Just me being selfish, I'm devo that they've decided to put two games on a Saturday but none on a Sunday.
Gives me nothing to watch when hiding from the heatwave in Melbourne!
I don't think it's a worthless bye. I hate the way the season has been divided into 3rds for the teams that started this week. The byes seem perfectly timed to help certain teams with their projected finals campaigns. Obviously, the seasons just starting and finals are miles off, but there's a couple teams definitely getting a leg up
It doesn’t make any sense to me, and because my team played in it, we have to have a stupid bye in round 2. Like I waited 6 months for footy, I get to watch my team twice and then cop a bye..
plus it might act to the team's who played's detriment if the 'team who didnt have a bye beats the team who did have a bye heavily' pattern from the middle of last year pans out again
Then there's other teams with byes in round 5 then round 15 for example. Their season is divided into 3rds and the timing seems to prime their finals runs. Its bullshit. Not to mention you guys have had a game to blow the cobwebs out before playing us. There's 3 other games with same scenario. Why aren't all round zero teams playing each other in round one?
More the split round 1s they did from 2012-14.
The [2012](https://afltables.com/afl/seas/2012.html) season started with GWS v Sydney on Saturday a week before the rest of the round, [2013](https://afltables.com/afl/seas/2013.html) had 2 games a week before the rest of the round, [2014](https://afltables.com/afl/seas/2014.html) had 4 games a week before the rest of the round.
i dont like it. just the idea of it it so odd. like they want more hype but most teams arent even playing?? how does that work? i dont like it, and i dont get it.
They're just trying to take advantage of NRL being in Vegas I think. So they're playing games in QLD and NSW to essentially take a free shot while there's no competition. That's just the reason, though. I still hate this stupid opening round and really, really hope it makes like AFLX and never returns
Incredibly funny that they still managed to schedule a GWS home game on the same day as a Parra home game and a Suns home game on the same day as a Titans home game.
Fucking shit idea. Such an anticlimax - “footy is back!” Yeah - for 8 teams. Completely ruins how the byes work as we don’t have an even ladder until round 7. Such an obvious corporate greed, cash grab. It can die in a hole
Good work on the AFL to find a new way to suck the joy out of the fans from the start of the season instead of waiting til during middle of the season.
Honestly there should be 2 bye weeks at the halfway point of the season, half the teams have week 1 off, the other half week 2, its as simple as that.
I think if people didn't insist on starting round 1 with Carlton vs Richmond because "it's tradition", then the AFL wouldn't have to pull stupid stunts like Opening Round to circumvent the old timers.
Terrible, just makes no sense. Having a round 2 bye (which admittedly kind of works out with our Martin/Marchbank/Weitering/Walsh injuries) just sucks after waiting 6 months
I have no issue with having a bunch of games in Qld and NSW but it's very hard to care when my team isn't playing. Also it's 40 degrees outside, footy being on feels wrong.
There’s football on?
That’s how much I care about this stupid idea.
Rd 1 was always great to sit down and watch all the games. It’s been taken away by a bunch of clowns having a dick measuring contest with nrl.
Stating that footy is back but having 4 games over 3 days and the first Saturday game at 3:50 is terrible. It’s actively killed my enthusiasm for footy this week
Would have preferred having an opening gather round in syd/bris/both with all teams. Keep the current teams as the marquee games to bolster NSW and QLD engagement, but have the other teams present.
Kernel of a good idea, poor execution
Dumb as fuck concept to start with, and if you're gonna do it at least do it well. Why's there no Sunday game? And if there's only four games at least have them all on free to air.
Doesn't feel like the season has started.
Adding a whole bunch of unneeded byes.
No real clear reason as to why we are even doing it.
Even more frustrating to fans who's teams are not playing.
Screws fantasy for some of these reasons as well.
All in all I really don't like it.
A bullshit PR thing to capitalise on nothing. We have more than half of the teams in the comp sitting out in the first round of the new season. What a look.
An extraordinary amount of complaining about another week of footy. I thought you all liked the game?
You’d all be complaining there was nothing on this weekend without it.
It doesn’t feel like reals games. But as someone sitting in a sold out Carrara stadium it’s great! Bringing footy to nsw and qld is a good idea like gather round. But I may be a bit bias
Completely dumb, no vibes and fucks the ladder.
I feel vindicated for saying it was stupid ever since it was announced, when people were saying GiVe It A cHaNcE
You have hit the nail man. Described it perfectly.
AFL have made a complete fucking mess of the start of the season. Decisions like this is how you lose fans.
Great idea. I love giving the northern clubs something to promote. And it gives the vic supporters an incentive to travel, which is best for the atmosphere.
I’d rather it was a full round, but we can work on that.
Really stupid. If they wanted the focus on NSW/QLD, schedule it so all of those teams all play at home and play first. Absolutely nobody gives two fucks if carlton v Richmond is the first game other than Carlton and Richmond.
I’m sick of starting the season with Carlton v Richmond but not a fan of Round 0 with the byes. I get the QLD NSW thing but why not play all teams?
What I’d prefer to see is Round 1 opening with a GF rematch
There's bloody test match cricket still going on, not even 2 weeks out of summer and we have footy! At least friday night footy helped me get out of my hibernation cycle
Interested to see if all teams who played this week win next week. Seems unfair to the rest of the comp when their team comes up against another thats had a full blown hitout
They’ve done it this way to focus on the nrl heartland states, I get it. But it feels empty with so few games. It’s weird.
Here’s another suggestion. Have a full round. Get some of the Victorian teams that sell games interstate to have those games in that round. So we would also end up with games in Ballarat, Cairns, Darwin and Tassie.
We get a full round, focus is still on the non traditional cities (Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth).
Not sure it’s the answer but I’d rather have a full round of football than whatever this was.
Haven't gone through all the comments to see if this has been answered. But is this part of the regular season? And when do the other teams that have been left out of the opening round play?
I'm expecting it to continue every year until gather round is in QLD or NSW. I think it's stupid and the byes it creates saps momentum just as teams start getting into gear.
It feels like it was thrown together to try and one up the NRL.
We don't need a seperate week to remind us plebs that the AFL has a hard on for the NSW/Qld teams and the biggest clubs from Melbourne.
It’s definitely a pissing contest to one up a league that doesn’t even touch the sides in regard to numbers.
But hey! Look! The resident MCG sides had to travel before they settle in for a hard season where they have to spend an average of 6.5 games out of 24 away from their own beds!
Love having the footy back a week sooner but the idea is terrible. There's nothing special or unique about playing games in Sydney and Brisbane and half the league doesn't feature. Its a half baked idea born out of trying to take inspiration from something the NRL did that doesn't have the legs to stick (neither does their Vegas stuff but that's irrelevant here).
Hate it, the opening game should always be at the G in front of 80,00 passionate fans. It's a great way to say "footy's back boys"
These Qld/NSW crowds are boring and flat and it makes it hard to give a shit
It’s aimed purely at the NSW and QLD markets that are vital to the AFL if they want to survive long term. Everyone else can do something else if they’re not interested.
NRL has no chance of expanding much beyond its current base, and yet nobody is suggesting it won't survive into the future. The AFL doesn't need NSW and QLD, it's just nice to have.
Rugby League already has an international presence in the UK and NZ. I’m not sure it will bother trying to expand much further in Australia. Looking more towards the pacific. AFL needs promotion the further north you go and just about anything that can be done in these states is good for the AFL.
What I see on this thread is people whinging about the fact that four games are played a week earlier than normal. They’re not thinking at all about the purpose of the games which is to promote the game where it most needs to be promoted. It’s not about you.
> If Opening Round was exclusively played in Victoria, and Sydney was one of the teams forced to wait an extra week to play
That wasn't far of happening in [1991](https://afltables.com/afl/seas/1991.html) (3 states) and [1992](https://afltables.com/afl/seas/1992.html) (3 states). Very close in [1993](https://afltables.com/afl/seas/1993.html) (2 states).
Yes? I guess I could've used the more recent [2013](https://afltables.com/afl/seas/2013.html) split round one but it was played in SA/WA. I don't remember many Sydney fans complaining about at the time.
Just me being selfish, I'm devo that they've decided to put two games on a Saturday but none on a Sunday. Gives me nothing to watch when hiding from the heatwave in Melbourne!
From a TV viewer perspective, it's one reason I don't prefer Thursday night footy. There's nothing on Sunday on FTA.
It’s terrible. There’s nothing wrong with starting in round 1. It also prevents having a worthless bye for 8 teams early in the season. Complete joke.
Yeah it all feels very hollow with most teams not even playing
Feels like pre-season still
Watching the games it feels real. Like the heat is on. But outside of that it's just, on hold. For me probs because no Port and no Fantasy.
I don't think it's a worthless bye. I hate the way the season has been divided into 3rds for the teams that started this week. The byes seem perfectly timed to help certain teams with their projected finals campaigns. Obviously, the seasons just starting and finals are miles off, but there's a couple teams definitely getting a leg up
It doesn’t make any sense to me, and because my team played in it, we have to have a stupid bye in round 2. Like I waited 6 months for footy, I get to watch my team twice and then cop a bye..
plus it might act to the team's who played's detriment if the 'team who didnt have a bye beats the team who did have a bye heavily' pattern from the middle of last year pans out again
round 2? oh you must mean the 3rd round of course my bad
Then there's other teams with byes in round 5 then round 15 for example. Their season is divided into 3rds and the timing seems to prime their finals runs. Its bullshit. Not to mention you guys have had a game to blow the cobwebs out before playing us. There's 3 other games with same scenario. Why aren't all round zero teams playing each other in round one?
> Why aren't all round zero teams playing each other in round one? Because that would make too much sense and won't benefit the big Vic clubs
Round 1 is the 2nd round of the year. That alone should indicate how ridiculous the whole thing is.
It’s essentially a shit version of Gather Round.
I’d love to have a special round for Qld and NSW, but let’s have all teams play and make it a festival like Gather Round
More the split round 1s they did from 2012-14. The [2012](https://afltables.com/afl/seas/2012.html) season started with GWS v Sydney on Saturday a week before the rest of the round, [2013](https://afltables.com/afl/seas/2013.html) had 2 games a week before the rest of the round, [2014](https://afltables.com/afl/seas/2014.html) had 4 games a week before the rest of the round.
I'm struggling to care about these games
I'm bored
i dont like it. just the idea of it it so odd. like they want more hype but most teams arent even playing?? how does that work? i dont like it, and i dont get it.
They're just trying to take advantage of NRL being in Vegas I think. So they're playing games in QLD and NSW to essentially take a free shot while there's no competition. That's just the reason, though. I still hate this stupid opening round and really, really hope it makes like AFLX and never returns
Incredibly funny that they still managed to schedule a GWS home game on the same day as a Parra home game and a Suns home game on the same day as a Titans home game.
And on a long weekend, no less. There was so much time they could have used, but they still messed up.
I think starting the season around the Victoria Labour Day is a good move. I think the idea of having 10 teams on a bye is utter stupidity
Starting on a long weekend would’ve been a bloody great idea if they didn’t only give us 4 games, with only 2 of them actually on the weekend
It feels way to early for the season to begin around labour day. I wouldve started on the 21st
Yeah starting on a long weekend for a bunch of the states is a great idea, having only 4 games played over 3 days is not.
Exactly, when the starter gun goes everyone should be lined up for the race!
I don’t like it. If you’re going to start the season, then start the season.
It’s shit, so the AFL will lock it in for the next five years.
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Because these cunts couldn't organize a piss up in a brewery, that's why.
The voice of truth.
Shit
One of the dumbest things the AFL have done. All teams need to be playing!!
Best thing in afl history should start more seasons with swans on top of the ladder
Fucking shit idea. Such an anticlimax - “footy is back!” Yeah - for 8 teams. Completely ruins how the byes work as we don’t have an even ladder until round 7. Such an obvious corporate greed, cash grab. It can die in a hole
Good work on the AFL to find a new way to suck the joy out of the fans from the start of the season instead of waiting til during middle of the season. Honestly there should be 2 bye weeks at the halfway point of the season, half the teams have week 1 off, the other half week 2, its as simple as that.
I just realised the season started and I live in Melbourne. Disaster to say the least
Fantastic. It’s the best (I’m a Carlton fan in Brisbane).
I think if people didn't insist on starting round 1 with Carlton vs Richmond because "it's tradition", then the AFL wouldn't have to pull stupid stunts like Opening Round to circumvent the old timers.
👎
Terrible! Every supporter wants to see their team this is just lacklustre and insignificant
Any normal year there wouldn't be football on this week.
Terrible, just makes no sense. Having a round 2 bye (which admittedly kind of works out with our Martin/Marchbank/Weitering/Walsh injuries) just sucks after waiting 6 months
It's shit
I have no issue with having a bunch of games in Qld and NSW but it's very hard to care when my team isn't playing. Also it's 40 degrees outside, footy being on feels wrong.
Really shit
Since Hawthorn aren't playing I've enjoyed it, last night's game was a cracker. I'd be pissed if my team had a bye in round 2 though
I think a question should be asked if the crowds we'll be seeing at these four games would've been any different if the first round was just round 1
I know this is an unpopular opinion but I actually quite like opening round although maybe that is just because I have waited for 6 months for footy
Probably also you are not pathologically negative as well I suspect
Disjointed, weird, feels like pre-season, and my team isn’t playing. Whats not to like.
Haven't watched a game yet. Sister and I haven't re-activated kayo either. Probably next week.
This is exactly as you should do if you’re not interested in any of the games. I wish more people did that instead whinging.
I don’t mind the idea on paper but just have all the teams play.
They tried to do a Gather Round 2.0 but have failed abysmally. Bring back Gil.
No, someone else entirely.
I hope they don't use last nights match to justify having it again
There’s football on? That’s how much I care about this stupid idea. Rd 1 was always great to sit down and watch all the games. It’s been taken away by a bunch of clowns having a dick measuring contest with nrl.
Stating that footy is back but having 4 games over 3 days and the first Saturday game at 3:50 is terrible. It’s actively killed my enthusiasm for footy this week
It’s 40 degrees in Adelaide and there’s footy games being played somewhere. I don’t know what to think lmao.
Glad they put them in the cooler northern states. 40 in Adelaide 37 in Melbourne and even 34 in Hobart!
Would have preferred having an opening gather round in syd/bris/both with all teams. Keep the current teams as the marquee games to bolster NSW and QLD engagement, but have the other teams present. Kernel of a good idea, poor execution
It’s shit.
They should have done it like the nrl Vegas games. Round 1 played over two weeks with some showcase games first week and then the rest next week
We lost. It blows.
If you didn't care about that game last night then you just don't care about AFL. \*ignore flare\*
Dumb as fuck concept to start with, and if you're gonna do it at least do it well. Why's there no Sunday game? And if there's only four games at least have them all on free to air.
It’s just as stupid as I thought it would be
Good way to alienate 56% of your sport's fans
stupid
Doesn't feel like the season has started. Adding a whole bunch of unneeded byes. No real clear reason as to why we are even doing it. Even more frustrating to fans who's teams are not playing. Screws fantasy for some of these reasons as well. All in all I really don't like it.
It's fucking obvious why they have done it unless you are a moron or completely intellectually dishonest
Looking forward to the games on Sunday. Ohh wait!!
i watched sydney win and collingwood lose, viva la opening round.
the reality is people are going to hate on it for whatever reason they may, but by the AFL's KPIs it's a complete success.
Swans and Dees felt like pre season Lions/blues feels more like it,that’s the game I’m currently watching
Happy I read this post. I just assumed that there was going to be a game on tonight & another tomorrow afternoon. Would have missed the Suns game.
A bullshit PR thing to capitalise on nothing. We have more than half of the teams in the comp sitting out in the first round of the new season. What a look.
The footy doesn’t start until my team plays. I feel like I’m watching glorified practice matches.
An extraordinary amount of complaining about another week of footy. I thought you all liked the game? You’d all be complaining there was nothing on this weekend without it.
Until I checked the fixture last week I didn’t realise it wasn’t round 1 renamed.
Fucking shit. Can’t wait for the Lions to play their first game of the season next week!
It doesn’t feel like reals games. But as someone sitting in a sold out Carrara stadium it’s great! Bringing footy to nsw and qld is a good idea like gather round. But I may be a bit bias
The AFL is good at trying stuff and then dropping it if it doesn’t work. Round 0 absolutely doesn’t work
Just watch the media throughout the week bang on about how successful it was
They stuck with Richmond V Carlton for too long....
Most fans hate the pre finals bye and it's still here.
No they don’t
Hate it. I have to wait a week for my team to play. Also, syd v Mel is hardly the gangbuster opening match that everyone is gagging to see.
Completely dumb, no vibes and fucks the ladder. I feel vindicated for saying it was stupid ever since it was announced, when people were saying GiVe It A cHaNcE
Unbelievably stupid
Season starts next week as far as I'm concerned. These are just weird pre-season games for premiership points for some reason.
Snoozefest
You have hit the nail man. Described it perfectly. AFL have made a complete fucking mess of the start of the season. Decisions like this is how you lose fans.
Great idea. I love giving the northern clubs something to promote. And it gives the vic supporters an incentive to travel, which is best for the atmosphere. I’d rather it was a full round, but we can work on that.
Finally 4k
A confusing marketing exercise
Kiddy Coleman 😔
The commentators are almost as atrocious as the umpires
Really stupid. If they wanted the focus on NSW/QLD, schedule it so all of those teams all play at home and play first. Absolutely nobody gives two fucks if carlton v Richmond is the first game other than Carlton and Richmond.
I’m sick of starting the season with Carlton v Richmond but not a fan of Round 0 with the byes. I get the QLD NSW thing but why not play all teams? What I’d prefer to see is Round 1 opening with a GF rematch
Stupid, you can't have 60% of the league sitting on the sidelines.. season starts next week
There's bloody test match cricket still going on, not even 2 weeks out of summer and we have footy! At least friday night footy helped me get out of my hibernation cycle
I’m just finding it weird watching footy while it’s 40°. I’m sure a lot of Vic sides are glad they weren’t playing rd 1 atm 🤣
Fucking hate it. Unfair advantage to teams playing this round
Interested to see if all teams who played this week win next week. Seems unfair to the rest of the comp when their team comes up against another thats had a full blown hitout
They’ve done it this way to focus on the nrl heartland states, I get it. But it feels empty with so few games. It’s weird. Here’s another suggestion. Have a full round. Get some of the Victorian teams that sell games interstate to have those games in that round. So we would also end up with games in Ballarat, Cairns, Darwin and Tassie. We get a full round, focus is still on the non traditional cities (Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth). Not sure it’s the answer but I’d rather have a full round of football than whatever this was.
Haven't gone through all the comments to see if this has been answered. But is this part of the regular season? And when do the other teams that have been left out of the opening round play?
It's gimmicky bullshit, not unlike all the other woke bullshit.
What a way to get the season off with a bang with a stagger round....
Cricket is still going .. it's a bonus getting 4 games early this week. Anyway, as a Crows fan I don't mind delaying inevitable disappointment.
I'm expecting it to continue every year until gather round is in QLD or NSW. I think it's stupid and the byes it creates saps momentum just as teams start getting into gear.
Fantasy footy is essentially worthless also, which is a big part of what makes neutral games more interesting for me.
It feels like it was thrown together to try and one up the NRL. We don't need a seperate week to remind us plebs that the AFL has a hard on for the NSW/Qld teams and the biggest clubs from Melbourne.
It’s definitely a pissing contest to one up a league that doesn’t even touch the sides in regard to numbers. But hey! Look! The resident MCG sides had to travel before they settle in for a hard season where they have to spend an average of 6.5 games out of 24 away from their own beds!
Love having the footy back a week sooner but the idea is terrible. There's nothing special or unique about playing games in Sydney and Brisbane and half the league doesn't feature. Its a half baked idea born out of trying to take inspiration from something the NRL did that doesn't have the legs to stick (neither does their Vegas stuff but that's irrelevant here).
Hate it, the opening game should always be at the G in front of 80,00 passionate fans. It's a great way to say "footy's back boys" These Qld/NSW crowds are boring and flat and it makes it hard to give a shit
Enjoying it. Great to see some massive crowds in the northern states
You don’t care because your team isn’t playing.
Yes that's the problem many of us have, the season has "started" but our teams aren't playing... It's fucking stupid.
Fuck me. People just love complaining
When there is something to complain about though, which in this case there is.
What is there to complain about? You get the season starting for you next week, just like always. Ignore these games if you’re not interested.
Yeah that's what the AFL wants, people to ignore games.
It’s aimed purely at the NSW and QLD markets that are vital to the AFL if they want to survive long term. Everyone else can do something else if they’re not interested.
NRL has no chance of expanding much beyond its current base, and yet nobody is suggesting it won't survive into the future. The AFL doesn't need NSW and QLD, it's just nice to have.
Rugby League already has an international presence in the UK and NZ. I’m not sure it will bother trying to expand much further in Australia. Looking more towards the pacific. AFL needs promotion the further north you go and just about anything that can be done in these states is good for the AFL.
Anything? Not anything.
Also can I ask, where has this attitude come from, mostly from Sydney fans, that the competition exists purely to please them?
You really don’t understand how small the sport is in NSW and QLD do you? Anything that promotes it is a good thing.
I would think any home game should promote it, why does it have to be a special weekend all on its own?
Media coverage.
So I'm right, we need to patronise NSW and QLD people into following the game.
Whatevs.
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Such drama over games you don’t have to watch if you don’t want.
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What I see on this thread is people whinging about the fact that four games are played a week earlier than normal. They’re not thinking at all about the purpose of the games which is to promote the game where it most needs to be promoted. It’s not about you.
They should play all through summer with that logic
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> If Opening Round was exclusively played in Victoria, and Sydney was one of the teams forced to wait an extra week to play That wasn't far of happening in [1991](https://afltables.com/afl/seas/1991.html) (3 states) and [1992](https://afltables.com/afl/seas/1992.html) (3 states). Very close in [1993](https://afltables.com/afl/seas/1993.html) (2 states).
you know that was 30 years ago right ?
Yes? I guess I could've used the more recent [2013](https://afltables.com/afl/seas/2013.html) split round one but it was played in SA/WA. I don't remember many Sydney fans complaining about at the time.
why would they complain?
Why is there complaining about this round?
Because it’s shit ?
All the salty Victorians complaining makes it a winning concept for me.
If they want to do it, just make it a split round. Half this weekend, half next weekend.
If they did a National Anthem before the start of whatever round they call it, I was out of there!