AFL overhauls its website .... again

In a move that will please some of its fans, the AFL has given its website yet another overhaul, releasing a new look afl.com.au.

Regular readers would remember that I only recently reviewed the last set of changes to the AFL website.

The site is now obviously optimised for speed, with a focus on stylesheets for a lightweight, online newspaper look.  The reduction in embedded media and large sponsor image certainly solves some of the site's biggest issues - users waiting half a minute for the site to load.  The rich media is still available which is highlighted through clever use of icons and interface design.  As a result of quicker loading pages, the site will most likely retain more users for longer.

While the redesign has gone some way to solving problems, it still appears to have some issues such as overlapping content on some browsers and can look a bit messy and be a little difficult to read at times.  For example, the poll pops up behind the scrolling marquee on Internet Explorer, meaning you can't actually select most of the options.  The RSS icon on the homepage confusingly just reloads the page which will no doubt confuse many users.  Suprisingly, the site still does not support friendly URLs, which hurts it in terms of search engine optimisation (SEO).  One of the other big complaints from users of the site has been the streaming video content.  It is not yet evident whether this has been fixed on the new site. 

Update: The club websites even made recent headlines when they were blocked by Google for suspected malware.  The webmasters did not return Google's emails, consequently letting down numerous AFL fans.

While the redesign it is a good step forward, again the site appears to be "launched" as a beta version, showing a lack of testing and professionalism by both the developers and their customer.  AFL fans will no doubt continue to be unsatisfied with the league's online presence and will continue to experience frustrations getting accustomed to the new site.

Expect the new look to flow on to many of the AFL's affiliate websites over the coming months.

Previous AFL website

New Look AFL website