It was a day that brought to mind the old "don't spare the horses" saying, except the stewards at Broadmeadow decided they should.
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Newcastle races postponed due to extreme heat, A-League footballers required to play for 90 minutes, largely in direct, searing sunlight. Go figure.
The players from the Jets and Western United teams deadset deserve if not medals, then double pay, or danger money, or a week on the Gold Coast, or something.
Conditions were nothing short of brutal.
The effects may not be apparent until the next game, when the Jets are scheduled to play at the earlier time of 4pm, against the Mariners at McDonald Jones Stadium, on Sunday.
Western United will relish their scheduled bye.
The Mariners lost to the Wanderers on Sunday in very warm, humid conditions, but didn't endure the extreme temperatures and draining, direct sunlight that the Jets faced.
Both sides will be praying for the forecast rain, and mid-20s temperature, predicted for the weekend.
The last time the Jets played in such extreme heat they put a lot into a match in Adelaide, were very brave and somewhat unlucky, but didn't back up a week later, losing 0-4 at home to Melbourne City.
That will, I'm sure, be noted in the planning for the week's training.
The re-signed Roy O'Donovan will provide fresh legs, a penalty-box presence, and plenty of enthusiasm. Wes Hoolahan has been training well, and may well have dodged a bullet by not returning in time for Saturday's furnace.
Being ahead of schedule in terms of rehab, his biggest problem may be getting the doctor's clearance required to resume playing.
Things may be starting to look up a little, and it's nothing the squad doesn't deserve. As oppressive as the conditions were on Saturday, even more remarkable was the fact that the Jets didn't score.
Twenty seven shots to four just about summed up the flow of the match. Surely the Jets will start to convert some of the gilt-edged chances they are creating?
Surely the Jets will start to convert some of the gilt-edged chances they are creating?
At the other end of the pitch the Jets were solid enough, never overcommitting despite the frustrations ahead of them. Boogaard and Topor-Stanley were determined to extinguish the predatorial threat of Besart Berisha. The clean sheet was appropriate reward.
For the first time I can remember, there are real rumblings about changing kick-off times, in the interest of player welfare, and the product provided. Coaches, commentators, players and pundits all fairly vociferous in expressing their views. Some going as far as contemplating a return to winter football.
That would, of course, cause a massive headache for teams sharing stadiums with the other football codes. It would mean that many lower league teams, social players, parents etc would have scheduling clashes with A- League fixtures.
What about media coverage when the AFL and NRL are in full swing? For that matter, weigh up attending night matches in say Melbourne's winter against a balmy night at AAMI Park in summer or early autumn.
Stay in summer and play later, you say. Seems obvious of course, but then clubs will argue that the family crowd is hit, with parents reluctant to have their kids out too late, particularly on a Sunday evening before the start of the school week.
The host broadcaster needs to get bang for their buck, and live matches clearly outrate replays. Would teams like the Jets and Mariners always be the delayed games, behind the more populous capital city teams, if kick-off times were concurrent?
Conversely, would delayed coverage really persuade the armchair fan out of the house to watch a game live? Would changes adversely affect Foxtel subscriptions?
The problem is a little more complex than at first glance. A host of factors including, revenue streams, sponsorships, TV deals, player welfare, clubs sustainability, media exposure etc must be considered. Most are intertwined, or linked.
It's easy for someone like myself to insist that player welfare is paramount, and I'm sure most stakeholders would, but I don't have to negotiate TV deals, balance any books, pay for ground hire and security, nor attract paying punters to the game, at the same time.
Having said that, asking players to perform in conditions like those we witnessed on Saturday, and then complaining about World Cups in the Middle East could be seen as slightly hypocritical, don't you think?
It's a very complex issue, exacerbated by the extreme conditions this summer has thrown up. The powers that be need to lead well and legislate responsibly, and that's no easy task.
Roll on autumn, and some steady, soaking rain.
