The AFL’s earlier Melbourne Friday night start time has been endorsed by Hawthorn great Luke Hodge as the league continues to trial several new slots ahead of an expected lucrative TV rights deal to be signed off in the coming months.
Friday night’s clash between Western Bulldogs and Hawthorn began at 7pm AEST, 50 minutes earlier than usual, while a second game on the same night began at 8:40pm AEST in Perth between West Coast and Essendon.
Friday night double headers have been trialled on several occasions in 2022, while the competition is currently in the midst of a five-game Thursday night football block.
As the league continues to experiment, Hodge’s said he was a fan of both the double header and the earlier start time at Marvel Stadium.
“My concern was the 7pm start and people getting to Marvel Stadium in time,” he said on SEN’s Crunch Time.
“Finishing work, getting the kids from school and making sure everyone wasn’t rushed. Everyone I spoke to said they were at the game with heaps of time.
“After a long week of work, what’s better than watching two games of football.
“I’m all for the early game.”
With three games already played in Round 15, Saturday’s tantalising triple header sees no overlap between matches.
Gerard Whateley endorsed the more streamlined Saturday schedule, rather than the traditional five-game roster which usually sees matches clash in both the afternoon and night.
“That’s the only contrast (on a Friday night) that works – early Melbourne and then late Perth,” he said.
“What is does (is it means) Saturday’s schedule is right, there’s (three games) and no overlap. Don’t bury a game under these three crucial matches.”