Central Coast striker Jason Cummings has expressed his bewilderment at the number of stoppages in A-League Men's matches - including for television advertisement breaks.
During the Mariners' 1-0 loss to Melbourne Victory at AAMI Park, the game had several long periods without any play, including a couple of VAR reviews that went for longer than standard and two breaks for host broadcaster Channel 10 to show advertisements.
When the broadcaster chooses to insert an ad-break, play is paused by the referee for up to 30 seconds for initially what seems like no reason, with players and fans showing their frustration whenever it occurs.
Cummings, whose entire career has been in England and Scotland previously, was stunned by the stoppages in the match and hinted that it was unsettling for the players.
"It was quite a stale game. I've never been at a game where it gets stopped that long," Cummings told Channel 10 post-match.
"Like, genuinely. The VAR takes about 10 minutes to stop with that. He's [the referee] stopping the game for a commercial break.
"Like, I need to warm up every 10 minutes. It's stop-start."
Cummings and the Mariners experienced heartbreak in Melbourne again, only two weeks after they lost the FFA Cup final 2-1 to Victory at AAMI Park.
After putting in a solid defensive performance and looking like coming away from Melbourne with a point, the Mariners were heartbroken when Victory youngster Nishan Velupillay headed home the winner in the 94th minute.
