AFL announces finals week one schedule - Geelong final at Simonds

[Gus Poyet]

Your statements are contradicting each other

Hardly. Why bother coming over when you won't be able to get into the game.

 

[walken79]

Over all this now. What's done is done.












Geelong- let's dance.

 

[im_a_lazy_sod]

Ended up getting tickets in the end - fly in Saturday morning arriving at 7am, flying out 8.30 in the evening

No accommodation worries for me

Though can't catch up with mates for a drink/lunch as they are all in Melbourne and don't seem fond of a 10.30/11am lunch haha

 

[blue harvest]

It was great to see every Freo member who wanted a seat was able to get one.
There were even a few thousand left over from both clubs' allocations which went on sale to the public at 2pm. Just standing room left now.

 

[GuyIncognito]

It was great to see every Freo member who wanted a seat was able to get one.
There were even a few thousand left over from both clubs' allocations which went on sale to the public at 2pm. Just standing room left now.

Well there you go.

All that purple noise over nothing.

 

[The Casey Cat]

The AFL has proven itself to be really unprofessional with regards this whole scenario. The reasons why the game should be scheduled in Geelong are a lot less compelling than the reasons why it should not be.

The problems with hosting a final in Geelong:
Fremantle were given little-to-no warning with regards where they would be playing. If you asked where Geelong would be playing in September all year up until a week and a half ago, the answer would be either Docklands or the MCG.

Bad excuse. Is an hour down the road from Melbourne. Really not that big of a difference.

A final between second and third would easily attract more than 30,00 people regardless of the fact it is Fremantle.

I would agree but is not necessarily the case. Previous finals crowds between the two sides were quite poor and low enough for Simmonds to be considered.

The hypocrisy of the situation should be evident to all... "Oh no, this is a once-off arrangement that is only going to happen because it is Geelong vs Fremantle." All other teams except GWS and Gold Coast would be playing Geelong at either the MCG or Etihad.

Is very much a once off until the next time Victoria is to host all 4 finals and Geelong is playing an interstate side in a qualifying final. Is just bad luck. If you were 2nd the game would be at your home ground.

The facilities are not good enough to host an AFL final. See Dennis Cometti's article: http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sport/a/-/sport/18749527/dennis-cometti-cat-call-all-wrong/

The facilities are fine. When's the last time DC was even there? With all due respect to DC (who is my fav caller of all time) that article is nothing but a pathetic winge fest that ended with 'go dockers' hmmmn.

Being in Geelong, the weather conditions are not likely to be conducive to good football. Why not use the stadium with the roof on it and lessen the chances it will become more like a game of rugby than a game of football?

Oh for crying out load. Is a winter sport - get the #### over it.

Fremantle have had to charter a plane, which can't be cheap. How about the AFL foots the bill?

They probably will. And again what's the huge difference between traveling to Geelong over Melbourne? FFS avalon is probably easier to get to from Geelong than Tullamarine is from Richmond.

You can't have different rules for specific teams in the AFL. I mean if you start wanting to do this sort of thing, how about you schedule next year's Hawthorn vs Collingwood home and away game in Tasmania or something like that?

Um no as that would be a completely different circumstance. Everyone bar stupid, sooky, deluded Freo fans realise this. Two big Melbourne clubs in a final is not equal to one regional club and an interstate side who's fans have not been known to travel in huge numbers.

The reason why according to the AFL is because the venue now has lights and the capacity has increased slightly. So what do they do, schedule it during the day of course.
There is a difference between rewarding Geelong and actively punishing Fremantle.

AGAIN the reason why is that FOUR finals need to be hosted by Victoria, Geelong has earned the right to host one and their match is expected to be low drawing. Is not punishing Freo it would have been the same for any interstate team not named Sydney in the same situation. Is a bit different and unusual but again if Freo were second where would the game be played? Harden the #### up.

 

[Underdog]

AGAIN the reason why is that FOUR finals need to be hosted by Victoria, Geelong has earned the right to host one and their match is expected to be low drawing. Is not punishing Freo it would have been the same for any interstate team not named Sydney in the same situation. Is a bit different and unusual but again if Freo were second where would the game be played? Harden the #### up.

Not according to Etihad management who were expecting in excess of 40,000 people.

 

[god of purple]

Look arguments aside, the positive that has come out of this venue shift is the added hostility between the two clubs. I think the Geelong v Freo rivalry has gone up a notch during this fiasco, and it will be a fantastic and brutal game! I think future Geelong v Freo matches should pull bigger numbers because of this.

 

[jim boy]

I imagine Geelong stand to make A LOT more $$ from hosting this game at SS asopposed to one of the MCG or Etihad even with a slightly bigger crowd at either of those?

Well no, I don't believe gate receipts for finals go to the competing clubs. Geelong doesn't own Simonds Stadium, the council does. Catering is also done by outside organisations. Some money will be made in the social club I imagine. Whilst it will help pay for the stadium, it wont be a financial bonanza for the club. The AFL will make a lot money from it, some of which will end up at Essendon

 

[Suns of Anarchy]

Simmonds Stadium is closest in size to Subiaco anyway. Fremantle $3.45 to win is like finding money in the street.

 

[jim boy]

Not according to Etihad management who were expecting in excess of 40,000 people.

How many of them would be medallion club holders? Should finals not be held at Simonds just to keep them happy?

Anyway, as business concerned only with making a profit, they would naturally talk numbers up

 

[blue harvest]

Not according to Etihad management who were expecting in excess of 40,000 people.

Etihad are notorious for talking BS.
They sprout on about sold out games, yet there are only 45K there.
They could only get 36K there for Hawks v Crows final and 39K for Saints v Swans final which are both far higher drawing matches than Cats v Freo.
I think they would have got about 35K. Neutral AFL members would have taken a few thousand seats at Etihad, they probably wouldn't bother going to Geelong - so I doubt there is anyone missing out other than those that wait until it is sold out and then complain they couldn't get a seat.

 

[Underdog]

How many of them would be medallion club holders? Should finals not be held at Simonds just to keep them happy?

If neutrals want to go to the game and pay money to do so, why should they be excluded from crowd numbers? Medallion club or otherwise.

 

[Furn2]

Going by vlads theory, The gf gets 100k of which 55 are MCC, AFL and medallions club etc, so you can also play the GF at the highest finishing teams ground as long as it holds 45k.

Sent from my C6603 using Tapatalk 4

 

[Underarm]

It was great to see every Freo member who wanted a seat was able to get one.
There were even a few thousand left over from both clubs' allocations which went on sale to the public at 2pm. Just standing room left now.

Of course, Play it at Etihad, and who knows how many more Cats (and freo) fans could have made it....

 

[Underdog]

Etihad are notorious for talking BS.
They sprout on about sold out games, yet there are only 45K there.

That happens regularly at Subiaco. Every game is a sellout but often the stadium is far from full.

Every party has it's bias.

Despite Geelong and Fremantle drawing crowds of more than 40,000 at their previous two finals, the AFL predicts no more than 34,000 would attend if the two sides meet in Victoria next week, making it more economically attractive to play at Simonds Stadium.
The venue has never hosted a final and the last time the Cats played a final away from the MCG was in 2005 at the SCG.
A spokesman for Etihad Stadium said a crowd in the 40,000-49,000 range was expected if the game was played there.
Dockers president Steve Harris said the club was also anticipating a crowd of more than 40,000.

 

[blue harvest]

Going by vlads theory, The gf gets 100k of which 55 are MCC, AFL and medallions club etc, so you can also play the GF at the highest finishing teams ground as long as it holds 45k.

Sent from my C6603 using Tapatalk 4

If there were 4 Grand Finals on that week in Melbourne then yes.

 

[kriso182]

Geelong tweeted an hour ago that all seats are sold and less than 200 standing room tickets remained. Will be sold out soon before the day ends if it hasn't already.

 

[Slippery Pete]

what's the huge difference between traveling to Geelong over Melbourne?

Yeah, stop whinging Freo, what's the difference between Jersey and New York City?

 

[kriso182]

Geelong tweeted an hour ago that all seats are sold and less than 200 standing room tickets remained. Will be sold out soon before the day ends if it hasn't already.

Not a bad effort considering the majority of tickets were $84 a pop!

 

[jim boy]

If neutrals want to go to the game and pay money to do so, why should they be excluded from crowd numbers? Medallion club or otherwise.

Becuase they'll just go to another match? Thereby not reducing at all the overall numbers for all matches.

 

[Slippery Pete]

So they're coming from Perth to Melbourne but can't quite eek out an extra 30 minutes on the road by veering right coming from the airport..

Pathetic really.

The point is that a Victorian side wouldn't be forced to play there, so why should anyone else?

If you're happy to host Hawthorn and Collingwood there in a final, then everyone else will travel there no questions asked.

Are you?

 

[dthom]

Bad excuse. Is an hour down the road from Melbourne. Really not that big of a difference.



I would agree but is not necessarily the case. Previous finals crowds between the two sides were quite poor and low enough for Simmonds to be considered.



Is very much a once off until the next time Victoria is to host all 4 finals and Geelong is playing an interstate side in a qualifying final. Is just bad luck. If you were 2nd the game would be at your home ground.



The facilities are fine. When's the last time DC was even there? With all due respect to DC (who is my fav caller of all time) that article is nothing but a pathetic winge fest that ended with 'go dockers' hmmmn.



Oh for crying out load. Is a winter sport - get the #### over it.



They probably will. And again what's the huge difference between traveling to Geelong over Melbourne? FFS avalon is probably easier to get to from Geelong than Tullamarine is from Richmond.



Um no as that would be a completely different circumstance. Everyone bar stupid, sooky, deluded Freo fans realise this. Two big Melbourne clubs in a final is not equal to one regional club and an interstate side who's fans have not been known to travel in huge numbers.



AGAIN the reason why is that FOUR finals need to be hosted by Victoria, Geelong has earned the right to host one and their match is expected to be low drawing. Is not punishing Freo it would have been the same for any interstate team not named Sydney in the same situation. Is a bit different and unusual but again if Freo were second where would the game be played? Harden the #### up.

1.) You mean the crowds that were both around 45,000 as opposed to the 30,000 that can fit in Simmonds. I think you will find that is 50% more who can fit into Etihad...
2.) That was not the AFL's justification and you know it. Also, I see three games scheduled at the MCG, none at Etihad. What is a Cats/Dockers game possibly clashing with? At any rate, I think you'll find that Etihad is still, nominally at least, a second home ground for you guys.
3.) So, you choose not to take the word of someone who actually has to work at the venue? How about all the other people who continue to say, it's not suitable from a facilities point of view. Or from a logistical point of view?
4.) I'm well aware it's a winter sport. But given the choice, would you prefer to watch a game in perfect conditions or in a blustery, wet icebox.
5.) The AFL won't foot the bill. The difference is that one is Melbourne with a major domestic airport and the other is Geelong, which is a regional centre.
6.) Why should it be any different? The point of integrity is that it does not take in to account money. How about Geelong goes up and plays Sydney at the SCG.

I think as a whole you lack a basic understanding of the logic involved. None of these media types have a vested interest in where Fremantle play, but there seems to be an awful lot of them that think the decision is bogus.

 

[dthom]

If there were 4 Grand Finals on that week in Melbourne then yes.

Are you just going to ignore the fact that Dockland's exists?

 

[dthom]

That happens regularly at Subiaco. Every game is a sellout but often the stadium is far from full.

Every party has it's bias.

I think you'll find there is a difference between something that is theoretically sold-out and the number that actually turn up.