EXCLUSIVE: Eddie McGuire calls on AFL to avoid 'ratings disaster' with dud primetime fixtures
Former Collingwood president Eddie McGuire believes the AFL is handing the NRL free wins with the fixture it has created for the final few months of the season.
The league's rolling fixture, which encompasses rounds 16 to 23, was released in May and greatly rewarded Carlton and Essendon with primetime games.
Given both teams are fizzling out of the season, McGuire believes the AFL is in for a rude surprise in the ratings for those nights.
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Essendon leave the field in Perth. Getty
From round 16 onwards, Carlton and Essendon both play on Thursday or Friday night four times, with both teams likely to get a fifth in round 24 given they play each other and the Bombers need to play twice after Opening Round was postponed.
The Blues played last Thursday night against Port Adelaide, losing by 50 points and failing to kick a goal for nearly an hour.
They will now face Collingwood this Friday night in a game oddly fixtured to overlap with a second game between West Coast and GWS.
McGuire worries fans will change the channel quickly if the games aren't competitive.
"Why don't we schedule some games to actually get some ratings, rather than handing (Australian Rugby League Commission chairman) Peter V'landys another birthday present," McGuire told Nine's Eddie and Jimmy podcast.
"The ratings on the run home are a disaster and if I was (Seven West Media chief) Kerry Stokes I would be ringing up going 'you're kidding aren't you, change the fixture now'.
"Just change it. Get Carlton and Essendon off (prime time). It's pretty simple.
"If Carlton's playing Collingwood or Essendon's playing say Richmond, OK, there's some interest there, but not the other ones, and not when there's other good games."
Michael Voss, coach of Carlton walks from the the 3/4 time huddle during the round 15 AFL match between Carlton and North Melbourne. Getty
Essendon's most recent primetime appearance saw them lose to Fremantle by 41 points in round 15.
The Dons have been competitive this season, but have been brutally impacted by injuries.
This Thursday night's primetime game features the 16th placed North Melbourne facing the red-hot Western Bulldogs, in what could be another blowout.
Former Essendon coach James Hird agreed completely with McGuire's assessment.
"I understand they're big drawing clubs, but they're not playing well and they're not interesting to watch," Hird added.
Round 16 was entirely made up of games featuring top eight teams against bottom 10 sides, as the AFL exited a gruelling five-week bye stretch.
Oddly, this will occur again in round 17, with the top nine teams on the ladder all slated to take on the bottom nine teams.
