I wonder how St Kilda coach Brett Ratten and the Saints' hierarchy are genuinely feeling about selling the club's home game against Port Adelaide to Queensland's far north.
Publicly they would be extolling the virtues of continuing to expand the code to a new frontier and the considerable benefits to the debt-ridden Saints' bottom line - but at what cost to their hopes of winning an elusive premiership?
Frittering away numerous opportunities to lose by a point after leading for most of the night could be devastating for St Kilda at the end of the season - it might be the difference between a spot in the top eight or even top four for the double chance.
If the game had been played at the Saints' home ground, Marvel Stadium, it probably would have produced a different result.
Playing night games in the extreme humidity of far-north Queensland is never a good option - the conditions at Cazaly's Stadium are not conducive to skilful, attractive football. Day fixtures in the middle of a southern winter make more sense despite the dramatic difference in temperature between Melbourne and Cairns at that time of the year.
Bombers don't deserve a Friday
Playing on Friday night is a privilege that clubs are meant to earn, so it is hard to understand the AFL's decision to reward Essendon with three consecutive games on the big stage next month.
The Bombers' stocks have slipped dramatically this season after making the finals last year and they were soundly beaten in their only Friday night game against top team Melbourne in round three.
Yet, Essendon will feature in three Saturday night contests this month, including the Dreamtime clash against Richmond in round 10 before the three Friday night games.
The AFL agreed to the Bombers' request to play arch-rival Carlton in round 13 to celebrate the club's 150th anniversary. But scheduling them in the next two Friday night games against St Kilda (as the away team at Marvel Stadium) and West Coast (Optus Stadium) defies logical scrutiny.
On form, there is no way the Bombers should receive such prominent exposure.
Likewise, the struggling Eagles deserve no favours, as last Friday night's snoozefest demonstrated, providing another compelling argument for greater flexibility with the fixture.
The thrashing that West Coast copped from Richmond was hardly surprising, although the massive margin raised some eyebrows, and undoubtedly the AFL and Channel 7 would have preferred to reschedule this game.
While the first nine rounds were set in stone late last year, clubs have been agile and accommodating with fixturing in the past two years and there was a strong case to switch the game. The best solution would have been to put Geelong-Fremantle on Friday night and move Eagles-Tigers to the next day, although that would have necessitated the Cats playing off a five-day break.
The Geelong-Fremantle contest was a classic, as the Dockers enhanced its premiership credentials with a gritty win on the road.
It was a triumphant return to Geelong for Jordan Clark, who was traded back to his home state at the end of last year after failing to secure a regular spot with the Cats.
The West Australian was composed when the game was in the balance and generally used the football very effectively.
New scoreboards a turn-off
There was a healthy turnout of more than 40,000 watching the Carlton-North Melbourne game, and, sadly, they were kept in the dark on essential matters on the much-touted new scoreboards at both ends of Marvel Stadium.
If you wanted to know the score from the exciting game being played simultaneously in Cairns, you needed to have your phone and/or radio handy.
At the AFL-owned stadium, the priority is on ear-splitting promotions during breaks and creating a spectacular light show rather than providing basic information for spectators, such as the activation of substitutes for both clubs.
The crowd figure, which reflected the Blues' rising status and immense popularity, was also not divulged and there should have been a sense of pride, unlike the pitiful attendances for most AFLW and even some AFL games.
The old-fashioned manually-operated scoreboards contained far more information - scores from other grounds, race results and raffle winners - and enhanced the experience for spectators.
Before the season, outgoing AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan described the Marvel Stadium scoreboards as the sexiest things you can possibly imagine, but, in this case, the newest, brightest and biggest are not always the best, most effective or efficient.
Magpie Ginnivan revels in limelight
Collingwood teenager Jack Ginnivan is hard to miss on the field with his mop of bleach-blond hair and the former Bendigo Pioneer is attracting plenty of attention off it with his stunning performances.
Fresh from his heroics on Anzac Day against Essendon, Ginnivan produced another eye-catching display against Gold Coast, booting three goals, including a goal of the year contender.
Small forwards such as the Magpie and Western Bulldogs livewire Cody Weightman provide excitement with their flair and infectious enthusiasm. They are polarising figures - loved by their clubs' supporters and despised by opposition fans - but the modern game needs characters such as this young duo.
Email: howardkotton11@gmail.com; Twitter: @hpkotton59