News 2015 Fixture Thread

[dogwatch]

It is better but i'll say again that it is nowhere near what needs to be done. How can carlton get 6 friday night games when they finished only 1/2 a game in front of us???

Why do Carlton, Essendon and Collingwood get 13-15 FTA games vs our 8? This is where we need equalisation the most. The ability to market to the public and bring in supporters. If we continue to rely on the handouts from other clubs then thats all we will ever be - just a team making up the numbers for the big boys to make all the gains.

Agree 100% but equalisation does not trump the power of those who have paid $1bn for broadcast rights. Until we can demonstrate we will compete against the best we still have to accept the crumbs swept from the table.

I realise this doesn't explain why StKilda or Melbourne get Friday night games but they are generally in the same boat as us. It's a vicious poverty cycle and will be very hard to break out of it. We missed our big chance in the 70s through poor administration and mismanagement. Hawthorn did the opposite and look at them now.

 

[JJHunter]

the inequities of the draw continue though. Carlton finish 1/2 a game ahead of us and get 6 friday night games to 0 for us and 14 Channel 7 games to our 8.

Also collingwood are on Ch Seven 15, Essendon 13 times.....see the pattern here?

This will sound blunt and harsh but attempting to shine light on reality....

Facts are we have one of the two smallest followings in Melbourne.
Facts are we are a likely bottom 4 side (to the majority non bullodg fans, and bulldog fans without eye patches)
Facts are TV networks pump alot of money into the rights - not to put games on that no one watches.

So do I care about these issues in our fixture - Nope !

So long as we keep getting equalisation handouts I don't see how we can complain.
Get a following like the blues do in marque matches and I would care.
OR
Improve as a side and push for top 8 and I would care.

But while we are where we are I dont see why those points are relevant.

 

[Kretiukwasking]

I'm pretty happy with it. With 2.5 hrs travel time, Friday nights are no use to us. Saturday games are great, because our kids play on a Sunday. Good riddance to the Sunday twilights!! Looks like Cairns in July for our annual holiday...Nice.

 

[dogwatch]

Would have liked another Canberra game for selfish reasons but I agree its better for the club we don't play there every year.

Looks like a couple of trips to Melbourne next winter! I'll see if I can get to a VUWO - Etihad double header. Are there many of those? Or MCG if not Etihad.

 

[TedDougChris]

I have a depth calendar on my wall at home:

November (post draft) - depth seems alright. Happy with the draft.
December - kids look good. Depth is strong
January - everyone looks tanned and muscley. Good luck getting a game.
February - does 44 go into 22?
March - we have the greatest list ever assembled.
April - it's ok. Keep calm. We have all this depth to lean on.
May - depth. We still have depth right?
June - if Libba gets injured we're completely screwed.
July - can we even field a 22 this week?
August - we have, like, 12 afl standard players.
September - make that 5.
October - delist them all.

You're a hopeless optimist Fronky !!! There's no way we're that forgiving.....

 

[Libba39]

One Friday night game would have been enough to placate me. For those just shrugging this off I can't even be bothered listing the benefits that these games bring.

The AFL sucks.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

Footballing, on-field perspective:
Good
Likely Wooden Spooners St. Kilda twice
Melbourne twice
Nice spread out of travel, we get to stay in Melbourne well. Not much travel all in all
A good patch in the middle of the year where we should win games
Bad
Port twice
Six day-break coming back from Perth, while North (our opponent the next week) also have a six-day break, but stay in Melbourne. Ring any bells - furthermore it is at the end of the season where there will be accumulated fatigue, etc.
$$$ Perspective
Good
Home games against Carlton and Collingwood
Less Sunday 4.40 games
We get a Round 2, Saturday Afternoon away "blockbuster" against Richmond - 50,000+? Would be great if we could get a win in that game, that would be like a final to us and we would reap the financial benefits of that
Bad
Only 8 FTA Games (and none when our games aren't in Victoria)
We play each of the big 5 (Hawthorn, Collingwood, Carlton, Essendon, Richmond) only once each
We still play at Ethiad
LACK OF FRIDAY NIGHT GAMES FOR THE THIRD SEASON IN A ROW! ONE THAT IS ALL WE'RE ASKING FOR! ONE!!!!!!
Fans Perspective
Good
We have 5 Saturday Night games - that's my favourite timeslot as a fan
Again, loss Sunday 4.40 games is good for the fans because that is a horrible timeslot
We play GWS at home
Bad
Still some stupid timeslots, like the Saturday Evening timeslot
We only play two games at the MCG - an improvement from last year but still ridiculous that we're like that for a Melbourne based team. Last year GWS played 4 games at the MCG and we played 1
We still have a Sunday 4.40 game against an interstate side - round 4 vs Adelaide - lets enjoy having 15,000 turn up and having to pay a five figure sum cheque to Ethiad Stadium


Anything else I've missed?
When does the VFL Fixture get released?

 

[Butane]

We haven't played Carlton twice in a season since 2002.

The odds of this occurring in a uncompromised draw, which we know it's not is: 0.006% or once every 199,520 years.

 

[HiReception]

Anything else I've missed?
When does the VFL Fixture get released?

Last year it was December 10, no date set yet.

 

[GreatSouthWest]

One Friday night game would have been enough to placate me. For those just shrugging this off I can't even be bothered listing the benefits that these games bring.

The AFL sucks.

What benefits do we bring to the AFL and sponsors by playing a Friday night game?

 

[Libba39]

This will sound blunt and harsh but attempting to shine light on reality....

Facts are we have one of the two smallest followings in Melbourne.
Facts are we are a likely bottom 4 side (to the majority non bullodg fans, and bulldog fans without eye patches)
Facts are TV networks pump alot of money into the rights - not to put games on that no one watches.

So do I care about these issues in our fixture - Nope !

So long as we keep getting equalisation handouts I don't see how we can complain.
Get a following like the blues do in marque matches and I would care.
OR
Improve as a side and push for top 8 and I would care.

But while we are where we are I dont see why those points are relevant.

So you wouldn't prefer it if we were working towards standing on our own two feet???

 

[TempleKelvington]

No comment on the fixture from the club as yet, they are all on the coaching panel.

 

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

No comment on the fixture from the club as yet, they are all on the coaching panel.

Spoke too soon.
http://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/news/2014-10-30/clubs-response-to-fixture

“We believe it is a positive fixture for our Club and acknowledge the AFL’s attempt to accommodate some of our key requests.

“As a Club, we wanted to ensure our games were in family friendly slots after having excessive Sunday twilight games last year — this year we were able to secure 13 Saturday games, eight of which will be played in the afternoon.

“We look forward to some challenges early in the year, facing grand finalists Hawthorn and Sydney, and are pleased to open our account home at Etihad Stadium on a Saturday night.

“We will play at our home ground Etihad Stadium 13 times next season, and retain a home multicultural round match which we see as an important vehicle in highlighting our community efforts.

“We will head up to Cairns again this year after a positive experience and some great feedback from our fans who thoroughly enjoyed travelling to Cazalys Stadium.

“The fixture provides some improved revenue and exposure opportunities for our Club, and we believe the AFL have taken some steps forward in ensuring decisions have been in the spirit of competitive balance and equalisation.

“We look forward to receiving more primetime exposure as our exciting, young list continue to improve — and feel overall that most our priorities have been met in this fixture.”

 

[JJHunter]

So you wouldn't prefer it if we were working towards standing on our own two feet???

That is what winning games of footy is all about.
We start doing that we are on the path to the benefits that brings !

Pretty simple.

 

[fronkalicious]

Is this where I say the fixture is easy, and if we win less than 15 games we should sack the new coach?

Keep ya 15 wins, but dude, that draw is as soft as it gets.

 

[TempleKelvington]

So you wouldn't prefer it if we were working towards standing on our own two feet???

Well you see that is what I always say to people who think we should not get money related to competitive balance fund or when they call it a charity handout.

Even when we are up and about we don't get a lot of prime games slots or blockbuster opportunities. It's near impossible to compete for new supporters with the big clubs because they are big they get big slots and around the merry go round we go again.

Now when we are not up and about like now.....well impossible is not even a strong enough word. The CBF makes things slightly more equitable, but I would rather we got ANZAC day every year and get nothing extra....the exposure that one game gets those 2 clubs is priceless, forget about the money it makes them.

 

[Libba39]

I b

That is what winning games of footy is all about.
We start doing that we are on the path to the benefits that brings !

Pretty simple.

I believe you are seriously mistaken if you think that we will get friday night matches because we start winning a few games...

 

[MJ_Dogs]

That is what winning games of footy is all about.
We start doing that we are on the path to the benefits that brings !

Pretty simple.

Well if all is fair and well i wish we were treated like Carlton where we could languish in the bottom 8 for a decade yet still be given the most friday night matches.

 

[Dry Rot]

Dogs v Swans in Sydney. Excellent.

 

[Dogs 13]

Given the AFL's love affair with Carlton you'd have to pencil them in for Good Friday in 2016.

 

[fronkalicious]

Dogs v Swans in Sydney. Excellent.

See ya there.

Bit disappointed we don't play gws up here tho.

 

[JJHunter]

Well if all is fair and well i wish we were treated like Carlton where we could languish in the bottom 8 for a decade yet still be given the most friday night matches.

You seem to ignore their membership and general supporter numbers !

We are bottom 8 and low membership
They are bottom 8 and high membership/supporter numbers.

Have a look at who they play in those games and those games will rate through the roof.
You cannot compare us to Carlton.

 

[JJHunter]

I b

I believe you are seriously mistaken if you think that we will get friday night matches because we start winning a few games...

Going to take more than just a few games to make finals !! Going to need 4-5 more wins at least to start making an impression.
When we start playing finals we will start with better coverage.

I tip my lid to you guys complaining and fighting for the club but just trying to show you guys a bigger more realistic picture of the world and how it works.
Deep down you know - but are letting your love for the dogs cloud it.

I will just add...
I would be more focused on..
"We play each of the big 5 (Hawthorn, Collingwood, Carlton, Essendon, Richmond) only once each"

Thats a bigger concern, and who we play in home games, as drawing high attendances to games can put money in our coffers.

Cant complain about tv audiences until we are a top 8 side

 

[Dogs 13]

Going to take more than just a few games to make finals !! Going to need 4-5 more wins at least to start making an impression.
When we start playing finals we will start with better coverage.

I tip my lid to you guys complaining and fighting for the club but just trying to show you guys a bigger more realistic picture of the world and how it works.
Deep down you know - but are letting your love for the dogs cloud it.

We're only asking for one game. I know I'll get bored watching the same teams every Friday, same as a few years back when either Collingwood or Essendon seemed to be on most Fridays (and I think they struggled that year which made it even worse.).

 

[Dry Rot]

See ya there.

Bit disappointed we don't play gws up here tho.

Yes, we could have gone to Skoda Stadium wearing Tom Boyd masks.