Queenslanders: AFL's Biggest Losers | Thebigtip

Remember the good old days? A trip to the footy cost no more than a couple of bucks at the gate, you could sit or stand where ever you liked, beer came in cans and cost about a dollar, and if you couldn't make it to the footy, you could stretch out on the couch and watch the match of the day. That's right, match of the day.

As an ex-Victorian living in Queensland and supporting a Victorian based team, I have always been prepared to not see my team play on the TV every week. However, If the Lions, and now the Suns, aren't playing, I expect to see the best game possible.

Saturday night saw my frustration levels reach an all-time high when I realised that they weren't showing Essendon (8th) playing Sydney (7th). Two teams, neck and neck, scrapping each other for a spot in the eight at the pointy end of the season.

Instead, we were treated to a sublime display of stupidity on behalf of Channel 10 and One HD. When I realised that we were being fed a match akin to Canada versus India in ice hockey, I hung my head in disbelief. Collingwood (1st) against Port Adelaide (17th). What ever happened to match of the round?

There has been alot of talk this week about blowouts and how predictable scores could turn punters away. This could very well happen in television land as well. As a lover of football, I am happy to watch a great contest regardless of the teams playing, but Collingwood and Port Adelaide? Please! I turned to my wife and said "I bet Sydney v Essendon is decided by less than a kick and Collingwood roll the Power by 100+". Subsequently, I switched channels before the game had even commenced.

The frustration doesn't end there for Queenslanders who love AFL. One HD's One Week At A Tme, a footy panel show that I had gleefully enjoyed last year at 8:30pm, is now shown at 12:30am and that's only if they don't show a replay of the previous night's Grand Prix.

Then there's the new show, The Game Plan at 11:30pm on a Thursday. You are forced to flick between channels if you are an avid watcher of Channel 9's AFL Footy Show.

I have lived in Queensland for 20 years and every year, the promise of better coverage for viewers keeps me hanging on in the hope that they may actually deliver. Sadly, it seems to be getting worse. With a new Queensland-based team in the competition, you would think that they would have it sorted but I guess it is naive of me to think that commercial television executives could get anything right.

The late time slots do my head in. Those of us fortunate enough to have to crawl out of bed at 5ish in the morning to go to work can't stay up and watch these shows. With extra channels now, you would think a simple replay at a respectable viewing time would make sense but unfortunately, The AFL and network hierarchy dont deal in sense.

Foxtel now has control of broadcasting rights with a majority share so I am assuming that the average, Queensland-based, free-to-air viewer will have to continue dreaming for a better AFL viewing experience.