Is opening round a good concept?

The AFL staged an “opening round” for the second time last weekend. But the already truncated round zero, which was meant to feature four games held in Queensland and NSW, became even shorter when two games had to be postponed due to extreme weather.

It has sparked debate about whether the concept is a failure that should be scrapped – or if the league’s attempt to boost the code in the northern states is worthwhile.

Chief football writer and Real Footy podcast panellist Jake Niall was in Sydney for the weekend, and attended the two matches that went ahead.

“I think it was flat, the whole thing. When you’re walking around in Sydney, too, this wasn’t on anyone’s radar,” he said on the podcast.

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