AFLPA response to 2006 AFL fixture

4 Oct 2005 - Jason Murnane

According to AFLPA Chief Executive Officer Brendon Gale, the players' association will closely monitor the impact which scheduling of Sunday twilight and Monday night games will have on AFL players' preparation, recovery and overall welfare. 

"The AFLPA supports the AFL's ambition to maximise the value in its fixture, provided any new initiatives are implemented in a manner which is sensitive to the needs of the performers who put on the show each week," said Gale.

"The AFLPA is concerned to ensure the fixture is structured in a manner which recognises the welfare of all AFL players and provides them with the best opportunity to recover from, and prepare for, the physical demands of Australian Rules Football."

Gale revealed that AFLPA member surveys demonstrated that the vast majority of AFL players prefer playing on Saturday afternoon or Friday night, with very few players indicating a preference for Sunday or Monday night games.

"AFL players enjoy the often rare opportunity to divert their focus away from football following a weekend game before training and planning commences for the next match early in the week."

"Sunday evening and Monday night football certainly limits this opportunity, placing added importance on players receiving at least one full day's break from club duties each week."

Gale suggested that whilst the AFL's scheduling of games later in the day on Sunday afternoons in Perth is potentially positive from a television ratings perspective, it has the potential to cause difficulties for clubs returning to Melbourne, compromise player recovery and compound the impact of playing interstate.

Whilst cautious of the impact of the AFL's new timeslots, the AFLPA applauded the AFL's commitment to alleviating other pressures associated with scheduling of a national competition.

"Pleasingly, players representing the three interstate teams which do the most travelling each season will enjoy a period of at least three weeks during the 2006 season where they are not required to travel interstate," said Gale.

"It is also sensible that the AFL has avoided scheduling day games in Brisbane and Perth during March and April to alleviate risks associated with playing football in conditions of extreme heat."

The AFL's obligation to ensure players receive a 6 day break between games wherever possible has been fulfilled in all but two instances in the 2006 fixture.  Concessions have been made to accommodate the St Kilda v Brisbane match on the eve of Good Friday and the traditional Collingwood v Essendon match on Anzac Day.

"Given the physical demands of contemporary AFL football, we would prefer that the 6 day minimum break between matches is never compromised," said Gale.

"If games are to be scheduled on Sunday and Monday evenings, perhaps these timeslots could also be used to avoid the 5 day breaks caused by public holidays." 

Finally, the AFLPA suggested that whilst scheduling 13 games at Telstra Dome in just 23 days would test the playing surface at that venue, it was confident that with the right lead-up the Telstra Dome surface should stand up to the unusually high level of AFL traffic during the first four weeks of the 2006 season.

"Hopefully the preparation of the turf surface over the next six months will ensure that the heavy use of the ground during this period will not result in poor playing conditions later in the season," Gale concluded.