AFL Grand Final No More Excuses About Where The Grand Final Is

Aug 4, 2003
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Agree. And the MCG's the most neutral ground.

Will obviously depend on who is playing - this year for example if Geelong were happy to play there (perhaps clubs could nominate grounds pre-season) then no worries.

2019 for example should have been played in SA/Qld/WA - but 2020 is a big step forward. 👍🏼
 

RichLeMonde

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Sep 26, 2019
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Except there may be data suggesting that a home ground advantage in sports is real. With a fairly large data set that isn't solely based on a single season in the AFL.
Like, perhaps, the winning ratio of interstate sides in GFs against Vics, which stands at exactly 50%?
 
May 10, 2009
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So what you want is more MCG tenants. I suppose we probably could do with a few more Melbourne teams to facilitate the request.
If the MCG is to ever be a true neutral GF venue then yes, all teams should get 3-4 games a season there.

Anyway, this argument will turn into a s**t show so I’m gonna leave this thread here.
 
I would say this is the gripe most supporters outside of Vic have, more than one or two games a year at the MCG would be all that’s required to make the fixture more even. This season has proved that point with how well teams like Geelong and Richmond are playing at venues they’ve had 10 games at for the season.

I love the GF at the MCG, but all teams need at least 3-4 games there every season.

Not sure the issue is clubs not getting to play on the MCG. I think it's more down to the crowd and support that a Vic team gets in an MCG Grand Final even if it's the non-Vic team's "home" game.

And it's a totally fixable issue. If it's an interstate team's home GF they should get allocated minimum 70% of the stadium's total capacity for members and fans

"Wahhhhh what about the corporates and MCC members and opposition fans"... Sort it out. It's not hard. If they want the game at the MCG for the next 50 years they can go without a few corporates in the years an interstate team is forced to play their home GF there
 
Jul 12, 2011
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Let’s substitute them for fifth then. Oh wait, they also got beaten at home to a side that went on to lose their semi by over ten goals.

Must’ve only had three true top four teams 🤷‍♂️
Possibly true given the unfairness of the season
 
If the MCG is to ever be a true neutral GF venue then yes, all teams should get 3-4 games a season there.

Anyway, this argument will turn into a sh*t show so I’m gonna leave this thread here.
So you’re proposing we let the ground with the biggest capacity in the country sit idle all year in terms of permanent tenants.

I don’t know how or why interstate sides seem to feel they get to dictate where their away games are played.
 
May 10, 2009
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So you’re proposing we let the ground with the biggest capacity in the country sit idle all year in terms of permanent tenants.

I don’t know how or why interstate sides seem to feel they get to dictate where their away games are played.
I never said there can’t be permanent tenants on top of all clubs having at a minimum 3-4 games there. If the AFL are genuinely fair dinkum about equalization, they’ll make it work in the fixture.
 
Nov 28, 2011
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Lol - I like how the OP uses an example of no team having a home advantage in the GF as an example that the MCG GF for eternity* is fair

You may as well bring up Syd/West Coast 05/06 as an absurd example if no home advantage for MCG tenants
 
I never said there can’t be permanent tenants on top of all clubs having at a minimum 3-4 games there. If the AFL are genuinely fair dinkum about equalization, they’ll make it work in the fixture.
So who’s home games are you shifting to the MCG to ensure that the eight non-Victorian sides play 4 games there? You have to take them from someone when you only have four true MCG tenants.
 
May 5, 2006
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Odd thread considering the GF hasn't been played yet. And is between two Victorian teams. It's not like Brisbane made it and then lost to a team from outside Queensland. Geelong might upset Richmond which would be an argument that not playing the GF at a ground where you've played 14 times already is an advantage.

Geelong and Richmond both lost away QFs first up then won their semis and won away PFs - one in Qld one in SA. Only difference as it panned out from a normal season was both 'neutral' SFs were played at Metricon and the Gabba instead of the MCG. If the QF results are reversed then it's a bit different as Port and Brisbane would have home ground advantage in the semis and Richmond and Geelong would not in the prelims, and whoever played Brisbane gets an away final instead of home.

The discussion will go on forever. I've been watching WC in top 8 formats for 26 years and every time we finish top 2 people panic at the prospect of us getting 2 home finals and winning through to the GF. Undefeated in prelims, lost one QF to the Swans by a point. Yet magically whenever we do make the GF the venue becomes neutral regardless of who we are playing.
 

Duskfire

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For what is apparently a neutral ground, I imagine 90% of Geelong supporters are happy about not playing Richmond at the MCG (I certainly am.) In the end might not make a huge difference, Richmond might win anyway, but the Gabba is truly a neutral ground in this case.
 
Jun 4, 2005
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The main thing with the bias is the MCG team having the home ground advantage on grand final day...not making the grand final itself.

So this whole thread is irrelevant.
Agree with this point.

Having two vic teams actually make the GF isn’t an issue. Non-vic teams have never had any problems qualifying for the GF...

The complaint is that once they make it. It is unfair that they have to fly to Melbourne a couple of days before, then sleep in a hotel and not enjoy their normal routine.

Supposedly they think the Melbourne based players do enjoy their normal routine?

Does it matter, * no. Best team on the day will win.

Tigers have the GF experience, so deservedly start favs, but Cats are the ‘form’ team and still have plenty of senior players who are familiar with GFs.

Like always the ground will have SFA to do with the result.
 

AwwThatsApples

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Pies beat eagles in WA
Rich beat Port in SA
Geel beat Bris in QLD

interstate sides are just sh*t, no bias.
You can call them s**t, but those teams helped to forge the national competition, and if that didn't happen back in the day your sorry ass would've merged with Fitzroy so consider those "s**t sides" a blessing.
 
You can call them sh*t, but those teams helped to forge the national competition, and if that didn't happen back in the day your sorry ass would've merged with Fitzroy so consider those "sh*t sides" a blessing.

False.
 

AwwThatsApples

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Dec 20, 2014
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Spare me the excuses from interstate supporters about your team and the Grand Final being played at the MCG.

Because not only will a Victorian team win the Premiership.....the game will be decided between two Victorian teams in Queensland.

It's done!
Huh? Do the events of 2020 mean it's not an advantage for Victorian sides to play the GF at the MCG? How does that work?
 
Dec 20, 2014
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Agree with this point.

Having two vic teams actually make the GF isn’t an issue. Non-vic teams have never had any problems qualifying for the GF...

The complaint is that once they make it. It is unfair that they have to fly to Melbourne a couple of days before, then sleep in a hotel and not enjoy their normal routine.

Supposedly they think the Melbourne based players do enjoy their normal routine?

Does it matter, fu** no. Best team on the day will win.
So why don't we play all finals at the MCG?

It's because we accept the fairness principle that sides can earn home finals by finishing/qualifying higher. Why does that principle go out the window where the GF is concerned?
 
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