Whateley: The demise of Opening Round won't be mourned in footy's heartland

The demise of Opening Round will be mourned by no one in the southern states.

It progressively proved a failed experiment over its three years of operation.

You, the fan, identified it quickly and told the league in no uncertain terms.

What started as a well-meaning idea to compete with the NRL in New South Wales and Queensland… played out as a disjointed and flat start to a season.

You need to launch big… not in dribs and drabs.

The cost of northern exposure was the exclusion of the heartland in Victoria, South Australia and WA… where the majority of people watch the games.

Instead of unifying the constituency … it caused fracture and resentment.

The resultant early-season byes proved irritating, and they were disruptive.

Having your team go missing for 18 days once the season started would pass muster at no marketing agency in the world.

It is self-evident that to get the pop at the launch of the new adventure, you need 18 fan bases engaged in 9 matches… and the bigger the better.

It facilitates excitement and re-establishes rituals.

And it was a formula that had served the game well.

There is no coincidence that Round 6 just brought the biggest crowds of the season… finally 9 games in their right configuration… but it took til mid-April.

Next season is a one-off.

The 150th Celebration Test Match will have clear air from the AFL, which is hugely significant for its stature and prospects.

It didn’t feel guaranteed that cricket would be granted March 11-15 without competition.

I applaud all involved that this appears now to be the case.

Despite the error of staging this historic event as a pink ball Test… it will drip with nostalgia and hopefully prove as cherished as the Centenary Test, which is still so fondly recounted.

And then the AFL needs to get moving with the biggest opening possible.

A stacked Round 1 full of blockbusters.

A loaded Easter schedule.

And then an early Gather Round in Adelaide to coincide with the school holidays, with a better set of games than what was just served up.

If you draw it up with a bit of imagination… it could be the biggest 27-game bonanza we’ve ever seen.

Truly vaulting into a new season.

And that serves the game best… everywhere.