2025 Fixture Dates

[Down the Hill]

The league is considering options for the 2025 fixture due to the challenges with the timing of Gather Round and Easter. I'm sure the views of the superior footy intellect within this forum may offer some insight for the decision makers. Note that Gather Round Saturday is 12 April and Easter Saturday is 19 April and the June LW Bye will remain. Here are the options:

1. Round 1 - 5 April, Round 2 - 26 April
2. Round 1 - 5 April, Round 2 - Good Friday
3. Round 1 - Good Friday
4(a). Round 1 - 26 April (3 week final series with a traditional final 4)
4(b). Round 1 - 26 April (3 week final series with a top 6 - winners of 3 v 6 and 4 v 5 to play Prelims v 1 & 2)

[zedman]

Play on Gather round weekend?

[jo172]

Play on Gather round weekend?

Assume it's out of the AdFL's hands but there's a bit in this. Can see why the AFL wanted all the oxygen for the first two incarnations, but can't see why they can't coexist now.

Can imagine that more than a few tourists in town and without an AFL game on Saturday afternoon would enjoy some local stuff conceivably.

[jo172]

Working within the paradigms of the question set my view is that the least bad option is to play easter weekend and start the season that weekend.

Don't like playing one game and then having a bye.

[scottroo]

I don’t mind the late start and the top 6 option.

Perhaps the best way to go about this would be for the top side to get promotion and then the premier (or the second place team if top wins the flag)

[Down the Hill]

Putting any religious views aside but does playing on Good Friday create its own problems with player availability and just as importantly volunteer availability?

And come on Zed - are you the type of guy who wants a steak at a vegetarian cafe. If it's not on the menu don't ask for it.

[Trader]

Option 5, start on April 26, but still have a 4 week finals series.
Achieve this by playing rounds 1 and 2 combined on April 26th, with teams playing a lightning cup style 2 matches each of 4x15min quarters.

Yeah yeah, I know it won't happen, clubs will complain about only getting 8 home games instead of 9, and also 10 teams don't go well into groups of 3 for the lightning cup, but yeah, it would have been a fun option.

[The Bedge]

Option 4 either (a) or (b) are the most obvious choices.

[S Demon]

Play on Gather round weekend?

Round 1 - April 5

Round 2 - April 12 - Play on gather round weekend
-Play as many Friday night games for A/B grade as possible or even some Thursday night games
-Play some games as curtain raisers to the AFL games (Unlikely, but just throwing it out there)
-C & D grade teams play 9.30am & 11.30am Saturday morning

Easter - April 19

Round 3 - April 26

No idea if any of that could work and no idea how many ovals have lights good enough, just spitballing some ideas

[S Demon]

Play on Gather round weekend?

Round 1 - April 5

Round 2 - April 12 - Play on gather round weekend
-Play as many Friday night games for A/B grade as possible or even some Thursday night games
-Play some games as curtain raisers to the AFL games (Unlikely, but just throwing it out there)
-C & D grade teams play 9.30am & 11.30am Saturday morning

Easter - April 19

Round 3 - April 26

No idea if any of that could work and no idea how many ovals have lights good enough, just spitballing some ideas

Ignore all that - we're not playing gather round

[Jimmy_041]

Ignore all that - we're not playing gather round

I'm not on the inside anymore but I think there was some agreement with the state govt that we wouldn't play on that weekend

[zedman]

Ignore all that - we're not playing gather round

I'm not on the inside anymore but I think there was some agreement with the state govt that we wouldn't play on that weekend

My thoughts were that it was set up like that to ensure large crowds but that's not really an issue now as we have seen. With the late Easter it needs some tweaking and an allowance perhaps next year for continuity of the season and for maintaining the historic structure of the competition?

[LaughingKookaburra]

Option 5, start on April 26, but still have a 4 week finals series.
Achieve this by playing rounds 1 and 2 combined on April 26th, with teams playing a lightning cup style 2 matches each of 4x15min quarters.

Yeah yeah, I know it won't happen, clubs will complain about only getting 8 home games instead of 9, and also 10 teams don't go well into groups of 3 for the lightning cup, but yeah, it would have been a fun option.

Yeah nah.

1 - If you’re unlucky enough to snag a whipping boy (or 2) in the “lightning carnival” then you literally have 40-80 minutes less exposure to kick a cricket score and give the opposition a head start.

2 - How does that go with salary caps given you pay double that weekend or if you only pay once and players get the shits?

3 - As above with APPS if you have injuries during game 1.

That’s even before the financial arguments of losing a home game….

[Lightning McQueen]

Option 5, start on April 26, but still have a 4 week finals series.
Achieve this by playing rounds 1 and 2 combined on April 26th, with teams playing a lightning cup style 2 matches each of 4x15min quarters.

Yeah yeah, I know it won't happen, clubs will complain about only getting 8 home games instead of 9, and also 10 teams don't go well into groups of 3 for the lightning cup, but yeah, it would have been a fun option.

I am honoured, thank you!

[Purple Warrior]

Ignore all that - we're not playing gather round

I'm not on the inside anymore but I think there was some agreement with the state govt that we wouldn't play on that weekend

My thoughts were that it was set up like that to ensure large crowds but that's not really an issue now as we have seen. With the late Easter it needs some tweaking and an allowance perhaps next year for continuity of the season and for maintaining the historic structure of the competition?

Not playing on gather round is a load of Wank.
Last year Sydney played West Coast at Mt Barker and Carlton/Freo Adelaide Oval
Port & Crows had already played on the Thurs & Friday nights
Lets not have a round of footy in Adelaide so 4 non-SA team can play, wouldn't effect the crowds at all
It has be 18 rounds and 4 weeks of finals, or just play on the June long weekend

[Bluedemon]

Putting any religious views aside but does playing on Good Friday create its own problems with player availability and just as importantly volunteer availability?

And come on Zed - are you the type of guy who wants a steak at a vegetarian cafe. If it's not on the menu don't ask for it.

SANFL play all there games on Good Friday, maybe play the round of games on Easter Saturday

[RHM 17]

Putting any religious views aside but does playing on Good Friday create its own problems with player availability and just as importantly volunteer availability?

And come on Zed - are you the type of guy who wants a steak at a vegetarian cafe. If it's not on the menu don't ask for it.

SANFL play all there games on Good Friday, maybe play the round of games on Easter Saturday

Play on easter.and have a half.strength team when blokes/families go away.for the easter long weekend

[bird of prey]

Playing local footy on Gather Round weekend only adds to the spectacle in my view.
There’s plenty of ways to leverage local footy to make Gather Round even bigger.
Having to miss weeks due to Easter and then Gather Round is a bit annoying.

[Aerie]

Round 1 Apr 26. Normal season and finals series with Friday night Grand Finals on AFL GF Eve?

[The Bedge]

Those clubs confident of being in the top 2 sides will be eager on Top 4 - one win straight through.
Those clubs expecting to be mid table and hopefully finals will be eager on Top 6 - increased chances of finals.

Playing Gather Rd is followed by a bye for Easter - that’s shit.
Playing Easter - that’s shit, people go away:
Playing long weekend - that’s shit, people need a break mid year.

I hope clubs are gauging their players opinions and views, not just some middle aged dude on the committee who is decided based off what they prefer.

Some times these situations throw curve balls but seem to come out positively with change - look at Covid for example, that was a pretty good year considering.

Schedule your trial games for gather weekend.