Articles by Paul Zalunardo,Vince Rugari

Sports

AFL wildcard round: Cheapening the product or keeping dreams alive?

The AFL’s decision to add a wildcard round to its schedule has ruffled feathers, with a poll conducted by this masthead showing that 80 per cent of fans are against the idea. But once the initial opposition to the concept dies down and the matches themselves arrive, what we’ll be left with is another week of matches – and matches that mean a lot. They could even involve your team. Those who see it as a way for the league to make more money aren’t wrong, but that doesn’t mean the fans won’t also be winners. A large part of Andrew Dillon’s job as AFL chief executive is to maximise revenue and grow the game. The introduction of a 7 versus 10 and 8 v 9 matches will tick both boxes.