Seventeen games in 18 days doesn't have quite the same ring to it, but the AFL insisted that Wednesday night's Western Bulldogs-St Kilda clash was always going to go ahead despite a freak storm that left Simonds Stadium looking more fitting for rowing than football.
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The eighth game of the NAB Challenge game eventually began half an hour later than the forecast 7.10pm start, but a start of any sort seemed fanciful after 50 millimetres of rain fell inside an hour soon after 5pm. Quarters were reduced by three minutes to 17 minutes plus time-on.
The Geelong home rooms flooded, but thankfully weren't being used for the game, but the delayed start was a concession to water in the Bulldogs rooms that compromised their preparation.
The Dogs posted a video on social media at 5.38pm welcoming fans to ''Lake Simonds Stadium'', with footage taken from the bottom of their race showing the playing surface covered in a sheet of water.
After the rain stopped, an inspection by AFL officials deemed that the pre-season ''road show'' would continue.
Think we might need the long stops in tonight. Screw-ins all the way. #wetweatherfooty #gatherthepack pic.twitter.com/HLztgYL2xV — Western Bulldogs (@westernbulldogs) February 19, 2014
