It’s nicknamed the sporting capital of the world but the AFL might have missed a trick with the scheduling of games this weekend around the Australian F1 Grand Prix.
Melbourne will be pumping this weekend with a crowd of more than 400,000 expected to watch Daniel Ricciardo and Oscar Piastri race at Albert Park in the third F1 race of the season.
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With the AFL season now in full swing too, Collingwood play St Kilda at the MCG on Thursday night as the reigning premiers search for their first win of the season.
But Friday night’s prime time game is in Adelaide with the Crows taking on Geelong, while the Sydney Swans play Essendon at the SCG in Sydney on Saturday evening.
Interestingly, the AFL have scheduled afternoon games at the MCG on Saturday and Sunday afternoons when the F1 qualifying and race will be in action.
Hawthorn take on Melbourne on Saturday at 4.35pm and Richmond face Port Adelaide on Sunday afternoon at 4pm.
In comparison, qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix gets underway on Saturday at 4pm and will run for a couple of hours.
AFLW champion turned commentator Abbey Holmes believes the AFL should have scheduled the MCG games in the evening so visiting fans could spill from the track to one of the biggest stadiums in the world.
“I think there might be a missed opportunity for the AFL in the way they fixtured Round 2,” Holmes told the Footy Talk podcast.
“Thousands of people are descending on Victoria, coming to Melbourne for the Grand Prix. Not just from around Australia, but from around the world.
“There is not a night game in Melbourne on Friday and Saturday night – Friday is in Adelaide and Saturday night is in Sydney.
“I’ve heard from a number of people over the last few days that have said, ‘We would have loved to have come to Melbourne, gone to the track during the day, and then caught a game in Melbourne. We love our footy and we don’t get to come to Victoria often.
“But there’s not a night game at the MCG or Marvel (Stadium).’ Is this a missed opportunity?”
Commentator and co-host Jack Heverin agreed, adding: “The AFL hadn’t thought of that.”
“It’s also a missed opportunity to bring new people into the sport.
“All of a sudden they’ll be asking ‘What’s on in Melbourne. I’m going to the Grand Prix in the day and I want to do something at night.’ They’ll go to this new sport, massive game at the MCG.”
Heverin noted the third game of the NBL’s Grand Final series between Melbourne United and the Tasmania JackJumpers had been pushed back to 5.30pm to avoid a clash with the F1.
“I think you’ll find that game will be a sellout come Sunday as a result,” he added.