Sunday re-cap: Ballarat lighting criticised plus all the action from today’s three games

BULLDOGS coach Luke Beveridge wants an earlier start time for future games in Ballarat as a poorly lit Mars Stadium caused viewing issues that left Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley unable to see the ground.

WESTERN Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge wants an earlier start time for future games in Ballarat and for them to be fixtured in the first half of the season after a poorly lit Mars Stadium caused viewing issues.

Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley was forced to watch the closing stages of Sunday’s win on TV as he couldn’t see the field from the coach’s box. LIVE LADDER: DEMON DRAUGHT (ALMOST) OVER MALTHOUSE: PIES CAN BEAT TIGERS IN FINALS The league had to bring in temporary lighting for the match, which started at 3.20pm, and in the final quarter AFL great Robert Walls - working in commentary on the match - complained the lack of brightness “reminds me of a VFL club’s training sessions, back in the old days.” “It’s not good enough. Not good enough for professional AFL footballers,” Walls said. Beveridge said while the lighting “didn’t seem to be too bad”, the timing of the game could be improved. “Obviously it got pretty dark in the end,” Beveridge said. “We’d probably prefer to play our two Ballarat games probably the first half of the year, that’d be a good thing. “But ultimately Victoria’s weather’s pretty fickle ... it’s pot luck, there’s no complaints. “Maybe the 1pm timeslot, I think that’d be the best. “Today was OK, but yeah, I think perfect world, that sort of 1.10 sort of slot is probably ideal for this venue.” COMPLETE THE SURVEY BELOW AND YOU COULD WIN AFL GRAND FINAL TICKETS Hinkley said his players had no complaints about on field visibility, but he admitted he found it hard to see. “I couldn’t see the game in the last quarter, I was in the box, it was pretty dark,” Hinkley said. “I was watching it on the monitor as best I could.” Charlie Dixon, who was named best afield by Cameron Ling, told 3AW it was hard to see the other side of the ground. “I had the last four minutes on the bench,” he said. “The ball was played on the other wing… it was very hard to see where the ball was. “If they’re going to play a game here, it should be a little earlier.” Hinkley said the Power was aware their 44-point win was important for his side. “We had an opportunity to be equal third on the ladder or eighth at the end of the day and we still know how close it is,” Hinkley said. Watch every match of every round of the 2018 Toyota AFL Premiership Season. SIGN UP NOW >

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