AFL Fans Association president Ron Issko has joined in the chorus of opposition to doubleheaders being played on Friday nights.
Round 6 will mark the beginning of a streak of five Fridays in six rounds having double headers, which has drawn criticism from across the industry.
Issko indicated that fans are accustomed to one Friday night game and is a tradition too deeply embedded to mess with.
"I think now Friday night being stand-alone is part of the tradition," Issko told Zero Hanger.
"Those who can't go to the games can just watch the game on TV.
"Friday nights aren't about flicking between the games and the AFL, and broadcasters want the best ratings, so leave the formula alone: don't fix something that is not broken. It's the number one marquee game of the week for fans."
Overlapping games is something that draws the ire of fans, hoping to get their footy fix each weekend.
Playing two Friday night games means an unavoidable overlap, rather than staging a game on Saturday afternoon, where games can be appropriately spread.
"Fans would hope that the Friday night game remains a marquee game rather than having two games to choose from. Clearly, the players and fans are also aggrieved," Issko added.
"Fans are disappointed. The AFL has made some good decisions and average ones, and this falls into the average category."
Both Sydney clubs have expressed disappointment at the fixturing this week, believing that the game overlapping with a Geelong versus Western Bulldogs clash diminishes the product and sends the message that the rivalry was not strong enough to carry Friday night alone.
It follows the AFL working hard in recent years to grow the game in the northern states, most notably via Opening Round.
Swans chief executive Matthew Pavlich reached out to the AFL for clarification about the fixture.
