How Opening Round’s return could make 2025 season even longer
The league has added two extra rounds in the last two seasons, and could continue to add weeks going forward after the success of Opening Round in the northern states.
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AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon says he is open to expanding the season to 24 home-and-away matches per club as the league looks to replicate opening round’s success in 2025.
The league’s expansion of its home-and-away season shows no signs of abating despite the AFL adding two extra weeks to the schedule in recent seasons.
Adelaide’s Gather Round came into the competition last year with players and clubs financially rewarded for that extra game of football, while the Opening Round added another week to the fixture but not an extra game for clubs.
Ground availability for the MCG and SCG is an issue as venues attempt to schedule massive concerts like Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift in February while also replacing turf before round 1.
But one option is for the league to schedule a northern-states Opening Round a week earlier then play a full round across the Labour Day weekend, which falls on March 10 next year.
The league will take until mid-season to review Opening Round but after four sold-out games and huge membership wins for northern-states clubs Dillon is in the mood to explore more changes.
“There is an ability, a potential maybe for another game at some stage but I am really conscious of what we are asking of our players, coaches and footy staff,” Dillon said.
“Back (in previous decades) we played four practice games and 22 matches. We have truncated the practice match series, added one extra game (to the home-and-away season). Maybe there is a potential for that (one extra game). It’s all about access to venues but also keeping the game at the level it is and we have seen incredible footy last year and we are seeing it this year as well.”
Dillon told SEN as part of his round of media interviews on Saturday the league loved Opening Round after football boss Laura Kane made clear earlier in the week it would happen again next year.
“We were really happy. Four sell out crowds, the number one show on free to air TV on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. We saw membership double digit percentages ahead in NSW and Queensland and GWS up 30 per cent year-on-year
What we saw with the crowds Thursday and Friday (in Melbourne) whetted the appetite for our fans.”
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