Easter Thursday Blockbuster

[brizrider]

Bring it on!

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl...ter-thursday-blockbuster-20180723-p4zt1t.html

The Brisbane Lions are pushing for a return to hosting a standalone blockbuster night fixture, with the Queensland club in talks with Collingwood to try and secure an Easter Thursday clash at the Gabba in 2019.

The Age understands the Easter Thursday game against the Pies will be at the top of the Lions' AFL fixture request list for 2019.

The Lions hosted Easter Thursday football at the Gabba in 2010 against Carlton, 2011 (St Kilda), 2012 (Carlton) and 2014 (Richmond).

Easter Sunday falls on April 21 in 2019, meaning Easter Thursday will be on April 18. That would make it fall in or around round five or six.

Adelaide and Richmond played in a grand final rematch on Easter Thursday at the Adelaide Oval in 2018, while West Coast played Sydney on Easter Thursday in 2017.

AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan made his first appearance at a Lions game over the weekend for their loss to Adelaide, and its understood Brisbane chiefs expressed their desire to regain the Easter Thursday game.
The Lions' bid comes at a good time as Chris Fagan's young side began to show signs of serious development in the back end of the season, matched with an entertaining and attacking brand of football.

Brisbane believe crowds for the prospective match would be strong, as would the contingent of Collingwood fans making the journey north to support their team. Television ratings are also part of the consideration.

In 2010, 2011 and 2012 the Easter Thursday clash was the Lions' biggest game of the year.

The match would take place the night before the newly created Good Friday match. In 2017 North Melbourne played the Western Bulldogs while in 2018 the Kangaroos played St Kilda.

The Bulldogs were displeased at being booted from the Good Friday fixture for 2018 but The Age reported in April that the club, led by president Peter Gordon, were doing all that they could to return to the fixture in 2019.

 

[CarterS]

Would be great

 

[DashinD]

Good vibes around our club. Might be a
chance.

 

[SizeMatters]

Well we did pioneer it IIRC until AFL stepped in a took it away. I can kinda understand why though given we've been so poor the past few year but with our roar back I think we deserve to at least have a crack at it.

 

[dlanod]

It was part of the deal to move the Suns out of the Gabba until the AFL changed their mind.

 

[HowYouDoin]

About time we go after a marquee game. An in form Brisbane against collingwood would also draw 30 thousand any day of the week

 

[marooned]

Easter long weekend nightmare traffic.People going away on holidays.I would like us to push for another weekend.

 

[BangyBangy]

Easter long weekend nightmare traffic.People going away on holidays.I would like us to push for another weekend.

Agree. The drive up from Melbourne would be horrendous.

 

[brizrider]

Easter long weekend nightmare traffic.People going away on holidays.I would like us to push for another weekend.

We usually arrive about one hour before the game and get a free park 300 metres from the Gabba. If it's a big game like Collingwood we have to arrive 2 hours before to get a free park but can still get a $10 park one hour before. I tell my kids that we want to see the day that we just can't drive to the Gabba because that will mean that the Lions are a good team and Brisbane is a bone fide city.

 

[augie]

I was living in Brisbane and went to the Easter Thursday game in 2003 where you beat us by a couple of goals. Great crowd and a great game. I think it would be brilliant to institute this as an annual fixture in Brisbane. The Lions look to have a really solid few years coming up, and we are also tracking pretty well. I could see this becoming a guaranteed 30-35K crowd, which would be a boost for footy in Queensland.

I suspect we are a very good chance of getting it next year, as we would be playing the Anzac Day game the following Thursday, and both us and Essendon would want to be playing either the Thursday or Friday of Easter.

 

[Cockliff38]

Granted it wasn't Easter Thursday but this was a belter in prime time (Friday night). Crowd >30k too

 

[CarterS]

In the age today it said the AFL has all but guaranteed this fixture will take place. Great news!

 

[brizrider]

Granted it wasn't Easter Thursday but this was a belter in prime time (Friday night). Crowd >30k too

I like the extra bit of blue in that geurnsey

 

[Tom14]

Essendon v Carlton are making a competing bid (for some reason the article calls it 'good friday eve' rather than easter thursday):

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl...against-carlton-for-2019-20180809-p4zwlb.html

 

[Tom14]

Essendon v Carlton are making a competing bid (for some reason the article calls it 'good friday eve' rather than easter thursday):

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl...against-carlton-for-2019-20180809-p4zwlb.html

If they went with this one then Carlton would be on primetime 2 out of the first 3 weeks (opening Thursday night and Easter Thursday). Hopefully they don't repeat that debacle and actually spread around some of the primetime opportunities to other clubs for a change.

 

[dlanod]

Essendon v Carlton are making a competing bid (for some reason the article calls it 'good friday eve' rather than easter thursday):

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl...against-carlton-for-2019-20180809-p4zwlb.html

GWS is also angling for a game in Canberra on Easter Thursday.

 

[jackess]

Carlton games don't even deserve to be televised let alone in a prime slot

 

[Tom14]

GWS is also angling for a game in Canberra on Easter Thursday.

That's a bold move - can't remember a primetime game being put in such a small stadium. Would be great for the Canberra members though, the few games played later in the year are totally inhospitable!

 

[dlanod]

That's a bold move - can't remember a primetime game being put in such a small stadium. Would be great for the Canberra members though, the few games played later in the year are totally inhospitable!

The article I read said GWS felt their prime time games are better served in Canberra because the weekend twilight games get much better crowds at Spotless. My interpretation is that travel to/from Spotless on a week night makes you want to slit your wrists whereas Canberra is a lot more forgiving, plus the Canberra demographics probably trends older due to a higher percentage of existing AFL fans, rather than families.

 

[Tom14]

The article I read said GWS felt their prime time games are better served in Canberra because the weekend twilight games get much better crowds at Spotless. My interpretation is that travel to/from Spotless on a week night makes you want to slit your wrists whereas Canberra is a lot more forgiving, plus the Canberra demographics probably trends older due to a higher percentage of existing AFL fans, rather than families.

Yeah possibly, its certainly easy to get to and as a smaller stadium you don't need to worry so much about families not wanting to go. Having said that I saw plenty of kids and families there when I lived in Canberra so I don't know if the overall demographic is that dissimilar to spotless. If they got a big established melbourne club like Richmond they definitely wouldn't have any issues selling it out regardless.

 

[royboys4eva]

This fixture is a dead cert to happen. The AFL wants more Thursday night games and here is a perfect chance to show case the Lions against the AFL heavyweight Collingwood.

Might even fly up myself for it. Be great to roll them in front of 30k.

 

[Cockliff38]

This fixture is a dead cert to happen. The AFL wants more Thursday night games and here is a perfect chance to show case the Lions against the AFL heavyweight Collingwood.

Might even fly up myself for it. Be great to roll them in front of 30k.

Yep, will definitely fly up. Nothing like a packed Gabba rockin' and rollin'.