Hubs and the re-start

So Andrews has given Vic clubs the green light to train in groups of ten... I suppose the AFL will now be fine with training in groups of ten.

Start within a month. Good. Something on TV it’s boring right now.
 
How this works with the "interstate" clubs will be interesting... Will the AFL insist on "fairness" or just getting things rolling in VIC as quickly as possible & making those other clubs choose to participate or not.

Yep the hub idea was being "seriously considered".... right up until Dangerfield, Cotchin, Riewoldt etc cast doubts on it, then it was canned straight away in favour of an approach where only the WA clubs have to do hubs.

It's ******* BS. Now I hate both Perth clubs, especially Fremantle, but this is flat-out wrong that they, along with the other interstate clubs, continually get the short end of the stick. AFL as a league would be ******* nothing without the contributions of the interstate clubs, particularly West Coast, Adelaide and the Swans. **** me, they can't even have a memorable grand final without an interstate club being involved. Interstate clubs should boycott this current administration and then see where the AFL ends up when they're left with dud clubs like Carlton, Melbourne, North Melbourne, St Kilda and Western Bulldogs to provide any sort of entertainment and revenue to this competition.

Edit: apologies, this was an unnecessary rant.

Re-edit: actually I'm not sorry, I've ******* had it with this competition in it's current state.
 
Tell that to WCE and Fremantle who have players still quarantined and unable to train in groups while the Victorian clubs can train as they please.

Nothing is stopping them to now fly to Victoria and train there.
 
Would they fly back after every training session? Seems a long way to go for kick to kick.

Stay in Victoria. Have a number of “away” games schedule their home games for later in the season.
 
Stay in Victoria. Have a number of “away” games schedule their home games for later in the season.

That is still unfair.

The WA teams should not have to play half a dozen+ games while in a hub in Victoria. That's time away from their families, their children, living in isolation. If mental health is such a big priority in the AFL, it shouldn't be asked of the WA players. No amount of home games the AFL could promise them later in the season will make up for the undeniable effect living and playing in a hub will have on their first half.

"They need to get over it" will be your response I'm guessing, but Riewoldt, Cotchin, Dangerfield etc (ie the ambassadors for the state of Victoria and the Only Players Who Matter - trademark pending) were not keen on it either, and the AFL acted accordingly. Why are the Victorian players' opinions and wellbeing being taken into account and listened to, but the WA players simply have to accept it?

It's total crap.

IMO there should be no season until all teams can do FIFO in their home states. It's the only way we can possibly have a fair competition (what a concept that is!) I knew it would go to s**t as soon as the AFL's "end of April" deadline arrived, and the Only Players Who Matter coincidentally started chiming in with their doubts about the hub idea. And then, again purely coincidental, the AFL pushed back it's announcement date.

Which is Gillinese for "We'll wait until the outlook is better in the Heartland."
 
That is still unfair.

The WA teams should not have to play half a dozen+ games while in a hub in Victoria. That's time away from their families, their children, living in isolation. If mental health is such a big priority in the AFL, it shouldn't be asked of the WA players. No amount of home games the AFL could promise them later in the season will make up for the undeniable effect living and playing in a hub will have on their first half.

"They need to get over it" will be your response I'm guessing, but Riewoldt, Cotchin, Dangerfield etc (ie the ambassadors for the state of Victoria and the Only Players Who Matter - trademark pending) were not keen on it either, and the AFL acted accordingly. Why are the Victorian players' opinions and wellbeing being taken into account and listened to, but the WA players simply have to accept it?

It's total crap.

IMO there should be no season until all teams can do FIFO in their home states. It's the only way we can possibly have a fair competition (what a concept that is!) I knew it would go to s**t as soon as the AFL's "end of April" deadline arrived, and the Only Players Who Matter coincidentally started chiming in with their doubts about the hub idea. And then, again purely coincidental, the AFL pushed back it's announcement date.

Which is Gillinese for "We'll wait until the outlook is better in the Heartland."


i am keen to go, was hoping the afl would get to start with an exemption so at least could all have home games though, i think the governments should allow fifo for all games already, but push that to,one side I guess

i dont think interstate sides should have to camp and live for weeks interstate as you say, mental health issues for one

if the afl is happy to go to december and happy to play every day of the week, just wait a bit longer

why the sudden rush to finish in October
 
That is still unfair.

The WA teams should not have to play half a dozen+ games while in a hub in Victoria. That's time away from their families, their children, living in isolation. If mental health is such a big priority in the AFL, it shouldn't be asked of the WA players. No amount of home games the AFL could promise them later in the season will make up for the undeniable effect living and playing in a hub will have on their first half.

"They need to get over it" will be your response I'm guessing, but Riewoldt, Cotchin, Dangerfield etc (ie the ambassadors for the state of Victoria and the Only Players Who Matter - trademark pending) were not keen on it either, and the AFL acted accordingly. Why are the Victorian players' opinions and wellbeing being taken into account and listened to, but the WA players simply have to accept it?

It's total crap.

IMO there should be no season until all teams can do FIFO in their home states. It's the only way we can possibly have a fair competition (what a concept that is!) I knew it would go to s**t as soon as the AFL's "end of April" deadline arrived, and the Only Players Who Matter coincidentally started chiming in with their doubts about the hub idea. And then, again purely coincidental, the AFL pushed back it's announcement date.

Which is Gillinese for "We'll wait until the outlook is better in the Heartland."

Well if they don't like it they can always not get paid, it's up to them. No one is forcing them to play. Tim Kelly has been interviewed and he's fine with spending a period away from his family and he went home for this reason. It probably is only a month at worst, probably less where WA teams would have to base in Victoria. They can't be playing the season in December that would wreck next season.
 
Well if they don't like it they can always not get paid, it's up to them. No one is forcing them to play. Tim Kelly has been interviewed and he's fine with spending a period away from his family and he went home for this reason. It probably is only a month at worst, probably less where WA teams would have to base in Victoria. They can't be playing the season in December that would wreck next season.

You are still not getting it. Even if the players who weren't comfortable with the hub didn't play, and didn't get paid, can you still not see how unfair that is? Imagine it was us in their situation and Buddy Franklin as a father to a new-born couldn't do it, or JPK as a father to two young kids, and we had to continue on without our superstar while Richmond still get to have Martin, Bulldogs still get to have Bontempelli, Collingwood still get to have Pendlebury.

Long story short it creates a situation where there's an imbalance in personnel clubs have available. It then puts those players in the difficult and uncomfortable position of having to choose between their families and their team.

How is that in any way fair?
 
You are still not getting it. Even if the players who weren't comfortable with the hub didn't play, and didn't get paid, can you still not see how unfair that is? Imagine it was us in their situation and Buddy Franklin as a father to a new-born couldn't do it, or JPK as a father to two young kids, and we had to continue on without our superstar while Richmond still get to have Martin, Bulldogs still get to have Bontempelli, Collingwood still get to have Pendlebury.

Long story short it creates a situation where there's an imbalance in personnel clubs have available. It then puts those players in the difficult and uncomfortable position of having to choose between their families and their team.

How is that in any way fair?

So be it if we have players pull out and that is fine wouldn’t hold anything against them at all.

Get the game started and honestly it’s time to start playing basically.
 
i am keen to go, was hoping the afl would get to start with an exemption so at least could all have home games though, i think the governments should allow fifo for all games already, but push that to,one side I guess

i dont think interstate sides should have to camp and live for weeks interstate as you say, mental health issues for one

if the afl is happy to go to december and happy to play every day of the week, just wait a bit longer

why the sudden rush to finish in October

It's a debacle either way. Either we get it going early and there is a pretty major disadvantage to select teams, or they delay things and it heads into December, which then has ramifications for 2021.

I go back to the view I've had the whole time which is that this season should've had a fork stuck in it as soon as it was shut-down.
 

Donza

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It's a debacle either way. Either we get it going early and there is a pretty major disadvantage to select teams, or they delay things and it heads into December, which then has ramifications for 2021.

I go back to the view I've had the whole time which is that this season should've had a fork stuck in it as soon as it was shut-down.


I respect where you are coming from , id like to be a fly on the wall in discussions and have all the information we don’t have

Eg what have government told them

What is the true ramification of not playing- do we lose clubs is it just s**t and recover

How far away are we from a normal start

Is the prospect of crowds realistic at some stage

I’d rather they play but yeah if it doesn’t work it doesn’t work
 
I respect where you are coming from , id like to be a fly on the wall in discussions and have all the information we don’t have

Eg what have government told them

What is the true ramification of not playing- do we lose clubs is it just s**t and recover

How far away are we from a normal start

Is the prospect of crowds realistic at some stage

I’d rather they play but yeah if it doesn’t work it doesn’t work

All true factors no doubt, but another of those factors you listed is equality, ie how fair will the competition end up being in the format the AFL end up with?

Early signs suggest pretty ******* unfair.

IMO the priority should be a full and non-compromised 2021 season rather than the shambles that whatever this 2020 season will be.
 
All true factors no doubt, but another of those factors you listed is equality, ie how fair will the competition end up being in the format the AFL end up with?

Early signs suggest pretty ******* unfair.

IMO the priority should be a full and non-compromised 2021 season rather than the shambles that whatever this 2020 season will be.


If there’s no way to have a reasonably fair system then yeah

Better off cobbling together every state league


I’ll wait and see what they do I guess

In the mean time Tom Browne can keep guessing
 
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It's a debacle either way. Either we get it going early and there is a pretty major disadvantage to select teams, or they delay things and it heads into December, which then has ramifications for 2021.

I go back to the view I've had the whole time which is that this season should've had a fork stuck in it as soon as it was shut-down.

There are still new case numbers on full lockdown. The numbers must spike and nsw premier admits same as restrictions are eased. We are merely hoping that the restart will be unaffected. What happens as players or team outbreaks hit? imo it’s just not workable. so we are moving forward knowing and accepting numbers will spike. Strap in everyone. This ride is about to get challenging
 

No real point in delaying things anymore a player will eventually test positive to it either now or in 3 months.


Letting football resume normally would be a good starting point

Then gradually bring crowds back
 
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