Footy bonanza could fill void on Channel 7 if Tokyo Olympics are suspended
Double headers on a Wednesday night? Or how about triple headers on Saturday? Anything is possible. And footy could fill a gaping hole upon its return, writes Mark Robinson. HAVE YOUR SAY
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When life returns to normal — and hopefully it will be sooner rather than later — then buckle in for a footy bonanza.
Ideas are already being discussed. The impending cancellation of the Tokyo Olympics has opened a two-week window for the AFL, Fox Footy and Channel 7 to launch a saturation of matches in this reduced season.
The window runs from July 24 to August 9.
Seven had the Olympic rights, so they will need content. Fox Footy clearly needs football content.
It could be footy’s version of cricket’s BBL summer spectacular — night after night of matches and three matches on a Saturday and Sunday.
What about a Wednesday double header: a game in Melbourne then a game in Perth?
There won’t be crowds in attendance, so why not back-to-back-to-back games at the MCG, Marvel Stadium and back to the MCG on a Saturday starting at 2pm?
Channel 7 is dealing with the aftershock of the season’s suspension, but ideas are being entertained.
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Channel 7 boss Lewis Martin said yesterday he was open to everything.
“From adversity comes innovation and ingenuity, nothing’s off the table,” Martin told the Herald Sun.
“I’ll support the AFL with what they come up with. Once they get up going, whatever fixturing concepts they’ve got, we’ll be there to look at them.”
Monday wasn’t a day to celebrate plans. In what is football’s darkest day, as much as 80 per cent of AFL and club staff have been stood down as the shock of the season’s suspension became a reality.
Soon enough, though, the AFL will need to focus on the return.
Plenty has changed in the past 10 days. Even the AFL’s language.
On March 16, AFL boss Gillon McLachlan announced a 17-round season plus finals.
On March 18, he said: “I said on Monday that we are moving to a 17-round season. I also said we had to be agile. Tonight, our 17-round season becomes a 153-game journey.”
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On Sunday, when announcing the suspension of the 2020 season, he said: “The AFL plan is to play all remaining 144 games, plus finals, this year. The competition will need to remain agile and flexible on when those games were scheduled and when playreturned.”
The identity of football is now weeks, not rounds, so, there’s no Round 2 or Round 3.
Now it will be how many matches to come. It allows the AFL to schedule matches and not set rounds.
“It means the AFL can be fluid,” an industry insider said.
“They can schedule games whenever they like, they’re not boundto structured Saturday afternoon games.”
Originally published as Footy bonanza could fill void on Channel 7 if Tokyo Olympics are suspended
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