RESPECTED sports broadcaster Gerard Whateley has criticised the AFL’s fixturing of the Showdowns involving Port Adelaide and Adelaide in 2018, labelling the Saturday twilight timeslot as ‘disrespectful’.

Whateley said the rivalry always presented an incredible spectacle and it should have been made a national showpiece.

Speaking on Melbourne radio station SEN, Whateley said the fixture needed a rethink.

“They've buried the Showdown this year, twice in the Saturday twilight,” he said.

“When you think about it, it’s actually disrespectful.

“The lack of willingness to put it up as a national showpiece, which it is, imagine if the previous Showdown had been played as the Thursday night game, which in that week it could have and should have been.

“It was incredible and if you put that in the national spotlight, that will stack up.”

Whateley said he couldn’t believe it when he realised Saturday’s Showdown XLV was to be played at 4:05pm (ACST) again.

“It was only Tuesday that I looked at the fixture and thought ‘really? Saturday twilight again?’” he said.

“It’s not utilised as a national showpiece which I think it should be.

“It’s consistently one of the great games of the year.”

Fellow broadcaster and former Adelaide coach Malcolm Blight said the rivalry was one of the best in Australian sport.

“After 44 games their tallies are 22-all," he told Whateley on his morning radio program.

“You can look at any other sport over 20 years, against constant rivals, no one would be close to that stat.

“I agree with you that it is probably one of the showpiece games for the AFL every year and it has been for 20 years.”

Commentator Tim Watson, who hosts SEN’s breakfast program agreed that there had been an oversight by those who create the fixtures.

He suggested it wasn’t the only issue with the season scheduling.

“I think that if they do their due diligence on the fixturing this year and they go back and look at it, I don’t think they’ll be happy with it,” he said.

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