GWS forward Jake Stringer has labelled the AFL's decision to persist with its Sunday fixture, which clashed with Australia's opening World Cup match, a "disgrace".
The Giants and St Kilda took to Marvel Stadium at 3:15pm (AEST) on Sunday, which was halfway through the Socceroos' game against Turkiye.
Calls for the AFL to push the start time back in order to give both games free air.
"It's a disgrace," Stringer said.
"Honestly, let us watch the Aussies once every four years. Don't put the games on the same time.
"It’s a disgrace... let us watch the Aussies. It’s once every four years. Don’t put the games at the same time."
It's fair to say Jake Stringer was not happy about having to play at the same time as the Socceroos’ opening FIFA World Cup game 👀 #Players pic.twitter.com/VCidl8I1Di
— Footy on Nine (@FootyonNine) June 15, 2026
"They want attendance. They want people to watch. No one is watching. Everyone is watching the World Cup."
Earlier last week, Stringer's captain, Toby Greene, was quizzed on the schedule clash, saying on the Ausmerican Aces podcast he'd preferred to have watched it.
"I would have stayed and watched it. No one's going to watch our game…like I wouldn't watch our game. I love footy as much as anyone but I'm watching the Socceroos on Sunday if I had the choice," Greene said.
"I don't know why they'd (the AFL) even try and bother competing with it. Just embrace it and go, 'alright, the Socceroos are playing 2 o'clock - first game of the (Australians') World Cup - let's start the Giants and Saints at 11 and then maybe have a Marvel watch party.
"I reckon it would have been a great idea, and everyone would have got around it, and everyone would have stayed, and Marvel would have done more numbers as a result. I reckon they missed a trick there."
A measly 17,748 fans walked through the turnstiles at the Docklands on Sunday, while the Aussies secured a 2-0 victory.
Saints coach Ross Lyon said he "liked the attitude" of the AFL holding their ground, scheduling a game that works for them.
"There are full-time people who do the (AFL) fixturing," Lyon said after the GWS win.
"Hang on -- when was the World Cup scheduled? December 6 last year? OK ... if someone knew it was on, and you're a full-time fixturer, it was a deliberate decision, wasn't it?
"Was it logical? That's probably debatable. But I like the attitude -- we're the AFL, we're a Saints home game, our people will come.
"Last time we played GWS up there, there were probably 3000 people, with no Socceroos game on."
