We could have another Friday night game.
Channel Seven is lobbying against Hawthorn-Carlton being scheduled on Friday night in Round 23
JON RALPH
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/channel-seven-is-lobbying-against-hawthorn-carlton-being-scheduled-on-friday-night-in-round-23/story-fni5f8ge-1227465337334
THE AFL could yet find a solution to Round 23’s Hawthorn-Carlton Friday night stinker by fixturing all top-four sides on the Saturday of the final round.
The league was leaning towards handing Hawthorn the maximum break before its qualifying final as part of its mantra to hand top-four sides an advantage.
But the Hawks-Blues game shapes as a total disaster, with Channel Seven instead lobbying for the high-stakes Richmond-North Melbourne game.
The AFL could play all of the top four sides on the Saturday of Round 23 — likely Hawthorn, Fremantle, Sydney and West Coast.
Then it could schedule a qualifying final on the Friday night of Week 1 of the finals, knowing both sides were at least coming off an equal six-day break.
Ideally the minor premier and top-four sides would want a seven-day break before a first final but the new solution would provide more fairness.
None of Sydney, Fremantle or West Coast can play on the Friday of Round 23 given they play on Sunday in Round 22, which would force them into an unenviable five-day break.
One or more of that trio also face successive six-day breaks before their first final if they are scheduled a Friday night qualifying final.
Hawks president Andrew Newbold said his club would accept it Round 23 fixture.
“We will accept whatever cards are dealt. There seems to be a push in the media for us not to get the Friday night game,” he said.
AFL fixturing boss Simon Lethlean told the Herald Sun on Friday one of the Hawks-Blues or Tigers-Roos games would be on the Friday night.
Lethlean said the league would listen to Seven’s feedback on its preferred match.
“It is a factor. Channel Seven will have their say on what they would like. We haven’t spoken in depth, but (Hawthorn-Carlton) is not going to be projected as one of the games of the round,” he said.
The league will schedule six Saturday games in Round 23, with Port Adelaide-Fremantle to be a day or twilight game so the Dockers can fly back to Perth on Saturday night.
The AFL will look at the decision early next week but might hold off a week given key Round 19 clashes — Adelaide-Richmond, West Coast-Hawthorn and Sydney-Geelong
Hawthorn beat Carlton by 138 points last Friday night, with moderate ratings and a disappointing crowd of only 26,815.
“We try to give the top sides the best chance they can to prepare for the finals and that also means travelling teams who are in finals contention can get home by Saturday night,’’ Lethlean said.
“It’s possible all of the top-four sides could play on Saturday and that might be fair as well.
“The main two games we are looking at Hawthorn-Carlton and Richmond-North Melbourne.
“If Richmond-North Melbourne was Friday night and you played the Hawks on Saturday as well as Fremantle, Sydney and West Coast maybe that’s as fair as anything.”
POSSIBLE ROUND 23 FIXTURE
Friday
Richmond v North Melbourne (ES)
Saturday afternoon
Port Adelaide v Fremantle (AO)
Brisbane Lions v Western Bulldogs (G)
Saturday twilight
Geelong v Adelaide (SS)
Hawthorn v Carlton (MCG)
Saturday night
Sydney v Gold Coast (SCG)
West Coast v St Kilda (SO)
Sunday
Melbourne v GWS (ES)
Collingwood v Essendon (MCG)
