The second installment of the AFL's Opening Round is in the books, and so is the ongoing criticism from the masses.
The almost false start has an unnatural feeling given that at least 10 teams are waiting in line for their ticket to be called up. And this year, it was 14 due to the cyclone in Queensland and northern New South Wales.
Albeit the premise of Andrew Dillon's venture is admirable, could the game in the northern states benefit from a revised scheduling, potentially in the middle of the season?
As we've seen, both Queensland, and largely New South Wales, are subject to erratic and wet-season climates during the summer months, that literally can put football in jeopardy.
Yes, football isn't the be all and end all, but the promotion of the game in NRL-dominated states could benefit greatly from a new time slot, says Brisbane legend Jonathan Brown.
"You see what the NRL has done with Vegas, it seems to be a unifying thing – not that all the teams go there but for the whole league – and it (Opening Round) seems to be creating a bit of a divide for us between the Southern states and the Northern states," Brown told On The Couch.
"And the time to celebrate the northern clubs is in the wintertime when everyone wants to get out of the southern states, get up to a bit of warmth.
"There could be that opportunity around that split round weekend where you have the four games on a particular weekend up there in the school holidays – ‘The Northern Round' – and then the other clubs play on the alternate weekend."
Of the four contests scheduled in the 2025 edition of Opening Round, two went ahead in difficult conditions.
GWS and Collingwood were subject to playing in heat of mid to high 30s, which, in a rare sight, saw the likes of Nick and Josh Daicos cramping shortly after half-time.
Last year, the 2024 season opener between Sydney and Melbourne faced trying conditions in the heat and humidity, causing the spectacle to lack its natural punch.
