There’s no doubt most people involved in Sunday’s AFL match at Aurora Stadium between Hawthorn and the Gold Coast Suns would have been hoping for a bigger crowd. It was disappointing.
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Just over 10,000 souls attended the late Sunday match under heavy skies while braving a chilled winter’s breeze.
It’s fair to say that right from the start, the match contained all the wrong ingredients.
For starters, the kick-off time of the game was questionable – 3.20pm on a Sunday afternoon. Has anyone from the AFL been to Tasmania in winter?
The mid-afternoon timeslot is based purely around the free-to-air television broadcast arranged for Channel Seven so the game can run nicely into their 6pm Sunday news. However, this match was only screened on Foxtel, which could have telecast the match at any time – the family friendly 1.10pm timeslot for example.
Previous matches at Aurora in that earlier Sunday timeslot have proven a huge success. Last year, the round three clash against Western Bulldogs drew just under 15,600 fans.
It was also the only AFL game in the country on Sunday. Only the AFL can answer why the match was set down for the late kick-off.
The timeslot is crucial to many people from around the state who regularly travel. An early match means they can be home at a reasonable time. A 3.20pm match on the other hand means a potentially late-night trip down the Midland Highway in the midst of winter, or along the Bass Highway to the North-West Coast.
On the plus side, the game in Launceston did not clash with local football, which in itself was a miracle.
The other huge factor was the opposition.
Despite having a talented young list – as well as a rejuvenated Gary Ablett in the line-up - the Gold Coast Suns are perennial underperformers. They also boast a small fan-base, particularly outside of Queensland.
Hawthorn’s draw at Aurora Stadium is quickly becoming something of an unfortunate joke. It’s also puzzling why in more than 10 years since the Hawks began playing in Tasmania there hasn’t been a single night match rostered, while North Melbourne was conveniently handed one this season against Richmond.
It’s no wonder people are questioning if there’s an agenda at play in regards to AFL games in Tasmania.
