Imagine if the AFL threw open the gates to Marvel Stadium today and played some back-to-back womenā€™s games, starting straight after the grand final parade.
Itā€™s grand final eve, a public holiday, school holidays, and tens of thousands of footy supporters will be swarming the city. With no Melbourne-based teams in the decider, they will be desperate for something to fill the void before Kylie kicks off the entertainment at the MCG.
You may not have realised, but there are, in fact, four AFLW games scheduled for Friday. The problem is they are being staged at three different locations that are tricky to get to ā€“ from Windy Hill in the northern suburbs to Whitten Oval in the west, and a double header at Ikon Park in the evening.
Laura Kane, the AFLW executive general manager, has been quietly working behind the scenes on talks for an AFLW Gather Round-type event in Sydney for Pride Round next year. Itā€™s a brilliant idea, based on the roaring success of the menā€™s Gather Round in Adelaide.
But what about a mini-Gather Round at Marvel Stadium today?
Parents would have somewhere to take their kids, who have footy endorphins pumping through their little bodies, ahead of the menā€™s grand final. Local kids who follow Victorian teams could throw on their footy jumpers and scarves and gather in one place.
One of the best features of menā€™s Gather Round is its colour and vibrancy. Seeing all the team colours together, it reminds me of the Olympics. At the Olympics, itā€™s the green and gold mixed in with the global technicolour of other countries. At Gather Round, itā€™s the glorious visual of club colours. Itā€™s the only time we see them all together in one location.
The players get to show off their skills in an elite environment. And with showers forecast today, thereā€™s protection from the weather. The double headers at Marvel have been a huge success this season, with high-quality, high-scoring contests.
The broadcasters would be happy because they only need to set up at one location, and the broadcast quality looks much more professional.
Tonightā€™s drawcard AFLW game is the top-of-the-table clash between Melbourne and two-time defending premiers North Melbourne. Itā€™s the most anticipated game of the home-and-away season.
The Kangaroosā€™ record-breaking 32 game winning streak came to a screeching halt in Cairns last Friday night at the hands of Hawthorn. Suddenly, the Kangaroos have gone from invincible to vulnerable, and a Melbourne win would just about guarantee the Dees the minor premiership. Itā€™s a game that will attract plenty of fans to Ikon Park.
At the risk of offending the Carlton Football Club, Ikon is more of an eyesore on the TV at night. The stadiumā€™s lights struggle to light up the entire ground, so you have to squint from the couch. The crowd canā€™t stand around the entire fence because of the new training facility ā€“ which goes right up to the boundary line at the Royal Parade end.
The fan experience isnā€™t ideal. They have to sit on rickety old planks of wood ā€“ where thereā€™s every chance youā€™ll get a splinter in your backside. The commentary boxes are splattered in pigeon poo.
And the visiting change rooms look like they havenā€™t been touched since the VFL teams were forced to have cold showers in the ā€™70s.
Some may say the ground is charming. While it passes for an AFLW venue ā€“ for now ā€“ it shouldnā€™t be hosting blockbuster games or the womenā€™s grand final.
Marvel Stadium needs to become the home of W.
While a mini-Gather Round on grand final eve is certainly doable, the AFL would need to clear the stadium of any major events in its biggest week of the year.
On Thursday ā€“ Australian DJ Dom Dolla played to 60,000 fans at the venue, a cash cow for the AFL-owned stadium.
Everything comes down to the dollar. But it shouldnā€™t matter whether itā€™s Dom Dolla or an Aussie dollar, there are precious few openings in the AFL calendar. Grand final eve is one, and the AFL should charge into it with gusto.
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