philhawk
5 Jun 2007, 01:27
http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/best-fit-not-to-stitch-up-fans/2007/06/04/1180809426075.html
'Best fit' not to stitch up fans
Greg Baum | June 5, 2007
IN THE paperwork accompanying the delivery of the Docklands stadium in 2000 was a document called the "best fit" policy. It guaranteed that any match likely to draw more than the new ground's 52,000 capacity would be moved to the MCG, ensuring that fans would never be squeezed out. It looked honourable in its intention.
It is as well that the AFL is not a tailor. "Best fit" has turned out to be "next off the rack", nipped here, tucked there, taken out at the waist and up at the hems, but never swapped for the right size. It has been braces and belts all the way.
In Docklands' first season, Essendon and Hawthorn — both unbeaten after a third of the season — were drawn to meet there. Rather than switch the match to the MCG, the AFL put up rubbery crowd projections, mumbled something about the impracticability of changing catering, corporate and broadcast arrangements and stayed put.
The match was sold out, which suited the AFL since it saw this as validation of a stadium about which many still harboured suspicions, and enabled the match to be shown live on television. But it denied a night at the footy to … who knows how many, since they were left out in the cold.
In eight years, not one match has been moved to accommodate a probable oversized crowd. Instead, there has been a lot of tucking, hitching and tricks with mirrors. One size has been made to fit all.
Now the AFL will have to get out its elastic measuring tape again. In four weeks, the Kangaroos and the Western Bulldogs are drawn to play on a Sunday afternoon at the MCG, Collingwood and Hawthorn at twilight at Telstra Dome.
In so many ways, this is an ill-fitting fixture. At a clerical level, all four clubs will be playing away from their notional homes, which is absurd. More crucially, the Kangaroos and Bulldogs are unlikely to sell out Telstra Dome and might fill only a third of the MCG.
Conversely, Collingwood and Hawthorn, both high-flying, could burst Telstra Dome's seams. The Magpies' drawing power is legendary and the Hawks' membership is more than 30,000 and rising. Moreover, although this is a Collingwood home game, Hawthorn members have rights as part of their deal to play games in Tasmania.
Collingwood has not played in front of fewer than 44,000 in Melbourne this season and Hawthorn drew 52,000 when it played Essendon, before its run of wins began. If both clubs hold their form and the weather is kind, more than 70,000 could be expected. Don't forget, on Queen's Birthday weekend in 1991, these two clubs unexpectedly drew 90,000 to an ill-prepared Waverley Park, embarrassing the AFL.
The AFL was adamant yesterday that there would be no switch. Gillon McLachlan said the league would look foolish if it put Collingwood-Hawthorn on at the MCG at twilight, only for rain and cold to restrict the crowd to 30,000, which begs the question: on those terms, why bother with twilight, outdoors football at all?
In moments such as this, fans are bound to be cynical. It will not escape them that the AFL owns Telstra Dome, nor that the twilight match is shown exclusively on pay television.
Nor will it escape them that the AFL says moving matches is logistically impossible, yet only last week said it would keep its mind open about a proposal from Channel Seven for the Friday night fixture to be kept flexible. Portability itself appears to be a moveable concept.
The AFL says that by attending carefully to fixturing, it has obviated the need to move matches from Telstra Dome. This mostly is true, but can never work perfectly. It makes it even more imperative that when a blockbuster arrives unannounced — neither Collingwood nor Hawthorn figured prominently in pre-season speculations — there is a device for it to be shifted.
It is not impossible for catering and corporates to move, nor for the several financial arrangements between clubs and stadiums to be adjusted accordingly. Collingwood and Hawthorn say they have no objection, and the Kangaroos and Bulldogs can have none. There is a way if there is a will.
The "best fit" policy was never rescinded; it simply was never applied. If it is not now, fans are entitled to ask why some must put up with billowing and baggy, and others with a fit so tight it threatens to do a mischief — and all the while have the AFL tell them that they look just lovely in that.
Hear Hear!
'Best fit' not to stitch up fans
Greg Baum | June 5, 2007
IN THE paperwork accompanying the delivery of the Docklands stadium in 2000 was a document called the "best fit" policy. It guaranteed that any match likely to draw more than the new ground's 52,000 capacity would be moved to the MCG, ensuring that fans would never be squeezed out. It looked honourable in its intention.
It is as well that the AFL is not a tailor. "Best fit" has turned out to be "next off the rack", nipped here, tucked there, taken out at the waist and up at the hems, but never swapped for the right size. It has been braces and belts all the way.
In Docklands' first season, Essendon and Hawthorn — both unbeaten after a third of the season — were drawn to meet there. Rather than switch the match to the MCG, the AFL put up rubbery crowd projections, mumbled something about the impracticability of changing catering, corporate and broadcast arrangements and stayed put.
The match was sold out, which suited the AFL since it saw this as validation of a stadium about which many still harboured suspicions, and enabled the match to be shown live on television. But it denied a night at the footy to … who knows how many, since they were left out in the cold.
In eight years, not one match has been moved to accommodate a probable oversized crowd. Instead, there has been a lot of tucking, hitching and tricks with mirrors. One size has been made to fit all.
Now the AFL will have to get out its elastic measuring tape again. In four weeks, the Kangaroos and the Western Bulldogs are drawn to play on a Sunday afternoon at the MCG, Collingwood and Hawthorn at twilight at Telstra Dome.
In so many ways, this is an ill-fitting fixture. At a clerical level, all four clubs will be playing away from their notional homes, which is absurd. More crucially, the Kangaroos and Bulldogs are unlikely to sell out Telstra Dome and might fill only a third of the MCG.
Conversely, Collingwood and Hawthorn, both high-flying, could burst Telstra Dome's seams. The Magpies' drawing power is legendary and the Hawks' membership is more than 30,000 and rising. Moreover, although this is a Collingwood home game, Hawthorn members have rights as part of their deal to play games in Tasmania.
Collingwood has not played in front of fewer than 44,000 in Melbourne this season and Hawthorn drew 52,000 when it played Essendon, before its run of wins began. If both clubs hold their form and the weather is kind, more than 70,000 could be expected. Don't forget, on Queen's Birthday weekend in 1991, these two clubs unexpectedly drew 90,000 to an ill-prepared Waverley Park, embarrassing the AFL.
The AFL was adamant yesterday that there would be no switch. Gillon McLachlan said the league would look foolish if it put Collingwood-Hawthorn on at the MCG at twilight, only for rain and cold to restrict the crowd to 30,000, which begs the question: on those terms, why bother with twilight, outdoors football at all?
In moments such as this, fans are bound to be cynical. It will not escape them that the AFL owns Telstra Dome, nor that the twilight match is shown exclusively on pay television.
Nor will it escape them that the AFL says moving matches is logistically impossible, yet only last week said it would keep its mind open about a proposal from Channel Seven for the Friday night fixture to be kept flexible. Portability itself appears to be a moveable concept.
The AFL says that by attending carefully to fixturing, it has obviated the need to move matches from Telstra Dome. This mostly is true, but can never work perfectly. It makes it even more imperative that when a blockbuster arrives unannounced — neither Collingwood nor Hawthorn figured prominently in pre-season speculations — there is a device for it to be shifted.
It is not impossible for catering and corporates to move, nor for the several financial arrangements between clubs and stadiums to be adjusted accordingly. Collingwood and Hawthorn say they have no objection, and the Kangaroos and Bulldogs can have none. There is a way if there is a will.
The "best fit" policy was never rescinded; it simply was never applied. If it is not now, fans are entitled to ask why some must put up with billowing and baggy, and others with a fit so tight it threatens to do a mischief — and all the while have the AFL tell them that they look just lovely in that.
Hear Hear!