POLL: Should there be an AFL game on Good Friday?

[saintspremiers]

The annual question with Easter round the corner.

Luckily this year we have a T20 World Cup game against the Paki's on at 8.30pm on Good Friday night.

[Bunk_Moreland]

No.

It is a holy day for Christians.

Personally I don't believe in any religion, but we should respect the deluded people who believe such tripe.

And who gives a tinkers cuss about T20 except for the Big Bash?

Maybe it would be nice to spend with family, maybe even with the TV off.

One day a year. We should be able to amuse ourselves for one day.

[evertonfc]

Used to be all for it.

Now I'm happy to go without.

Atheist though I may be, it's not just a religious tradition but in Melbourne, a social tradition.

[Bluthy]

Slightly off topic but I don't know why we need a two week break before the start of the season. Everything just feels so drawn out - the NAB cup seemed to go forever. It's like getting your appetizer at the restaurant that get your appetite going and then you have to wait an hour for your meal. Then there will be the byes through the season. Then the two week break before finals which is going to be excruciating. Why not just play one game every two weeks and spread it out over the year AFL as you are obviously trying to get saturation all year coverage.

[Bernard Shakey]

The annual question with Easter round the corner.

Luckily this year we have a T20 World Cup game against the Paki's on at 8.30pm on Good Friday night.

And Victory v WSW at 7.30pm!

[Life Long Saint]

At the last census in 2011, nearly 40% of Australians indicated that they were NOT Christians.
The largest portion of those were "No Religion" (22.3%) or "Religious affiliation not stated" (8.3%).
It is fair to say that that number would only have grown after the more Catholic church controversy and the painfully slow acceptance of science over faith.
So, 40% of the country could not care that over two thousand years ago some bloke had been nailed to a tree for saying how great it would be to be nice to people for a change. But let's adopt that live and let live attitude and play footy on Good Friday...

Let's just call it Atheist Round and move on! We have an entire round dedicated to 2% of the population...Surely 40% warrants one game!

[Sobraz]

Absolutely all for it.

The religious element has well and truly past it's used by date (although by now I would've thought religion in general would've run its race. Hopefully by next century it'll be in it's rightful place alongside Snow White and the X-Men).

After having recently spent some unfortunate time in the RCH, I have an even greater appreciation for what that place and those people do. Surely in some way an AFL game could be affiliated to the appeal, in all likelihood significantly increasing their donations on the day; it'll be a terrific thing. Can never have enough dollars for the RCH nor footy on a long weekend.

[desertsaint]

At the last census in 2011, nearly 40% of Australians indicated that they were NOT Christians.
The largest portion of those were "No Religion" (22.3%) or "Religious affiliation not stated" (8.3%).
It is fair to say that that number would only have grown after the more Catholic church controversy and the painfully slow acceptance of science over faith.
So, 40% of the country could not care that over two thousand years ago some bloke had been nailed to a tree for saying how great it would be to be nice to people for a change. But let's adopt that live and let live attitude and play footy on Good Friday...

Let's just call it Atheist Round and move on! We have an entire round dedicated to 2% of the population...Surely 40% warrants one game!

Surely then 60% warrant one evening free of it!

[Life Long Saint]

At the last census in 2011, nearly 40% of Australians indicated that they were NOT Christians.
The largest portion of those were "No Religion" (22.3%) or "Religious affiliation not stated" (8.3%).
It is fair to say that that number would only have grown after the more Catholic church controversy and the painfully slow acceptance of science over faith.
So, 40% of the country could not care that over two thousand years ago some bloke had been nailed to a tree for saying how great it would be to be nice to people for a change. But let's adopt that live and let live attitude and play footy on Good Friday...

Let's just call it Atheist Round and move on! We have an entire round dedicated to 2% of the population...Surely 40% warrants one game!

Surely then 60% warrant one evening free of it!

They do...so they just don't watch...
As I said, live and let live...

[stevie]

If they wont play on that day then dont open the season the night before! Its so stupid and is laughable

[BigMart]

Yes, there should

The day means nothing more to me other than a day off... Watching the footy would actually pass the time

[Myron Gaines]

Good Friday is one of the boringest days of the year. Should play a triple header. Get the the times AFL

[George27]

Good Friday is a public holiday to recognise a significant Christian event and allow for quiet reflection. If it is an anachronism to recognise the event any more, then by all means scrap the holiday , make it a working day ( helpful to the economy) , if necessary make an added contribution to the RCH from the extra income generated by businesses, and have a Friday night game because it would become just a normal Friday. Until that occurs, there should be no game on Good Friday. In my opinion it would be hypocritical to take the holiday and yet disrepect the reasons for it.

[Playon]

Yeah you should all go to work unless perhaps you can provide a yearly church attendance record.
Scrap the holidays get rid of them, there's no reason to have them. Why should half the public work on these days to serve those that have a day off when they don't even believe in the religion.
Too many dam hippies in this country, and while I'm at it if you dont have a job then go and get one

[Jacks Back]

At the last census in 2011, nearly 40% of Australians indicated that they were NOT Christians.
The largest portion of those were "No Religion" (22.3%) or "Religious affiliation not stated" (8.3%).
It is fair to say that that number would only have grown after the more Catholic church controversy and the painfully slow acceptance of science over faith.
So, 40% of the country could not care that over two thousand years ago some bloke had been nailed to a tree for saying how great it would be to be nice to people for a change. But let's adopt that live and let live attitude and play footy on Good Friday...

Let's just call it Atheist Round and move on! We have an entire round dedicated to 2% of the population...Surely 40% warrants one game!

God help us if (when???) this country is not Christian.

Christian definition from Merriam-Webster Dictionary: treating other people in a kind and generous way.

[saintbob]

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeessssssssss

[Enrico_Misso]

The AFL's reluctance to play on GF is an international embarrassment.
Totally out of touch.

[Toy Saint]

The AFL's reluctance to play on GF is an international embarrassment.
Totally out of touch.

Not quite an international embarrasment, I've actually had the discussion in the USA and there is a school of thought that feels TV sport is overly saturated and a day free of sport is kind of refreshing.

Just a pity Good Friday happens to be at the very start of our season when a lot of us are hanging out for footy.

[saintspremiers]

The AFL's reluctance to play on GF is an international embarrassment.
Totally out of touch.

Not quite an international embarrasment, I've actually had the discussion in the USA and there is a school of thought that feels TV sport is overly saturated and a day free of sport is kind of refreshing.

Just a pity Good Friday happens to be at the very start of our season when a lot of us are hanging out for footy.

Easter being round 1 happens every 5 years ish.

Easter is always in the first 5 rounds of the season and no GF footy means no Friday night footy early in the season which is the marquee slot. IF Easter was during the middle of the season I don't think it would be such an issue, as you could use it inconjunction with a bye week so there were less games played

[desertsaint]

The AFL's reluctance to play on GF is an international embarrassment.
Totally out of touch.

Okay - so name how many american, british, and european top level sports play on Good Friday.

[saynta]

The AFL's reluctance to play on GF is an international embarrassment.
Totally out of touch.

Okay - so name how many american, british, and european top level sports play on Good Friday.

SFA I would think.

Shouldn't be any sport on good Fraiday IMHO.

Don't like it then go live somewhere else.

[Life Long Saint]

God help us if (when???) this country is not Christian.

Christian definition from Merriam-Webster Dictionary: treating other people in a kind and generous way.

Treating other people in a kind and generous way is possible for non-Christians...even godless souls like me can manage that.
Some of the worst horrors on this planet were made by "Christians" and in the name of Christianity.

But this is waaaay off topic!

[dragit]

The AFL's reluctance to play on GF is an international embarrassment.
Totally out of touch.

Okay - so name how many american, british, and european top level sports play on Good Friday.

SFA I would think.

Shouldn't be any sport on good Fraiday IMHO.

Don't like it then go live somewhere else.

Which top level sports don't play on good friday?

ML Baseball has 16 games on good friday this year
NBA has 9
NHL play 3 games.
Australia is playing a T20
NFL is off season.
EPL don't play on fridays generally anyway…


If you have a religious objection to sport on any given day then you are free to not watch it without stopping others from doing so.

AFL on Good Friday is around the corner… playing football on a Sunday was once a contentious concept too.

[matrix]

If people want to have the day off of footy to worship the Sun and its movements in the sky who am i to care.

Anyway.....can they not get the tigers v blues game squeezed in on sat or sun instead of the thurs?
Is there no grounds left to play on??
Im guessing this is the case because its a f****** stupid idea to start the season the day before good friday when you dont play on good friday ffs

Afl.....couldnt run a bath

[kosifantutti]

The AFL's reluctance to play on GF is an international embarrassment.
Totally out of touch.

Okay - so name how many american, british, and european top level sports play on Good Friday.

SFA I would think.

Shouldn't be any sport on good Fraiday IMHO.

Don't like it then go live somewhere else.

Which top level sports don't play on good friday?

ML Baseball has 16 games on good friday this year
NBA has 9
NHL play 3 games.
Australia is playing a T20
NFL is off season.
EPL don't play on fridays generally anyway…


If you have a religious objection to sport on any given day then you are free to not watch it without stopping others from doing so.

AFL on Good Friday is around the corner… playing football on a Sunday was once a contentious concept too.

Not to mention the NCAA basketball tournament which is huge over there.

No European league games this weekend as it's an international week. But lots of friendlies on Friday. Including Ireland v Switzerland.