Disrespect

[devils_advocate]

When did Anzac Day & Easter become of such little significance that local sport was ok to be played as if it was a regular weekend?

Players playing on Monday will not only miss the chance to participate in Anzac Day activities, they will also miss several public holidays to utilise with their family and friends.

It is disgusting that the league would consider it ok to schedule games directly over the top of a significant day for Australia, in addition to hampering players holiday plans with their friends and families around the 2nd biggest holiday period of the year.

Players make a lot of sacrifices already, but this scheduling is the biggest muck up by the league in some years. The league has lost the plot.

Also, how can you justify giving 3 clubs the bye (as opposed to the standard one) so that 3 clubs and their players have the opportunity to travel and utilise the 5 day break and refresh, yet 8 other clubs are expected to miss out on using this key period for holidays/rest?

Interested to hear why the hell this happened, and how has the league arrived at this ridiculous situation.

[shearer]

have to agree, i work with a few guys from different clubs and they are filthy they have to play on monday.

[tara]

Devil I take it that your new to Sydney football because this has been going on for years here.

[Norris Lurker]

We've had games on Anzac Day before - usually when Anzc Day has fallen on a Saturday or Sunday. I don't see it as a mark of disrespect, as long as the occasion is marked appropriately at the games - and I'm sure it will be. I've been to sporting events, both elite and grassroots, on Anzac Day in the past; and with one exception, Anzac Day and the sacrifice our service people have made has been honoured. (The exception was a Sydney FC soccer game at Parra Stadium, when Anzac Day was ignored completely).

It's probably more of an issue this time because there's a string of public holidays, and a lot of expat interstaters would have liked to have taken the opportunity for a weekend away. You could see some regulars making themselves unavailable - the clubs that were drawn the bye are the lucky ones.
I'm in Victoria as I post this - I've taken the opportunity for a long weekend with my parents down there. I'll post an article on Monday night, and illustrate with pics from the archive I've built up over the years of doing the reports. Penno, North Shore and UTS players have the same opportunity I have; but players from other clubs don't.

I guess the reason they've done it is because of having an odd number of teams, and needing to squeeze 20 rounds in for every club to get their 9 home games.

[BOOMERHARVES]

Totally agree with you DEVILS... As to all the reasons listed and missing the Pies v Bombers clash is a higlight for the majority of AFL supporters around the country who dont even follow either club.
3 clubs with the bye???? Why dont we all just have the week off or schedule the game for the bloody Saturday at least!!!!!!!
Not 100% where im going with all this but definately not a fan of the Monday ANZAC day game...