Friday night Showdown hopes rest with Seven, says AFL boss Gillon McLachlan
PORT Adelaide and the Crows still have a major challenge to put their classic Showdown rivalry on the AFL’s biggest stage, Friday Night Football.
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PORT Adelaide and the Crows still have a major challenge to put their classic Showdown rivalry on the AFL’s biggest stage, Friday Night Football.
And the biggest stumbling block to a primetime Showdown remains convincing AFL free-to-air telecaster Channel Seven that the intense SA derby can be a major ratings winner in the big markets outside Adelaide.
The AFL has not - despite speculation on Thursday - already put one of next year’s two Showdowns at Adelaide Oval in the frame for a first-ever Friday night fixture. It is not even on the planning board at AFL House in Melbourne where the focus on the draw for Season 2019 will sharpen in a fortnight, after the league formally places the 18 teams in three groups (1-6, 7-12 that contains the Power and Crows and 13-18).
But in an exclusive interview with The Advertiser, AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan agrees the remarkable contests in Showdowns - both were decided by less than a goal this season - merits national free-to-air television exposure on Channel Seven.
“There is an incredibly compelling (case for Seven to take the Showdown),” McLachlan said. “But we have not done the fixture (yet).
“We are always working with the broadcasters on what is the right games for the right timeslots.
“It would not surprise me if Seven come to us asking to take the Showdown again on a national timeslot ... Friday, Saturday or Sunday. But I have not had the discussion, so I don’t have the answer on where a Showdown fits (for Channel Seven).
“Generally, Channel Seven prefers the two teams (on Friday night) to be from differing states - to engage different audiences.
“But the quality of the football in the Showdowns could bring forward a different view.”
Australian Football Hall of Fame Legend Malcolm Blight left Showdown 45 - that put the derby counter at Crows 23, Power 22 - urging the Adelaide and Port Adelaide administrators to put a joint submission to AFL House for a Friday Night derby.
That sales pitch might also have to hit Channel Seven executives.
McLachlan added: “If Seven came to us saying they want the Showdown on Friday night, we would do everything to make it happen.”
McLachlan has confirmed to The Advertiser that the home-and-away fixture will remain with 22 games for each AFL club - and most likely in its current format with all 22 games detailed when the draw is released late in October.
The alternative “17 plus five” fixture - that has every club play its 17 rivals and the last five matches decided in July with the league broken into three round-robin groups (1-6, 7-12 and 13-18) is losing appeal at AFL House.
“I think it is accepted with the financial eco-system of football that we can’t go backwards from 22 games,” McLachlan said. “The only question then is: Do we play more? I don’t think we can with player fatigue and other issues.
“Can we configure the 22 games differently? Of all the alternatives, 17-5 is the best. But that has a couple of big issues.”
These are the teams in the lowest group (13-18) losing relevance to their matches and, to quote McLachlan, being “dislocated from the league”. And the top group (1-6) having a tough lead-in to September’s finals.
michelangelo.rucci@news.com.au