While spreading the mid-season bye over three weeks appeared good in theory, it hasn't worked, for there simply aren't enough quality sides deserving stand-alone attention.

That has been exacerbated by the scheduling of matches on a Thursday night through the school-holiday period. The Crows hosting the Kangaroos on a Thursday night last week was a good, competitive game, but, by extending the footballing weekend, it meant there was one match left for a Sunday – the Hawks taking on the Suns in Launceston, and shown only on pay television in Victoria.

This week we had the Eagles' 78-point demolition of Essendon at Domain Stadium on Thursday night – as inevitable a result as there has been all season. If not for the Eagles' 2006 premiership reunion, and the focus on several retired troubled souls, this would have arguably been the most forgettable clash of the season.

Last weekend was a particular stinker. Aside from the Crows versus Roos, the Saints' stunning win over Geelong was worthy of Saturday-night billing. But the four remaining games were non-events.

AFL chief Gillon McLachlan suggested through the week the bye rounds would be reviewed.

"There are a couple of issues about what structure the bye looks like. That has been an interesting debate and which has been accelerated because last week we had six games of which there were a couple of less-competitive games," he said.

On Sunday, there again will be the one game – the Demons hosting Adelaide a year on from the tragic death of Crows' coach Phil Walsh. Again, this will only be shown on Fox Footy.

That's three straight weekends where only those with pay television in Melbourne will have had access to Sunday matches (Fox had back-to-back games in round 13).

The next two weekends will also have Thursday-night games, including the showcase round-17 clash between the Swans and Hawthorn, but the bye will at least be over. So three matches will return to a Sunday – with free-to-air broadcaster Channel Seven filling its customary 3.20pm slot.

So, what to do about the bye? It's a vexed question, with several factors to take into account, not the least being television contracts and the networks' voracious need for content, and the players' renewed push as part of the collective bargaining agreement talks to have two byes. There had been two byes in 2014 – between rounds eight and 10, with the second between rounds 18 and 19. It was dropped in 2015 because of the delayed start to the season because of cricket's World Cup – and has not returned.

One bye does seem enough, particularly if the weekend off immediately preceding the finals this year is deemed a success by clubs, players and supporters – and is retained. Already clubs expected to finish top four are wondering whether those in the bottom four will benefit more from this.

One solution would be to have the one weekend off mid year for all teams – bar the previous season's grand finalists.

Surely more could be done in promoting the grand-final rematch, which now is treated as if it's like any other match. This year the Hawks and Eagles met on a Sunday afternoon in round two.

A stand-alone clash would be a deserved added benefit for their previous season's performance. If staged on a Saturday night, it would be given major treatment by the media through the week and, for the two clubs, would be a nice kicker in sponsorship deals and money generated through such things as coterie functions.

The two clubs would have the following week off, when the 16 remaining teams resume fresh and without the advantage or disadvantage of facing a side which has just had the bye or is limping towards the bye – another concern which clubs have raised.