Does Thursday Night Football Work?

[master bate]

I dont like them scheduled on the bye weekends. Now there's even less footy on the weekends.

Yep, doesn't make a lot of sense. Can only think it's a reaction to origin or timed with a break in the TV programming because we really aren't left with much for Saturday/Sunday now.

 

[longsuffreosupp]

Stupid to do it on the bye weekends.

 

[Freomaniac]

I Might sound a bit sadistic. If Thursday night footy rates well this season, I wont rule it out as a weekly thing in the next tv rights.

 

[rodney86]

The bye weekends are the only time it can be done. Otherwise at least one team is going to be coming into the game with a five day break.

 

[Sydney Bloods]

To some extent, but games have always been played Saturday and Sundays, so that is factored in to the vast majority who already attend. The variety will hurt those who like to attend every match as you make it easier for other things to interfere.

Ignorance at its best, There's another 10 home games regular's can attend. But very few for those who simply cannot attend weekend games due to the commitments they have in their work and personal life. Games may have always been played on weekends but the simple fact is the workforce has changed dramatically over the last 2 decades. Today 30% of employees work weekends, 42% of contractors work weekends and 50% of business owners work weekends. 20 years ago the total was 12% of the workforce. In case those numbers don't quite get the point across that's MILLION'S of people and among them are diehard footy fans who would give there left nut to attend footy but simply can't.

You bring up the past without even looking at why it was played on the weekends, it was because the work week was monday to friday, today the workforce is becoming 24/7 the days of pissing off down the pub for schooner at 5pm on a friday are fast coming to an end. By 2030 50% of the workforce is expected to be doing shift work. The AFL must adapt, the huge success of thursday night games compared to many other timeslots shows that there's a demand for these games. If you work 9-5 and have no issue attending weekend games, good for you. You've got on average another 9 of them you can attend. For those who need to choose between footy and putting food on the table, They don't have that luxury. Your complaints only highlight how out of touch you are with modern Australia. If you think thursday nights have attracted good crowds by not catering to footy fans you have rocks in your head.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

Looking forward to the Port Thursday games coming up. Going to Sydney so got time off work and took the Friday off the day following the Collingwood game here in Adelaide.

That's the folly of it. You need to take time off work in order to attend the football. How poor is that? Why don't we have a Wednesday afternoon match as well?

 

[Billy ray]

I just wish it started 720 rather than 750. Fell asleep last night at 3/4 time...

 

[chiwigi]

Ignorance at its best, There's another 10 home games regular's can attend. But very few for those who simply cannot attend weekend games due to the commitments they have in their work and personal life. Games may have always been played on weekends but the simple fact is the workforce has changed dramatically over the last 2 decades. Today 30% of employees work weekends, 42% of contractors work weekends and 50% of business owners work weekends. 20 years ago the total was 12% of the workforce. In case those numbers don't quite get the point across that's MILLION'S of people and among them are diehard footy fans who would give there left nut to attend footy but simply can't.

You bring up the past without even looking at why it was played on the weekends, it was because the work week was monday to friday, today the workforce is becoming 24/7 the days of pissing off down the pub for schooner at 5pm on a friday are fast coming to an end. By 2030 50% of the workforce is expected to be doing shift work. The AFL must adapt, the huge success of thursday night games compared to many other timeslots shows that there's a demand for these games. If you work 9-5 and have no issue attending weekend games, good for you. You've got on average another 9 of them you can attend. For those who need to choose between footy and putting food on the table, They don't have that luxury. Your complaints only highlight how out of touch you are with modern Australia. If you think thursday nights have attracted good crowds by not catering to footy fans you have rocks in your head.

You sir are a fool.
The VAST majority attend weekends. You are stuck in your own preference.

 

[revival_mode]

2 and a half hour drive (each way) for me to get to the footy so i rarely go even on weekends. I do like the thursday night games but i will not ever be attending one

 

[WhyAlwaysMe]

That's the folly of it. You need to take time off work in order to attend the football. How poor is that? Why don't we have a Wednesday afternoon match as well?

I'm working a weekend to get the Friday off for the Collingwood game here in Adelaide. Works out well, I get paid more too. Not everyone works 9-5 and has kids.

 

[Grongey]

Love Thursday night games, bring it on!

A really good evolution in game scheduling.

 

[Papa G]

Friday night like TV ratings, 50,000 attendance, I think they might stick with it. Hopefully the AFL doesn't go overboard with it and just use it sparingly, keep it as a bit of a novelty........... or schedule Carlton to play.

 

[Borderline]

6 a year max and they shouldn't be on the bye weekends and they should be in place of Sunday 4:40's. Combined with WA taking a good chunk of the Sunday 4:40's it should remove a lot of them from the middle of the year where no one wants to be going to footy in Melbourne (or Adelaide/Sydney or anywhere else really) on a cold, dark Sunday evening.

1 - First game of the year
1 - Easter Thursday (if that doesn't clash with the first game of the year/prior to the season)
1 or 2 in SA
1 or 2 in WA
Possibly 1 in Geelong but I'm not sold on that with travel for so many getting to the cattery
Possibly 1 in NSW/QLD

**** off, we shouldn't get punished with shit timeslots because you victorian pricks are too precious to attend games at 4:40 on a Sunday. Can you imagine the crying if your Friday and Thursday night games started at 6:10 like ours do? Precious petals the lot of you.

 

[Smoky]

I just wish it started 720 rather than 750. Fell asleep last night at 3/4 time...

Agreed.

7:10 pm start is about right.

 

[radiojake]

Agreed.

7:10 pm start is about right.

Pretty sure it did start at that time locally..

 

[The_Reaper]

You mean so Ch 7 can't show it at prime time. The alternative is for WA matches to not be live Friday night games in Melbourne which isn't a great alternative for the WA sides trying to sell sponsorship on a national scale.

I'm sure Freo and West Coast can cope without Victorian money

 

[Scatter]

I love Thursday night footy, it's like the weekend is starting early.
Probably prefer it to not be my team though, miss not looking forward to our game on the weekend.

 

[Underarm]

Yep, doesn't make a lot of sense. Can only think it's a reaction to origin or timed with a break in the TV programming because we really aren't left with much for Saturday/Sunday now.

It's a catch 22. Playing them on bye weekends to negate short breaks; but it means there's only 4 game on the weekend.

I like Thursday night games; but I'm young enough to enjoy them.

 

[Rotayjay]

I went last night. I got home at 11 o'clock and was a bit tired this morning, but I managed. It's not like I ever get to sleep before 11 anyway. The atmosphere was great, the attendance was great and I think it should be done a few times per year. More than that, and I agree the novelty factor will be lost and it won't be the same.

 

[im_a_lazy_sod]

I like it - I just wish they started a bit later out west

6.10 is totally chaotic for work peeps wanting to get home (regardless of whether they are planning on going to the footy or not). Also no time to grab food before-hand

A 7.10 WST start would work much better - but then it won't suit anyone else for TV.

 

[Badesumofu]

I'm working a weekend to get the Friday off for the Collingwood game here in Adelaide. Works out well, I get paid more too. Not everyone works 9-5 and has kids.

This is a very important point. While weekend footy suits the majority the best, there are plenty out there who will find it much easier to attend a Thursday night match. Not suggesting that it should happen every week, but a few times a year doesn't seem unreasonable. For a shift worker it costs a lot of money to miss a weekend of work because of penalty rates. Even if you use some leave, you are going to be out of pocket for the penalty rates which can make up a significant proportion of your overall pay. Thursday night might not be the most convenient for a 9 - 5 worker, but it's manageable. Frequently missing Saturday/Sunday shifts is simply not feasible for a lot of shift-workers.

 

[pazza]

Great crowd and decent match last night.

 

[Roddy]

Didn't mind it, something a bit different. The only bummer is that, now we've played on the Thursday night, there's a weekend of footy ahead that we're not involved in and it feels like bye week again!

 

[Matchu]

Great crowd and decent match last night.

50,023 to be exact. Seems to be working on a part time basis.

 

[The King!]

I prefer it on the weekend, just selfishly

If i have to choose between thursday, sunday night and monday i will take Thursday

I dont get doing it in bye weeks thougH