Footy fans blow up as AFL drags out Draft coverage

The AFL quickly became public enemy number one on Wednesday as footy fans across the country blasted its slow coverage.

Footy fans played the waiting game.

The AFL loves extending out what could be a 60-minute viewing experience into a movie length feature that would rival The Lord of the Rings.

As the 2020 Draft coverage got underway on Wednesday night, stories on the draft prospects and what was about to unfold greeted fans.

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Twenty minutes later AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan stepped up to the microphone and began his speech to the next crop of stars.

Before the picks started and long before the Adelaide Crows were even put on the clock, McLachlan threw it over to a spokesman from the AFL’s major sponsor NAB.

Fans watching on from home weren’t happy with the drawn out process and just wanted the picks to start rolling in.

The Age’s Roy Ward wrote: “No one cares about your ads, no one is watching your well-made, tear-jerking videos. JUST. GET. TO. THE. DRAFT!”

The Herald Sun’s Nick Smart wrote: “On behalf of every journo on deadline, get on with it.”

Former AFL media journalist Marc McGowan wrote: “So unnecessary to have a NAB spokesman c****ing on before the draft.”

Alex Fair, sports editor for The Advocate, wrote: “The AFL’s ability to drag things out and waste time on show once again.”

The Age journalist Sam McClure wrote: “I reckon we could’ve just gone straight into pick 1 at 7pm.”

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Jamarra Ugle-Hagan was one happy man.

Thirty minutes after the night got underway, the Crows’ pick was finally in and in no surprise they bid on supremely talented youngster Jamarra Ugle-Hagan. However, the Western Bulldogs immediately matched the offer and will add the highly touted star to their squad for next season, gaining priority as he is part of their Next Generation Academy.

Adelaide were then pushed back to pick number two and took West Adelaide big man Riley Thilthorpe, while North Melbourne scooped up Will Phillips with pick three.

It was the start of a long and painful night for footy fans.

Channel 9 sports reporter Mark Gottlieb said taking nearly four-and-a-half hours to get through less than 60 picks was “absolutely ridiculous”, writing on Twitter: “It’s taken two hours to get through the first round of the AFL Draft. That’s … too long.

“When you include the start of the broadcast this thing was longer than 1963’s Cleopatra — arguably the longest blockbuster film ever.”

Before the night was over, Herald Sun footy reporter Sam Landsberger tweeted: “Three and a half bloody hours for 53 drafts picks. But 20-minute quarters is too long.

“Carlton’s draft gem Jack Carroll — a country boy who moved from Geraldton to Perth this year — seems to make time slow down, very much in the Scott Pendlebury mould. So you feel for him tonight … because this is painful in real time.

North Melbourne media boss Heath O’Loughlin added: “FYI — the electronic TV guide has the AFL Draft finishing at 1am.”

Racing writer Ryan Reynolds said “this is by far the most painful viewing experience of all time” while AFL reporter Daniel Cherny was another who wanted things to move along, poking fun at McLachlan’s stubble. “Get on with it,” he tweeted. “Gill was actually clean-shaven when the broadcast began.”

You can check out every club’s pick here.