Fixture Round 1 fixture - Sydney early games officially floated

[Rod Stroker]

Why?

They tried this years ago. Collingwood and Sydney at ANZ as a standalone match.

It didn't work.

Huh? It was the highest attended H&A game in Sydney ever.

The NSW govt and the AFL are absolutely keen for it to happen again.

I don't mind this new proposal, the 2 standalone games in Sydney to kick off the season. But just have the remaining 7 games the following week as a split round 1.

 

[CrowToon]

Needlessly complicated

 

[NetworkNerd]

Great Idea but need to move GWS to week 2

Sydney is the most supported AFL club in the land so deserves a weekend to itself...

 

[The Victorian]

Collingwood want to stay an extra week after Easter Thursday to then play the Suns at HBS... the trouble is that weekend is Gather Round!

 

[Gavin Excell]

Needlessly complicated

Exactly
It's almost as if the Commission have nothing else to do

 

[greatwhiteshark]

This does not grow football in NSW or Queensland. All this does is grow Collingwood.

If they want to grow footy in the North then fixture the season opener as GWS V Sydney. Stand alone game. The people will only gravitate to a side they can call their own.
All this is doing is again pandering to what Collingwood want.
How anyone and even worse the AFL think this will help grow footy in NSW is just deluded thinking.

It's simply just another stand alone fixture for Collingwood. This whole league is a joke.

 

[RUNVS]

This does not grow football in NSW or Queensland. All this does is grow Collingwood.

I remember many years ago when Carlton tried to "merge" with Sydney. Of course their method of merging was basically taking over Sydney's entire list, keeping the Blue and the Carlton name and playing their "away" games in Sydney. They had no interest in helping the game in Sydney, they just saw that combining Sydney's list with theirs would create a premiership winning team.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

I remember many years ago when Carlton tried to "merge" with Sydney. Of course their method of merging was basically taking over Sydney's entire list, keeping the Blue and the Carlton name and playing their "away" games in Sydney. They had no interest in helping the game in Sydney, they just saw that combining Sydney's list with theirs would create a premiership winning team.

How does the AFL not see through these requests from Collingwood. Growing the game in NSW is getting fans to follow Sydney and GWS, not follow Collingwood or any other Vic side.
It is just about as dumb as it gets from AFL house if they do this. And why are the non Vic Pre4sidents not knocking on the door of AFL house asking wtf is going on?

 

[Fadge]

Opening weekend teams play amongst themselves in the first few rounds and directly after their byes to minimise disruption to the rest of the competition.

This would be far too logical for the AFL to adopt...

 

[Coolangatta]

Should be:

Sat n Giants v Pies Accor

Sun Swans v Dees SCG

Thu n Tigers v Blues MCG

Fri n Suns v Bombers Heritage Bank

Sat Hawks v Dockers Blundstone Arena

Sat n Lions v Dogs Gabba

Sat n Crows v Cats Adelaide Oval

Sun Saints v Port Marvel

Sun Eagles v North Optus

 

[Altum Volantes]

Oooh a special sporting event in Sydney?

I can’t believe nobody showed up.

 

[Upstart Swan]

I'm just excited that the Swans will finally get a Round 1 home game. Usual practice is the orange team gets the home game to start the season, Swans travel interstate.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

Should be:

Sat n Giants v Pies Accor

Sun Swans v Dees SCG

Thu n Tigers v Blues MCG

Fri n Suns v Bombers Heritage Bank

Sat Hawks v Dockers Blundstone Arena

Sat n Lions v Dogs Gabba

Sat n Crows v Cats Adelaide Oval

Sun Saints v Port Marvel

Sun Eagles v North Optus

Nope, if you want to grow the game is NSW then Giants V Sydney stand alone.
How do so many fall for this by the AFL.
It’s just Collingwood requesting another stand Alone game.
Nothing to do with growing anything other than Collingwood.

 

[The Nostradamus]

When’s round 1 due to be announced?

And when’s the full fixture announced? From memory it’s usually end of oct for the full thing?

 

[Hoops]

Collingwood just want to lock in Sydney games so less travel to places like Perth or Brisbane. Historical data on where Vic teams travel the most for interstate games bears this out.

 

[ep12]

When’s round 1 due to be announced?

And when’s the full fixture announced? From memory it’s usually end of oct for the full thing?

It used to be October pre Covid. Was December last year and the year before was obviously a mess with the floating fixture.

They will also announce gather round a week before and then round 1, 3-5 days before. Reckon it will be mid-late November this year

 

[mcgarnacle]

At least it gives the Giants a Sydney Showgrounds home match early in the season, helping the club capitalise somewhat on its 2023 finals run. From mid-March, the Showgrounds will be used for the Easter Show.

Unsure if the SCG will be ready early March. SCG hasn't hosted an opening round of the season since the AFL have added the extra round and began the season in mid-March due to the cricket wicket area I presume. First weekend of March pushes this forward an extra week or two. I'd say the high-salary boffins at AFL house have taken this into consideration though.