Stop trying to rush us - footy is a social experience

Why is everyone in such a rush these days? Quick, hurry up. Let’s go. What’s next? The world of rush and haste is taking over everything, including the AFL.

The AFL has proposed to shorten its half-time break from 20 minutes to 10 minutes. The players might not even leave the ground. The idea smacks of an organisation so desperate to move with the times and fit in with new consumer trends that it’s forgotten to ask the fans what they want.

If they did, they’d discover they’re barking up the wrong tree. One poll conducted this week revealed more than 80 per cent of fans were against the move.

Did anyone ask footy fans if they want a shorter half-time break? Credit: Justin McManus

The reasons for the savage backlash are clear. Going to the footy should be a social experience, not
a rushed one.

There was a time when people went to the footy all day. They watched the reserves –
filled with young stars, battlers and has-beens – and cheered, barracked and engaged in friendly
banter.

Back then, you could actually sit with your mates. You didn’t need to book, you just lobbed up and chose a seat. Yes, you watched the footy, but you chatted about it too – and life. People actually had time to hear what their friends were doing.

After the game, you’d head to the bar to recap on the moments that mattered. But not anymore. Now there’s no curtain-raiser. You can’t sit with your mates unless you have the same membership category, and anyone who’s ever tried to get a beer in the AFL members bar after a game of footy at the MCG knows that you don’t have time to drink and talk – once your lips hit the glass, the bar is shut and you’re kicked out. You have to be quick.

Of course, none of this would matter if the AFL seemed like it had time to invest in its fans. But that’s not the case. Their resources are thin on the ground. It’s never taken longer to get a drink or a pie at the footy. When the crowd is large, if you rush down at the half-time siren to beat the crowd, you might just make it back in time for the first bounce of the third quarter.

And now the AFL wants to reduce the time we have at the major interval by half. Clearly, they don’t have kids. Or maybe they do, but they don’t sit in the outer. Put simply, there will be no time to get a drink, a pie, go to the toilet or, more importantly, to talk. Apparently we need to keep moving. And quickly. If we don’t, Gen Z might get bored and tune out.

The problem with all of this is that we’re losing our ability to reflect, to stop, to savour. Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson reckons the game "goes for far too long". His concern is for the players, stating that for them "it’s unbelievably taxing".

But I’ve never thought the game is too long, and I can assure you, I’m never in any rush for it to end. Even when my team is getting flogged, I’m there with my mates – chatting, cheering, socialising. And I can guarantee you we’ve never, ever looked at each other and said, "gee, half-time is dragging on". We’re far too busy enjoying the time.

Of course, I could go on and on about this, but by now you’ve probably had enough. You’re busy. You
have other things to do. It’s time to move on. Next!

Sam Duncan is a lecturer in sports media and marketing.