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When ex-Carlton chief asked for the Blues to be cut from prime time
Jaiden Sciberras • July 31st, 2025 7:00 pm
From a glut of low-end teams playing out gruelling contests on Thursday and Friday nights, many have called for a complete fixture shake-up given the obvious miscue across the season.
2025 has seen Essendon feature in 12 prime time contests, followed by Carlton with 11, and the Bulldogs and Magpies rounding out the only four sides with double digit prime time slots.
The errant fixturing by the AFL has been particularly disappointing given the lack of free-to-air coverage, with Channel Seven only owning the rights to games on Thursday, Friday and Sunday, while Fox Sports via Foxtel or Kayo remains the only service to broadcast football on a Saturday.
That being said, former Channel Seven head of sport Lewis Martin has urged football fans not to panic over the missed fixture opportunities, referencing the time that a very similar situation unfolded with the Blues back in 2014.
“First of all, on this current situation – don’t panic,” Martin told SEN Breakfast.
“It has happened before, and it has happened again. In four weeks’ time, we’re probably going to have an absolute grandstand finals finish. There are nine teams right now that have laid claim to the premiership.
“This current situation we’re in now is not ideal, particularly when you’ve got the likes of Essendon, Carlton and Richmond - the big drawing clubs - where they are.
“Many years ago, Carlton had a run of eight Friday nights, and it was interesting because most AFL CEOs would lobby to get free-to-air. I had Steven Trigg (former Carlton CEO) come into my office and beg me to get him off the telly! I said, ‘you and me both, Steven!’
“It was during that time when Mark Stevens (Channel Seven reporter) and Mick Malthouse (former Blues coach) had that feud, and what it was, was a public lashing of the Carlton Football Club and the low ebb.
“That’s what we’re probably seeing now with a lot of the clubs too. When you see a club a lot in the low ebb, it can be really damaging for them.”
Speaking on the floating fixtures, Martin confirmed that the AFL does have the capability to shift fixtures from a broadcast perspective, however the intricacies of managing travel, breaks and stadium commitments play a crucial role.
“From a broadcast perspective, you can do anything,” Martin continued.
“But when you’ve got stadium commitments, and you behold it to other arrangements, whether it be other gigs that the stadium have booked, then it is limiting, not to mention five-day breaks.
“The fixture is not an easy thing to do, and so there are so man other things. I look at the fixture going forward – the broadcasters are doing an incredible job; the media are doing an incredible job of maintaining interest during this period.
“It’s not ideal for the next few weeks, but all will be forgotten and forgiven come week one of the finals, when we get into what could be one of the great finals series of all time.
“There are discussions happening right now, talking to the AFL right now about next year’s fixture, and maximising the outcome for fans.”
