Mark Robinson: It’s time AFL was ‘all ears’ on real issues rather than silly debates about AFLM
AFL football boss Steve Hocking said the league was ‘all ears’ on the issue of a name change to AFLM for its men’s competition. Mark Robinson says it’s time they took notice of the game’s real issues.
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If kite flying was an Olympic sport, the AFL would be standing on the podium.
In December, it was the halftime debate.
In 2018, among other suggestions, it was about extending the goalsquare and two lowly clubs playing for points trialling potential new rules.
For the past 20 years, maybe more, it’s been about the possibility of a night or twilight Grand Final.
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Gillon McLachlan is like an exotic dancer on this debate.
Every year, he’d take off another item of clothing, slowly teasing a frustrated football public, before announcing there was nothing to see here. And we fall for it.
We have angry fans on radio and online and the polls show absolute disdain.
The debate will probably kick off again in a couple of weeks when McLachlan is asked about the Grand Final timeslot in his first in-depth interview this year.
Cue the music, hey Gill?
The latest craziness is the potential name change of the AFL to AFLM — to identify the men’s game.
From 11am to 1.35pm on Tuesday, the possibility of the AFL becoming AFLM was more than fanciful.
‘We’re all ears’, AFL football boss Steve Hocking told The Outer Sanctum podcast, when asked if the league was open to the possibility of renaming the men’s competition AFLM.
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The Herald Sun posted the story at 11am yesterday.
Three hours of unnecessary conversation — and social media backlash — ended when the AFL put out a statement just after lunch.
“We had a great first round to season four of the AFL Women’s competition,” a spokesman said.
“AFLW has built its own powerful identity in the community and we will continue to promote its message and celebrate the league and women’s football.
“There are no plans to change the name of the AFL competition.”
All of this could’ve been avoided if Hocking said a firm “no” instead of indulging the question in the first place.
Or maybe Hocking is open to the idea, only for the AFL spinners to back-pedal when they read the backlash.
Our poll was 93 per cent against a change.
But why are we even having this debate? AFLW is the women’s. AFL is the men’s. End of discussion.
True, AFLM is used in club land to separate the different football programs, but the AFL doesn’t need to bother.
It’s OK for the AFL to champion causes, but it does pick and choose on these matters. Two weeks ago, the league signed a mega million-dollar deal with a corporate bookmaker, and will continue to take revenue from various betting companies.
The AFL is “all ears” on discussing AFLM, but remains deaf to the gambling scourge affecting society and the flood of adverts in its football coverage.
How about the AFL be all ears on important issues.
AFLM is not one.