It’d easy for football fans to think there is only a serious side to this great game. Politics, security issues and the treatment of fans have caused much ink – cyber and real – to be spilled in recent weeks. At times it seems the coverage of Australian football is all about what’s wrong with the game, with the ‘what’s right with it’ articles coming as a reaction to the negative ones. The long pre-season doesn’t help at all, with the ‘promise’ of great games to come being overshadowed by the all-too-real immediate issues.

So it was nice, for one glorious hour, to be transported away from all of that when I went to SBS to watch the first episode of Thursday FC, the broadcaster’s new show about Australian football.

SBS billed the show as a light-hearted approach to the Australian game, and they delivered on this brief in spades. The fun, playful – even the trolling – side of football needs to be embraced with the serious side in equal measure, something it seems SBS – in particular the hosts of the show – are aware of. From the moment I walked into the studio as part of the audience, the mood was a jovial one. There was no time to wallow in the negatives, as there was too much fun to be had.

This show is definitely not one which looks in-depth look at the politics and mechanics of Australian football. There are plenty of shows and blogs which revel in this side of the sport already, so to have another show about it, especially on Thursdays before the start of each round, wasn’t necessary. The three hosts – David Zdrilic, Lucy Zelic and Matt Okine – performed admirably, keeping the crowd entertained and the guests comfortable; Archie Thompson especially looked right at home egging on the largely-WSW studio audience.

Speaking of audience, they did their job well. I was slightly disappointed by the dominance of WSW fans over Sydney FC fans in the makeup of the crowd – yes I’m biased – but that was forgotten once the show got going; say what you want about Wanderers fans, they know how to have a good time. I did feel for the solitary Brisbane Roar fan that turned up, especially as the Roar were the subject of many a derisive boo from the crowd.

The guests seemed to enjoy themselves, especially Archie Thompson and Aziz Behich from the two Melbourne clubs. Archie seems right at home in this type of show, giving the crowd a bit of stick and copping it right back with a smile on his face. The players who attended – Youssouf Hersi, Pascal Bosschaart and Emile Heskey – also played their parts, with the hosts keeping each interview segment short in order to keep the pace of the show quick and snappy.

Overall, I think Thursday FC is a welcome addition to the gamut of A-League coverage. SBS is clearly excited to be a part of domestic football again, which showed in the effort they put in last night. The crowd seemed to embrace the format, with lots of laughter and gentle ribbing of the guests (and even each other at times).

So kudos to the hosts, the guests, and SBS, for giving football fans a few reasons to laugh again!

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