The AFL gained’t apologise for releasing the opening spherical of the 2023 fixture through the Socceroos’ World Cup conflict, regardless of copping loads of criticism.
Labelled “pathetic” and “petty” for the choice, AFL fixtures boss Travis Auld on Friday claimed the transfer “is what it is”.
“We got a little bit of feedback on that,” he mentioned on the Gather Round fixture reveal.
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“The reality is on that, for as long as I’ve been at the AFL and probably well before that, we’ve always released Round 1 of the fixture to News Limited on the Sunday.
“That’s been organised a long time out.
“I think we’ve got a track record of being pretty respectful and in fact supportive of other codes.
“Putting out nine games of footy on a Sunday in a newspaper we felt is what we’ve always done – we felt that’s OK.
“I can’t speak for others – I think we’ve got a track record of being pretty respectful of other codes and if we’ve released one round of football in the newspaper and that’s got in the way of the (Socceroos) game, it is what it is.”
Along with the soccer-fixture conflict, Auld and South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas copped criticism for saying the Gather Round fixtures through the Second Test – performed at Adelaide Oval.
“If they released it last weekend, they would have clash with the Adelaide 500, if they released it this weekend, they clash with the cricket, then they clash with Christmas then they clash with the Fringe, then they clash with the Tour Down Under, then the Adelaide Festival then WOMAD, then the Magic Round. To be fair to them (the AFL), whenever they announced it, it was going to clash with something,” Malinauskas mentioned.
Auld additionally defended the Gather Round title, which has sparked loads of debate.
“It’s our decision – it’s our job to come up with a name for the round,” he mentioned.
“Gil (AFL boss McLachlan) opened it up to fans and we got a lot of feedback – they actually jammed our email system up!
“We landed on Gather Round a festival of football – we think that describes it. To be honest, the event makes the name, the name doesn’t make the event.
“I guarantee you come Sunday the 16th of April, people will be raving about the Gather Round.”
The AFL will launch the complete 2023 fixture on Sunday, with occasions for spherical 15 onwards to be launched later within the season.
Originally printed as ‘It is what it is’: AFL defends ‘pathetic’ fixture conflict with Socceroos
