All or none.
That's the message Collingwood CEO Jeff Browne will pitch to the other 17 clubs and the AFL at next week's CEOs meeting regarding the 2025 Opening Round.
To kick off 2024, Melbourne, Richmond, Carlton and the Pies headed to the northern states in a new initiative by the league to grow the game along the eastern board.
However, with calls for a review over the opening weekend amid a competition balance assessment, Browne believes all clubs should contribute equally towards promoting the code in traditional rugby states.
โWe will speak (to the AFL) about Opening Round; we won't be going if it is just two clubs going to Sydney,โ Browne told the Herald Sun.
โI am all in favour of developing the game in the northern states but (Opening Round) needs to be fairly spread across all the clubs, not just a handful of them.โ
Browne made the point that given the Pies' dream run to its 16th premiership cup in 2023 and subsequent late finishing, it was unfair to begin the season earlier the most while also backing up their first contest with a six-day break.
โWe finished the latest (in 2023, having played in the grand final against Brisbane) and we started the earliest in enemy territory,โ Browne continued.
โIt took a bit out of us (last year) โฆ if everyone goes up there and plays the game there, I am happy with that, but we are not going to do like we did (earlier) this year.
โWe would be fully supportive (of a full round). We would build lunches around the game and work on the whole build-up. It would be like a mini Magic Round.
โHalf the teams could go to Brisbane and half the teams could go to Sydney.
โIt neutralises disadvantage but also pumps up the development of those markets. We are fully supportive of that. We want to go there, but we want to make sure it is fair for everyone.โ
Collingwood got their premiership defence off to a rocky start, losing the opening three games to GWS, Sydney and St Kilda.
Giants chief executive David Matthews has backed Browne's stance, saying utilising the whole competition to promote the game across the eastern board would be even more beneficial than the four Victorian powerhouses that we saw in 2024.
โI think Jeff Browne's comments are really beneficial," Matthews said according to NewsCorp.
"He has always taken a national and strategic view and he recognises the value Collingwood brings to these sorts of events.
โCollingwood's weight helped us with the momentum to not only sell the game out but also build momentum into our membership earlier and faster than ever before. We have reached a record of over 35,000 members so far as a consequence.
โVictoria will continue to host major events week in and week out and this is the best opportunity to kick off the season up here with a bang.โ
