In the meantime, country football has seized on the opportunity and turned it into one of the biggest days of the home and away season around the state.

But being such a sacred religious day, there will always be debate rage over whether sport should be played on Good Friday, which 18 country football leagues did last year.

Then again, Good Friday football has been played in Bendigo for more than a decade before this week criticism of it was publicly aired for the first time by City of Greater Bendigo Eppalock ward councillor Helen Leach.

Cr. Leach expressed an opinion that “Good Friday is the day that Jesus died and it’s very special and I believe it’s disappointing that the holiest day on the Christian calendar receives such little recognition and respect.”

Cr. Leach has every right to her opinion and to open the topic up for debate, and while no doubt many will view her as raising the issue in Bendigo 11 years after the fact – the Bendigo Football League first played Good Friday football in 2004 – an Addy poll on the topic has received 29 per cent of the vote supporting her.

I’m not a deeply religious person and while I respect Cr Leach’s views, the Good Friday tradition that has become a part of Bendigo football is one of my most enjoyable days of the season outside of finals.

For mine, Good Friday football is all about choice. If you don’t like it, simple, don’t go and watch it.

As for the players, in the decade that Good Friday football has been played in Bendigo, I haven’t heard of a player pulling out of the game on religious beliefs.

But if that was the case and a player felt so strongly about observing the day and not playing, I’d like to think clubs would respect that decision.

Good Friday football in Bendigo has grown significantly since Eaglehawk’s Mick McKern first pitched the idea in August of 2003 to the BFL.

In 2004 the Hawks began the Good Friday tradition with a blowout 161-point win over Kangaroo Flat at Canterbury Park, and in the return match the following year (pictured) defeated the Roos by 20 points.

What started as a stand-alone game between the Hawks and Roos has now grown to what will be five Good Friday games in the BFL this year to open the season on April 3.

I think five BFL games on Good Friday – including four starting at 2.20pm – saturates the market when there are vacant Saturday afternoon, night and Sunday afternoon slots left over the Easter weekend that could give every match its own chance in the spotlight.

Back when the Hawks and Roos started it off, they attracted massive Good Friday crowds because they were the only game in town.

This year’s BFL Good Friday crowds will be interesting to monitor considering four of the games directly clash with each other, plus there’s also the Bendigo Pioneers taking on North Ballarat as well in the TAC Cup at 2pm.

But such has been the Good Friday success in Bendigo over the past decade, I’ve got no doubt the crowds will flock again this year to the games at Maryborough, Eaglehawk, Gisborne, Golden Square, the QEO and Huntly-North Epsom for what will again be one of the biggest days of the footy calendar.