Tim Paine Hits Back at ‘Morons’ Criticising Tasmanian AFL Clash After AFL Legend Describes it as a ‘Deplorable Spectacle’

Former Australian cricket captain and passionate Tasmanian Tim Paine has hit back at those attributing the poor quality of an AFL match to the weather.

The clash between Hawthorn and Adelaide took place in Launceston last Friday night, with both teams struggling to reach 50 points amid chilly and damp conditions.

AFL legend Leigh Matthews critiqued the game, labelling it a “deplorable spectacle” and arguing that it underscored the need for a roof on the proposed new stadium in Tasmania.

“I found it to be a deplorable spectacle,” Matthews remarked during a segment on 3AW.

“While I appreciate the close scoring that adds tension to a match, the overall visual quality was dreadful.

“I still have vivid memories of those midweek games at Waverley Park. The heavy dew creates atrocious playing conditions, leading to a significant drop in ball-handling skills, which was evident last night.”

James Hird even suggested that the AFL intentionally set the game in Tasmania at night during June to bolster their case for the new stadium.

Paine, who is an advocate for the Macquarie Point stadium with a roof—a deemed essential by the AFL for reviving the Tassie Devils—was astonished at the complaints about wintry weather during an outdoor game.

“I could have filled an entire show with clueless comments about the weather,” Paine expressed on SEN.

“It baffles me that there was dew on the ground for a Friday night AFL match. It’s revolutionary. I’ve never seen anything like it before. We must erect roofs on all stadiums across Australia because dew appeared during a Friday night footy match.”

“Don’t tell me ‘we need a roof because of the weather’. We require a roof for this stadium to be state-of-the-art and for countless other reasons.

“We need to construct that stadium, not merely because there was a little dew during a Friday night footy match. If dew was a reason to avoid playing sports, we wouldn’t host night sports anywhere.

“I’ve played in the scorching heat at the MCG in day-night ODIs, and there was dew then.

“I’ve experienced matches in Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, and globally under lights and guess what? Dew happens. That’s not the justification for needing a roof.”

This season, Tasmania is set to host three more AFL games, but none of them will be night matches.