The AFL and Channel Seven have made the correct decision by opting to show this Friday night's Essendon v Sydney match on turnaround into Melbourne. The match commences at 7.40pm and the SCG and is being shown on Channel Seven in Melbourne from 8.30pm. The match will be shown live on C7. It would have made no sense had the AFL and Channel Seven gone with the Richmond v Collingwood game at 8.30pm as was originally scheduled. Melbourne-based Essendon and Sydney supporters would have missed out on seeing their sides compete in one of the matches of the round while the gate for the Richmond v Collingwood match at the MCG could have been significantly affected.

The Magpie hierarchy would have been far from impressed if their crowd had dropped by 20,000 people because the game was being shown on television and rightly so. It is a decision that will be well received by all parties concerned and one that was made for the good of football. This decision should be used as a precedent should such a situation arise in the future.