The extravaganza that was the half-time show in this week's Super Bowl had all eyes glued to the TV in the geelongcats.com.au office.

As impressive as it was, however, the need for entertainment in our own game is a point that continues to stir debate.

So, is entertainment important to the match day experience in the AFL?

Read the arguments for and against and cast YOUR vote below!

YES – Mitch Broughton

Whether we like it or not, a day at the footy is no longer just a day at the footy. It’s an event.
 
As much as it may hurt the purists, the game itself is not enough to bring new and old fans through the turnstiles and keep them there. Or keep them coming.
 
You only need look at the juggernaut that is the Big Bash League – a product which in just five years has exploded to become one of the most successful sporting competitions the world over – to realise that the times they are a-changin’.
 
The reason something like the Big Bash or even the Super Bowl are so successful is that those behind the scenes take a holistic view to their event, and that is exactly what we need to do.
 
First off, we need to admit that this is what our game has become – an event. The home and away season is twenty-three rounds of nine events each week, and each individual match day should be an all-encompassing event experience for every fan.
 
A curtain raiser is in part the answer, at least for those who love their football like me. I can’t think of anything better than sitting down to watch two games of footy back to back.
 
But then what about the mother who brings her two young sons to Simonds Stadium on a Saturday afternoon? What about the potential new fan? What about the casual supporter?
 
It can’t be forgotten that there are thousands of people who haven’t yet fallen in love with the game of football to the point where just adding another game on match day will be enough.
 
The reason the Big Bash has exploded is because it’s more than just cricket. It’s an all-encompassing event experience which caters for anyone and everyone.
 
In the world of AFL, there will be things that do work and things that don’t. But given we already have the hottest ticket in town in our back pocket (the game itself), we have the freedom to explore any and every opportunity we can to enhance the match day experience for any and every fan.
 
If we approach our match day holistically – recognising the need for entertainment outside of the game itself – then what we have is the opportunity to turn every match into not just an event, but the main event.

NO – Adam McNicol

I have to admit to being a bit old-school on this one. I’m happy to leave the whiz-bang pre-game and half-time shows to the Americans. They do it well. It’s in their culture. It works for them.

But when I go to the footy, I just want to watch the footy.

To me, the footy is the entertainment I’m after. I would rather be left in peace before the game and during the quarter breaks so I can chat to mates and family members while sipping on a cold frothy.

If there has to be something take place on the arena before the big match, I would like it to be another game of footy.

When it comes to curtain-raisers, I don’t care if it’s the Cats’ VFL team or the Geelong Falcons running around. I just love watching footy.

Before I sign off, I must say that I am a massive fan of Port Adelaide’s ‘Never Tear Us Apart’ song before the first bounce at Adelaide Oval. It is spine-tingling.

But the reason Port’s song works so well is that it has a direct link to the club’s history.

When Port Adelaide entered the AFL it was decreed that the Power and the Port Adelaide Magpies could not refer to themselves as one club. So the club - the most successful elite footy club in Australia, no less - was indeed torn apart.

The song celebrates the fact that the rules have now changed and the club has been put back together.

So here’s to Port for that.

But unless it’s a ripping song with a clearly obvious link to a club’s history, just give me footy. That’s what I want.