AFL pre-season falls flat.

Countdown is on for round one. This should be an exciting time as teams put the finishing touches on their squads, ensuring players are primed to hit hard and fast from the season’s opening seconds.

AFL pre-season feels a little fake – an important chance to experiment with players and rules, but far from a true gauge on what is really going on.

Pre-season is a delicate juggling game: blooding youngsters, getting experienced players match fit, yet not going too hard and risking injury. Big names are rested through periods or for entire matches. There is no motivation to truly go full-power while ensuring the team is ready to go full-power.

Evasive tactics can create intrigue and mystery but AFL pre-season matches create fan impatience.

Richmond went from one extreme to another on Thursday night, showcasing the worst parts of pre-season football all in one match package that even Tiger officials lobbied to cut short.

Hard football against Port Adelaide early had the Tigers’ injury toll quickly mount. By the fourth quarter, the Tigers were wrapping stars in ice (a more macho equivalent to cotton wool) with coach Damien Hardwick whipping off players faster than a cheersquad member snagging autographs. He pulled the Tigers dangerously close to the minimum men allowed on field by sporting 15 in action, including forward Jack Riewoldt who seemingly rebelled orders to come off.

And fans had been charged to watch the near-forfeit unfold.

Pre-season matches are often a productive tool for coaches but when winning or pushing players to their best is non-essential, it can be hard for a fan to feel a little more than lukewarm excited.

There are fantastic elements of AFL pre-season matches. Taking matches to quality country grounds is both a reward and impressive spectacle. Country supporters can take a close-up look at elite players in a game they might otherwise not watch often live. Country towns are on show.

Ballarat had its chance last summer. Shepparton had its taste in the spotlight last week in a much-hyped scorching match between Geelong and Essendon. Intrigue was as much in how players handled the heat as it was in the Bombers’ top-up influx of quality retired Cats.

Regional matches promote the game and season ahead so much more successfully than the strange Richmond rollercoaster at Etihad Stadium. Teams could be forgiven for nursing stars in limited time, especially if such big names are parades out for selfies and high-fives later.

Even fuzzy feelings cannot last. We need to get meaning back into the game fast.

Players need pre-season matches physically and mentally before points are on the line. But a game without clear meaning is hardly a good game at all.