Social media is blowing up after Damien Barrett’s newest thought bubble, with the veteran journalist now suggesting that the Showdown between Adelaide and Port Adelaide needs to be performed in Melbourne.
On the finish of Tuesday’s Entry All Areas that Barrett hosts alongside Nat Edwards and Matthew Lloyd for AFL.com.au, the trio addressed the continued debate across the fixturing for one of many largest clashes in soccer.
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“Damo, ought to the Showdown be given the marquee timeslot on Friday night time soccer yearly?” requested Essendon legend Lloyd.
“Oh, completely,” replied Barrett.
“I’ve been saying this for a few years, and I do know it’s a minority view, however I really feel convey it to Melbourne,” he stated.
“Not simply to make it a high Friday night time timeslot, however convey it to Melbourne, the MCG.
“The whole competitors’s coming to Adelaide in Spherical 5, when you schedule that recreation, when you don’t say MCG, let’s go together with Marvel Stadium, you fill it.”
The thought was met with derision from co-host Nat Edwards.
“What? No!” stated Edwards.
“Adelaide Oval is superb, the environment there, to look at a Showdown.”
“You’ve obtained to develop the sport,” Barrett stated.
“They’re two South Australian groups!” an incredulous Edwards replied.
“You’re going to upset a whole lot of South Australians,” she stated.
Edwards turned out to have loads of help, with proverbial steam popping out of the ears of South Australian footy followers.
Crows supporter Twitter account @CamryCrowback referred to as it a “thoughts boggling Victorian take”, whereas proud South Australian and journalist Daniel Brettig stated “burn it down”.
“We haven’t seen paternalism like this since Kitchener,” Brettig wrote.
“The Melbourne man’s burden.”
Nick Harris stated it was a “story as previous because the League itself”.
“Victorians see one thing worthwhile in soccer they don’t have and wish it for themselves,” he stated.
“It’s not the Grand Prix, you may’t simply take it,” stated Nathan Glennie, referring to the shift of the Method One Australian Grand Prix in 1996 from Adelaide to Melbourne.
Darren Murphy referred to as it “the worst absorb Australian soccer historical past.”
“Not even an AI engine may have provide you with one thing like this,” he stated.
One other Twitter account stated it was the “most insane footy take anybody has ever had.”
“Any Victorian wish to perceive the frustration with AFL media round the remainder of the nation? Right here it’s. In pure type.”
One other echoed Barrett’s trademark Sliding Doorways column, saying “IF that is the stupidest concept you’ve ever heard, THEN clearly, it got here from Damian Barrett.”
Supercars journalist James Pavey quote-tweeted the clip: “tonight, on Planet Melbourne”.
AFL Tasmania historian David Ingram stated it was “an early clubhouse chief for the ‘Dumbest S**t Mentioned By An AFL Journo in 2023’ award.
“It’s not a ‘minority view’, it’s a view of 1 and it’s mind-blowingly silly.
“The one purpose a Showdown ought to ever be delivered to Melbourne is for a Crows vs. Energy Grand Closing.”
Hobart-based Seven reporter John Hunt joked it might be okay, “provided that Collingwood and Essendon play on ANZAC Day in Adelaide or the Grand Closing will get performed in Adelaide.”
Brisbane-based Seven reporter Ned Balme joked “whereas we’re at it, Collingwood vs Essendon on ANZAC Day needs to be in Launceston.”
The suggestion was roundly criticised as being a product of a perceived bias in soccer media in direction of Victoria, as the unique state of Australian guidelines soccer and the most important state for the code.
Port Adelaide nice Kane Cornes got here out final yr to name out the bias, saying “anybody who says it’s not one of the best rivalry within the recreation I feel is actually (exhibiting) Victorian bias” on SEN SA.
“They’re just a little bit threatened by the rivalry between these two groups, and while you take a look at the historical past throughout 51 video games and 20-odd years of what has gone on behind these two and the best way they proceed to ship in these video games, there’s no comparability behind it,” he stated.
