Good Friday game all about the money says church leader
A Good Friday AFL game at the Adelaide Oval shows money is almighty in the City of Churches, says a religious leader “saddened” by the unexpected sporting coup.
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Playing footy on Good Friday at the Adelaide Oval is “sad’’ and proof “money calls the shots’’, says the Dean of St Peter’s Cathedral, Reverend Frank Nelson.
For the first time, an AFL match will be played at Adelaide Oval on Good Friday, when Port Adelaide takes on West Coast in a 7pm clash.
Reacting to the news today, Reverend Nelson feared it would cause parking headaches for those attending the Cathedral’s 3pm service on the holiest of days for Christians.
“There are certainly people who are Christian people who will be a bit sad that it has come to this,’’ Reverend Nelson said.
“But there is also a sense of realism that we live in a multi-faith culture, which also involves the religion of footy.’’
Reverend Nelson told The Advertiser he hoped employers, such as the Adelaide Oval, would not force Christian employees to work that day if it was contrary to their religious beliefs.
While a Good Friday game has been a regular on the SANFL calendar, the AFL waited until 2017 before holding a match on the holy day.
However, this is the first time an AFL game has been played at Adelaide Oval. Port played West Coast in Perth last year.
Port Adelaide chief executive Keith Thomas said the club had not requested the public-holiday clash but was “really pleased with it’’.
“I suspect it will be a really popular fixture,’’ he said. “It’s certainly big for us, a great opportunity for our club to play in a stand-alone game on a real high-profile day and we are very interested to see how it goes.
“There will always be people who have different views and we respect that.’’
Administrator of the Adelaide Archdiocese Bishop Greg O’Kelly said: “While acknowledging that Australia is becoming an increasingly secular society, and that religious minorities must not impose their practices on the majority, it remains a fact that the Christian story and values are part and parcel of our Australian society’’.
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Bishop O’Kelly said he appreciated that the Adelaide game was scheduled in the evening because “for many thousands of Christians, 3pm is the time they commemorate the hour of the death of Christ’’.
However, he noted there was an afternoon game in Melbourne, which was “extremely disappointing’’.
Reverend Nelson said it was inconsistent that venues such as pubs and hotels were closed on Good Friday but alcohol would be sold at Adelaide Oval. “There seems to be a bit of … hypocrisy might not be too strong a word,’’ he said.
Originally published as Good Friday game all about the money says church leader