07-03-2025
'Hard to watch': Viewers lash out over 'terrible' move after AFL season opener
AFL fans were all making the same complaint on Friday night during the season opener between Sydney and Hawthorn after Channel 7 and Fox Footy both unveiled new scoreboard graphics for 2025. The Hawks made a big statement with a 20-point victory over last year's grand finalists, winning 14.12 (96) to 11.10 (76) at the SCG.
The match was a high-octane thriller that had fans on the edge of their seats, but many were left infuriated by the new scoreboard layouts on TV. Instead of the usual graphic that sits in the bottom left-hand corner of the screen, Seven and Fox Footy both featured a bigger scoreboard that sat in the middle at the bottom.
Fox Footy's graphic stretched right across the bottom of the screen, and copped the majority of the hate on social media. The change mirrors what we normally see on NFL broadcasts, but it didn't go down well with viewers on Friday night. Many complained the new graphic is too big and shouldn't be in the middle of the screen.
One person went to the extent of writing on social media: "This scoreboard is disgusting. Don't know why the old one would be ditched for this." Another person commented: "This score graphic ratio/positioning from Fox Footy is diabolical."
While a third wrote: "The new Fox scoreboard was designed for pensioners watching the game on an ipad from 3m away." Others labelled the change "terrible" and "putrid", with many calling for Seven and Fox to change back to the old layout.
The score graphic at the bottom is terrible?! Thoughts?!
— David (@AFLNow) March 7, 2025
This might be the worst scoreboard i've ever seen in AFL history #AFLSwansHawks
— BluesNuff (@baggersfanatic) March 7, 2025
Whoever designed the on screen scoreboard for Fox Footy, should lose their job. Genuinely atrocious #AFL #AFLSwansHawks
— Nick Biscontin (@bickniscontin) March 7, 2025
This new Fox scoreboard looks terribleTrying to copy NFL, just chuck it in the corner boys #AFL @FOXFOOTY
— Adrian G (@AGissara) March 7, 2025
Fox Footy scorebug (Cyclone Alfred for scale) #AFLSwansHawks
— The Falcon: A Footy Podcast (@falconfootypod) March 7, 2025
@FOXFOOTY Time for whoever signed off on this massive score graphic to enter the Circle of Truth. A truely horrible user experience. #aflswanshawks
— Steve Hewlett (@StevieHewla) March 7, 2025
@Channel7 the the footy is simply awful. You block the footy but of course take it away for the ads #aflswanshawks
— Ems (@emsarts) March 7, 2025
@7AFL The scoreboard on 7 is slightly better then kayo, but I am finding hard to watch on 7 as fix the scoreboard @7AFL #aflswanshawks
— Talking AFL & Other Sports (@afl_talking) March 7, 2025
We need the scoreboard back to this, thanks. #AFLSwansHawks #AFL
— JAKE FLAGPIES23 🏆🖤🤍 (@IncrediblyBozza) March 7, 2025
The Hawks and Swans were both hit by injury concerns after Friday night's clash, with Hawthorn the more worrying. James Worpel went down with an ankle injury after being tackled by Sydney ruck Brodie Grundy in the second quarter, and reports suggested he suffered a syndesmosis injury.
He limped off the field and was eventually replaced by substitute Sam Frost before the Hawks held off a second-half challenge from the Swans to win. Sydney have injury concerns of their own, with midfielder Taylor Adams picking up a hamstring complaint.
Hawthorn are already without Changkuoth Jiath (hip), Calsher Dear (back) and Mitch Lewis (knee). "All I know at this stage is it's ankle," coach Sam Mitchell said about Worpell.
"I said, 'Is it one of those, you know, okay in a couple of days or one of those six weekers?' and he goes, 'I'll be right'. "If it's syndesmosis, that always sounds bad and they are anywhere from six to a lot longer so I hope it's not that. I hope he's just rolled his ankle."
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Swans coach Dean Cox said of Adams: "Unfortunately for Taylor, it's a tight hamstring. We'll find out how bad that is. We'll get it scanned and assessed. It wasn't great for him to be in that position. He was one of the senior ones in that forward line to really try and quell and keep the ball in our front half."
Another injury will only compound Sydney's woes. They are already without star winger Errol Gulden (ankle), captain Callum Mills (foot), Logan McDonald (ankle), Hayden McLean (groin), Robbie Fox (calf) and Harry Cunningham (foot).
with AAP
