides that platform to do it. So to have four different teams with different players from all around the country is really exciting.”

There has been a mixed response to the second instalment of AFLX, which features Dangerfield’s Bolts, Nat Fyfe’s Flyers, Eddie Betts’ Deadlys and Jack Riewoldt’s Rampage.

Despite the criticism, Dangerfield said he was confident fans would embrace football’s version of Twenty20 cricket.

“Whenever you are trying something new there is always going to be some scepticism around it and there is always going to be a few different things you need to tinker with, but I think the concept itself is really promising,” he said.

“It is faster, it is that shorter format and probably engages kids a little bit better than we do in AFL games because they go for so long.

“So combating that with the fact it is in summer and a little bit warmer, it will certainly be well received.”

The one-night AFLX event will be held at Marvel Stadium on February 22.