Opinion Fixture Wishlist

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TBOW

Premiership Player
Aug 9, 2012
3,191
3,860
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Western Bulldogs
Disagree. All you have to do is build a special sense of occasion.
Leaving aside the obvious instance of finals being blockbusters, one example would be to schedule the ANZAC Day event between the two highest placed Vic teams (from the previous season's ladder, before finals). It'd always be played at the MCG even if both are nominally tenants of Marvel, such as us, Saints & North.

It would be something to strive for each year rather than a gift from the AFL fairy godmother to the same two pampered teams as it currently is. It would actually mean something special to get to play on that day and to win the B&F medal. You'd also have a much stronger chance of it being a high standard clash than some games between Essendon and Collingwood where one or the other have been pretty clueless. You could walk away from the season saying, well we didn't win the flag but we earned ourselves a start at the big dance next April.

An alternative is to make it the ANZAC Day challenge cup, where the previous year's winner is guaranteed a place the following year and their opponent is the highest placed Vic side.

The VFL-->AFL has always been lacking in any secondary prizes to help populate the season. Right now it's "win the flag or we've wasted our year" unlike UK soccer for instance where you can win silverware a number of ways - win the league (EPL), the FA Cup, the League Cup or even one of the European club championships. That breadth of silverware offerings makes it possible to miss the main prize (the league) but still come away with something to boast about.

Three likely objections are:
1. It might just turn out to be a grand final replay if both grand finalists were from Victoria. OK, great. (How good is that? as ScoMo would probably say). Alternatively you could add an option that if the reigning premier is a Victorian club then they are excluded and it becomes a match between the next two Vic clubs on the previous year's ladder, but I don't think there's a need for that.
2. It won't attract 95,000 if the game is scheduled between say North and the Dogs. That clash would attract only around 60,000 max. Maybe so, especially in the earlier years but you don't build up a huge sense of tradition and excitement in an event's first year. Give it 5-10 years to build its history and reputation and it'll start attracting bigger crowds whoever plays. Anyway, a 60,000 crowd has probably never been seen at a North vs Dogs clash before, so even that should create some excitement in the public. What's a "blockbuster" anyway? If you define it as a match that attracts 90,000 then you've straight away restricted it to only about 4-5 clubs in the league. If you define it as a special, prestigious and exciting event that attracts well over 50,000 then it can be open to anyone. I know which definition I'd rather have .. and it makes a lot more sense too.
3. What about the interstate clubs? They will always miss out. They don't have to. You could have a similar fixture (perhaps played at night) between the previous season's two highest placed non-Vic teams. Or if you wanted to keep the ANZAC Day fixture to one match only you could make the interstate equivalent some other time of year, maybe Queen's Birthday.

If they did it this year it would be Richmond vs Geelong. I reckon that'd be a great ANZAC Day clash.

So this would be the AFL's chance to add some breadth to the competition. I doubt they'll ever do anything fair and innovative like that though.
I guess it depends on whether you are talking about an actual blockbuster game - like Hawthorn and Geelong has tended to be for the last 10 years, or an AFL defined blockbuster which is essentially just a recurring fixture which gets pumped up in the media.

Personally I will find it hard to get excited about Good Friday this year knowing that it will just as likely be someone else next year.
Conversely, I will get excited for any game between two high quality teams regardless of what day they play on.

I agree with your basic principals of equality around these fixtures but unfortunately doubt the AFL ever will.
 

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Jun 7, 2012
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An article on Hun site about us getting friday night lights etc. Can't get outline to work, can someone post it please.

The Western Bulldogs are set to feature in Friday night football in 2020
Jay Clark, Herald Sun
October 30, 2019 12:21pm
Subscriber only
Western Bulldogs will receive more prime-time love in next year’s fixture as a reward for their exhilarating second half of last season.
The Bulldogs will be more prominent on the Friday night stage in 2020 after receiving only one Friday night game this year.
The Dogs have already been guaranteed two Friday night games – in the blockbuster Round 1 clash against Collingwood and also in the Good Friday game against North Melbourne.

similars

Bailey Dale and the Western Bulldogs will be front and centre in 2020. Picture. Phil Hillyard
Bailey Dale and the Western Bulldogs will be front and centre in 2020. Picture. Phil Hillyard
But it won’t be the end of the prime-time night games for the Dogs, who stamped themselves as one of the most in-form teams in the competition in the back half of last season.
The Western Bulldogs were the second-highest scoring side in the league from Round 13 last season (average 95.7 points per game) and were a clear No. 1 from Round 18.
The Dogs averaged 111 points per game (from Round 18) well ahead of West Coast in second place with an average 91.7 points per game, according to Champion Data.
That scoring capability strongly appeals to broadcasters as well as the marketing appeal of the Dogs’ superstar midfield brigade.

As well as more Friday night games, the Dogs will also feature regularly on our screens on Saturday night after seven Saturday night games in 2019.
The extra prime time slots will deliver a nice kick to the Dogs’ coffers, helping draw increased crowds and television audiences in 2020.
The Bulldogs finished the home and away season full of running. Picture: Mark Stewart
The Bulldogs finished the home and away season full of running. Picture: Mark Stewart
The Dogs are considered a genuine contender in next year’s premiership race after a busy trade period, adding gun key position players Josh Bruce and Alex Keath.
It means there will be significant intrigue in how the Dogs shape up next season after crashing out of the finals in an elimination final defeat to GWS Giants’ in Sydney.
St Kilda great Leigh Montagna said the Bulldogs deserve more prime time action.

“I certainly think the Western Bulldogs, they’re a team on the rise,” Montagna said on Triple M.
“They’ve now got two more key position players to compliment the midfield, and they’re a good team to watch, the Western Bulldogs.
“They play an exciting style of footy, we know about their talent, they’re a team I’d like to watch play on a Friday night.”
 

_M_16_

Premiership Player
Nov 26, 2009
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Sounds like half of our games at least will be night games, with a fair share being showed on TV. If that's the case, I sure hope the late 2019 team shows up, and not the early 2019 team. Attractive footy and kicking goals lures new fans in. I personally love the atmosphere with night games, even though they are not entirely family friendly.
 

Sharpiesadog

Team Captain
Sep 8, 2017
482
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Disagree. All you have to do is build a special sense of occasion.
Leaving aside the obvious instance of finals being blockbusters, one example would be to schedule the ANZAC Day event between the two highest placed Vic teams (from the previous season's ladder, before finals). It'd always be played at the MCG even if both are nominally tenants of Marvel, such as us, Saints & North.

It would be something to strive for each year rather than a gift from the AFL fairy godmother to the same two pampered teams as it currently is. It would actually mean something special to get to play on that day and to win the B&F medal. You'd also have a much stronger chance of it being a high standard clash than some games between Essendon and Collingwood where one or the other have been pretty clueless. You could walk away from the season saying, well we didn't win the flag but we earned ourselves a start at the big dance next April.

An alternative is to make it the ANZAC Day challenge cup, where the previous year's winner is guaranteed a place the following year and their opponent is the highest placed Vic side.

The VFL-->AFL has always been lacking in any secondary prizes to help populate the season. Right now it's "win the flag or we've wasted our year" unlike UK soccer for instance where you can win silverware a number of ways - win the league (EPL), the FA Cup, the League Cup or even one of the European club championships. That breadth of silverware offerings makes it possible to miss the main prize (the league) but still come away with something to boast about.

Three likely objections are:
1. It might just turn out to be a grand final replay if both grand finalists were from Victoria. OK, great. (How good is that? as ScoMo would probably say). Alternatively you could add an option that if the reigning premier is a Victorian club then they are excluded and it becomes a match between the next two Vic clubs on the previous year's ladder, but I don't think there's a need for that.
2. It won't attract 95,000 if the game is scheduled between say North and the Dogs. That clash would attract only around 60,000 max. Maybe so, especially in the earlier years but you don't build up a huge sense of tradition and excitement in an event's first year. Give it 5-10 years to build its history and reputation and it'll start attracting bigger crowds whoever plays. Anyway, a 60,000 crowd has probably never been seen at a North vs Dogs clash before, so even that should create some excitement in the public. What's a "blockbuster" anyway? If you define it as a match that attracts 90,000 then you've straight away restricted it to only about 4-5 clubs in the league. If you define it as a special, prestigious and exciting event that attracts well over 50,000 then it can be open to anyone. I know which definition I'd rather have .. and it makes a lot more sense too.
3. What about the interstate clubs? They will always miss out. They don't have to. You could have a similar fixture (perhaps played at night) between the previous season's two highest placed non-Vic teams. Or if you wanted to keep the ANZAC Day fixture to one match only you could make the interstate equivalent some other time of year, maybe Queen's Birthday.

If they did it this year it would be Richmond vs Geelong. I reckon that'd be a great ANZAC Day clash.

So this would be the AFL's chance to add some breadth to the competition. I doubt they'll ever do anything fair and innovative like that though.

I was at the game in 1998 when we played off for top spot against North. Friday night at the MCG, 68,000 there, so it is possible to get a good crowd.
 

Bemoreboyddog

Norm Smith Medallist
Nov 4, 2014
8,265
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AFL Club
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The 7-12 group could almost be weaker than 13-18.
If I were to rank those teams for next year worst to best it would be something like -
GC - StK - NM - ADE - CAR - ESS - HAW - SYD - PP - FREO - MELB
Personal opinion of course.
Yeah I wouldn’t worry about the groupings system too much. There are no easy games in AFL. For us, there are no games that we can’t win either. Just hope for some great time slots against big teams, not too many short turnarounds or interstate trips.
 

Bemoreboyddog

Norm Smith Medallist
Nov 4, 2014
8,265
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Sounds like half of our games at least will be night games, with a fair share being showed on TV. If that's the case, I sure hope the late 2019 team shows up, and not the early 2019 team. Attractive footy and kicking goals lures new fans in. I personally love the atmosphere with night games, even though they are not entirely family friendly.
Agreed. If a good Bulldog team turns up for the early part of the season, 50,000 members isn’t out of the question. Announce Bont as captain, announce Bailey Smith’s contract extension just before round 1 and watch the positive hype train roll into Southern Cross on a balmy Friday night in March.
 

Pugz89

Brownlow Medallist
Jun 29, 2015
11,153
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AFL Club
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Agreed. If a good Bulldog team turns up for the early part of the season, 50,000 members isn’t out of the question. Announce Bont as captain, announce Bailey Smith’s contract extension just before round 1 and watch the positive hype train roll into Southern Cross on a balmy Friday night in March.
#BulldogsBandwagon. Let's get it trending.
 

Pugz89

Brownlow Medallist
Jun 29, 2015
11,153
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According to https://amp.theage.com.au/sport/afl...0191030-p535nr.html?__twitter_impression=true we have four Friday night games. Assume that includes Good Friday, so two others throughout the season.
"Sources with a knowledge of the fixture said the Bulldogs, who finished the home and away season strongly, charging to the finals and are seen to have fared well in the trading period, have at least four Friday night games next year."
 

bobs head soup

Peanuts Peanuts
Sep 14, 2015
5,016
14,527
AFL Club
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According to https://amp.theage.com.au/sport/afl...0191030-p535nr.html?__twitter_impression=true we have four Friday night games. Assume that includes Good Friday, so two others throughout the season.
"Sources with a knowledge of the fixture said the Bulldogs, who finished the home and away season strongly, charging to the finals and are seen to have fared well in the trading period, have at least four Friday night games next year."
That quote doesn't say we have 4 Friday night games, it says we have at least 4 games.
 

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No thanks, keep those nuffies away from here!!


But in all seriousness it would be a waste. We would turn up more than other interstate teams for a GWS marvel match as seen in 2017 with a 33k crowd
 

Pugz89

Brownlow Medallist
Jun 29, 2015
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Pies (H)
Blues (A)
GWS (A)
North Melbourne (A)
Brisbane (H)
Port (A) - Anzac Day
Hawthorn (H)
Gold Coast (H) Ballarat
Freo (A)
Melbourne (A)
Carlton (H)
Adelaide (A)
GWS (H)
Rd 14 BYE
Essendon (H)
Sydney (A)
Freo (H)
Saints (A)
Richmond (A)
Geelong (A) GMHBA
North (H)
Port (H) Ballarat
Rd 23 West Coast (H)

Double ups - North Melbourne, GWS, Carlton, Freo, Port. Happy with that!
 

_M_16_

Premiership Player
Nov 26, 2009
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Melbourne
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R1 - Magpies Home Friday Night Marvel

R2 - Blues Away Saturday Twilight Marvel

R3 - GWS Away Friday Night Canberra

R4 - Kangaroos Away Friday Night Marvel

R5 - Lions Home Saturday Night Marvel

R6 - Port Away Saturday Night Adelaide Oval

R7 - Hawks Home Saturday Night Marvel

R8 - Suns Home Saturday Afternoon Mars

R9 - Dockers Away Sunday Twilight Optus Oval

R10 -Demons Away Sunday Afternoon MCG

R11 - Blues Home Saturday Night Marvel

R12 - Crows Away Friday Night Adelaide Oval

R13 - Giants Home Saturday Night Marvel

R14 - BYE

R15 - Bombers Home Friday Night Marvel

R16 - Swans Away Saturday Night SCG

R17 - Dockers Home Saturday Night Marvel

R18 - Saints Away Saturday Night Marvel

R19 - Tigers Away Sunday Afternoon MCG

R20 - Cats Away Saturday Twilight GMHBA Stadium

R21 - Kangaroos Home Sunday Twilight Marvel

R22 - Power Home Saturday Afternoon Mars

R23 - Eagles Home FLEX Marvel


Twice: Blues, Giants, Dockers, North, Port
 
Last edited:

Golden_6

Brownlow Medallist
Aug 15, 2014
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We don't leave Victoria in the final 7 rounds with 4x Marvel, 1x MCG, 1x Mars & 1x GMHBA.

Interstate trips are Perth once, Adelaide twice, Sydney twice.
 
Dec 29, 2009
8,165
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Hobart
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Not a bad fixture.

travel to Adelaide oval twice
Optus stadium once
SCG once
Canberra once

for 5 interstate trips in total

only two MCG games disappointingly

still get Geelong down there for the millionth time.

double ups are good one from last years top 6 two from the middle 6 and two from the bottom 6.

5 Friday nights games with two being
 
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