League’s stretching of AFL season to new lengths will push clubs’ depth to the limit

Both the AFL and its fans can’t get enough of footy, but how much is too much? JON RALPH analyses the marathon that awaits clubs in 2024.

MELBOURNE , AUSTRALIA. September 30, 2023. AFL Grand Final between Collingwood and the Brisbane Lions at the MCG. After the siren, Collingwood wins. Oleg Markov. Picture by Jason Edwards

The AFL’s bizarre desperation to minimise its AFLW Grand Final crowd and curtail the season length is in direct contrast to the marathon the game’s men’s teams are about to embark upon.

A league coming off record crowds and massive TV ratings is correct in that it doesn’t seem about to kill the golden goose any time soon.

Yet clubs have recently been told they will still play an official pre-season game as well as a second scratch match against an AFL rival.

For clubs like Melbourne and Carlton, playing in the league’s Opening Round, it means they are expected to be pitted in an official pre-season game on Wednesday February 28.

Melbourne takes on Sydney eight days later in the Thursday night season opener before the Blues tackle Brisbane at the Gabba on Friday March 8.

The crowd at the AFLW grand final could have been larger if the league had moved the match the Marvel Stadium. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images.

And yet despite the early start date those teams will also have another scratch match against an AFL rival in the third week of February ahead of their official pre-season clash.

Both the Demons and Blues will hope to be involved in the grand final in the last week of September.

To do so they will need to be “up” for 32 weeks playing at least 28 games — 23 home and away games over 25 weeks, those two pre-season games and then three or four finals.

Anyone who witnessed the rapturous reception of the Adelaide faithful and the cash thrown at the Gather Round concept by the SA government knew it was always going to be a keeper after the league pinched an NRL idea.

Those Sydney teams so furious to be shut-out hosting Gather Round had to be sated, so the league offered the new “Opening Round” concept to hand northern state teams some clear air.

As the senior players for the AFL’s finalists returned to training on Monday the reality was they have a full 10 months ahead of them if they are to last to the grand final.

The league clearly figures there is no such thing as too much football — of the men’s variety at least.

There is a strong case to be made that there would be a much greater sense of anticipation if the league eradicated its pre-season scratch matches and official games altogether.

The players don’t need the fitness work given endless match simulation across summer and the lack of exposed form would add genuine fascination to Opening Round and Round 1.

But the sheer quest for content from broadcasters and media already covering December training sessions in forensic detail means the league will march ahead with those pair of games leading into the season.

And footy fans will lap them up.

If availability is footy’s most important commodity leading into September, a deep and talented squad might be just as critical in a 2024 season that lasts 32 weeks from first game to last.

Collingwood showed it had some depth as Billy Frampton stepped up against Brisbane in the decider, but can he do it for a year with Dan McStay out with a torn ACL?

Collingwood will be missing Dan McStay for a large chunk, if not all of 2024 due to an ACL injury. Picture: Michael Klein.

Darcy Gardiner came up big when fellow key defender Jack Payne went down injured through finals but without Lions first-year star Will Ashcroft the Pies midfield had the better moments of the Grand Final.

By the semi-final Melbourne had a hobbling Bayley Fritsch, a suspended Jacob Van Rooyen, key forward Tom McDonald with little exposed AFL form and Ben Brown injured again.

On Monday as the senior players returned at Gosch’s Paddock it was apparent how desperate the Demons are to stock their list for every single eventuality.

VFL star Marty Hore rejoins the list as defensive cover should Joel Smith be suspended for his match-day cocaine test, while ex-Crow Shane McAdam and draftee Kolthyn Tholstrup will emerge as mid-sized forward targets.

Ex-Saint Jack Billings rounds out the wing options while the Demons made clear to Adam Tomlinson early in the off-season he wasn’t trade bait and rejected a trade back to Adelaide for Petty.

The AFL might be a star-driven league but like never before it is about depth.

The Demons get six matches against a clutch of 2023 finalists then a Round 6 bye, then a Round 14 bye, then hopefully a pre-finals bye before a qualifying final.

But in that AFL marathon their Opening Round game is imposing — Sydney at the SCG — and a Gather Round clash means they have Port Adelaide and Adelaide in successive weeks at Adelaide Oval in rounds 3 and 4.

Yet they could be a Richmond or North Melbourne — aware they are only one key position injury away from being totally exposed by premiership contenders.

Already the Tigers are conditioning fans for Tom Lynch to miss the early rounds and have no obvious replacement except for full back Noah Balta.

While the Roos are paper thin for key defenders and had Nick Larkey kick 76 goals with Jaidyn Stephenson a distant second with 26 goals.

So buckle up for footy’s marathon, one in which fans will thrive on even more Thursday night football but will be a rugged feat of endurance until one team is the last standing.

Originally published as League’s stretching of AFL season to new lengths will push clubs’ depth to the limit