The Smoke and Mirrors of Magic Round

Can we have a bit of a chat about the AFL’s latest experiment?

In Round Five, all teams will congregate in South Australia for the league’s version of Magic Round, titled the Gather Round. Nice title… catchy. Sure to be a hit.

In the space of four days, all teams will play at venues in South Australia, with four games making up two double-header at the Adelaide Oval as the highlight.

All good so far?

Excellent. Let’s move on.

The concept of the Magic Round is not a bad one. I love that we get another week of footy on the calendar, as the alternative – not having an extra week of footy – makes me sad. However, the AFL, like teens in a bedroom, seem to be very eager to get things underway without taking the necessary precautions.

We all know how that ends, right parents?

This article is for our members. But its off-season – where’s the value? Glad you asked – each week at The Mongrel, we offer get standalone articles such as this, full pre-season game reviews and complete access to the season previews. Want to join us?

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