Last night proved that we don't need the Grand Final at the MCG anymore.

Jun 30, 2009
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Deroesfromgero
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Imagine England hosting the World Cup and playing the final at St James Park or the Stadium of Light...
imagine that england has a stadium designed and built for big matches such as internationals and fa cup finals

and then imagine that noone has it as a home ground (with the exception of a club building a new stadium)

then imagine that you arent imagining anything as thats what they do have

a neutral ground for big games
 

skadoosh

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MCG is shithouse for the entertainment element, pre game and half time stuff. At the ground and on tv the sound is rubbish and the stadium is too big for it. Last night was way better. The tv ratings is interesting, was it the time slot or was it due to Covid factors of less people at pubs, live sites, gatherings.
Pretty sure the point of the grand final is to play footy, not the pre-game and half-time entertainment...
 
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imagine that england has a stadium designed and built for big matches such as internationals and fa cup finals

and then imagine that noone has it as a home ground (with the exception of a club building a new stadium)

then imagine that you arent imagining anything as thats what they do have

a neutral ground for big games
We had that - it was called Waverley Park. And it was only a little bit further out of town than Wembley is from London.

It didn't work - admittedly, mostly because it didn't have a train line to it. But overall, it was still not as good as the MCG for the whole build-up, crowds gathering outside, walking to the ground along the river...............................

I complained about shutting Waverley and building Docklands - still do. Waverley was a perfect H&A ground. Grand Finals - no.
 
Jun 4, 2005
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the horror that you might have to deal with what we have to deal with is real and tangible and ignores the fact that there are plenty of wa based supporters of clubs that can attend.
Just practical reality.

What % of those WA based supporters would be in membership categories that guarantee access GF if their club makes it?

All clubs set up their membership with different tiers of membership and skim extra revenue based on the GF access categories.

Everyone acknowledges that it is a pain for one set of supporters to cross the continent, so it would be absolute insanity to play two east based teams there just because.

Having WA teams host it if they make it actually makes sense, if we are to move to a hosting model.

The rotation idea doesn’t actually improve the situation from a fan perspective.
 

Tackle Bag

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It was still a spectacle despite a reduced crowd and non-traditional state (most of the credit must go to the teams, to be fair, good quality game). It would be a spectacle anywhere, the MCG simply offers a little larger crowd. The difference isn’t worth locking out every other state.

The MCG is not the spiritual place some people make it out to be.

40k more isn’t just “a little larger“.
That large a crowd generates a different experience that 50-60k simply cannot replicate. It adds up to a hell of a lot of cash in tickets, corporate packages etc as well.
 

Hot Diggity

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I wonder if those West Aussies that are hankering for the GF to be played at Optus were making the same noise when that shitbox of a ground called Subiaco was their main ground?

And those from SA - there was never much debate when AAMI was your main venue.

Suck it up.
 

FreoFan85

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Just practical reality.

What % of those WA based supporters would be in membership categories that guarantee access GF if their club makes it?

All clubs set up their membership with different tiers of membership and skim extra revenue based on the GF access categories.

Everyone acknowledges that it is a pain for one set of supporters to cross the continent, so it would be absolute insanity to play two east based teams there just because.

Having WA teams host it if they make it actually makes sense, if we are to move to a hosting model.

The rotation idea doesn’t actually improve the situation from a fan perspective.

Depending on how you look at it. Given the fact that I would be able to attend a grand final if it was occasionally played here (irrespective of who is playing). From my perspective it would radically improve the situation for me personally.
 

Rickee

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The MCG is the home of football in Australia. If this were a regular season, there would have been no question of holding the Grand Final anywhere else. This is a fact. I can't see the GF moving away from the MCG again in my lifetime unless another pandemic hits or a larger stadium is built in another city.
 

bendarmody

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Its an absolute joke that the VFL signed the agreement with the MCC for so long...
if they really want to grow the game in northern states and finish the rugby codes off for good then a travelling GF would be the way to do it.
As others have said, Brisbane one year, Melbourne the next, Sydney the next etc.
Take the whole thing and do it properly, the parade, the brownlow all the festivities.
Its a shame Brisbane didnt have the buildup this year (because of covid) but i guess without the virus the GF wouldnt have been up here.

I think the sooner the arrogant Victorians realise its not the VFL anymore the sooner the game will grow.
It was the non victorian clubs that saved their league when they joined in the late 80s early 90s.
 

Redline

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Perth is too isolated, it would only work if you don’t want competing club members to get their share of tickets.
Brisbane only worked this year because what 95% of competing club members were unable to attend due to Covid.

The likelihood of doing a rotating GF is that two competing clubs will be from east coast, no point having a Sydney v Melbourne GF with the 40k club members who would be able to get to the G be unable to get to Perth.

Non Victorian club supporters have to pay over priced travel and accommodation or sometimes buy before they even know if their team has made the GF just to avoid the high costs.
 

Choogler

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???

Yesterday was an all round flop for mine.

Backing onto Cox Plate meant the build up wasn’t the same, there wasn’t the usual singular focus.

You can’t prove anything because of Covid, but it just didn’t feel like GF day was any real event.

The year before was much better, all the big big sound memes, GWS fans march to the G from the city, even the Giants made it an event.

Even the post match was meh, they barely did a lap of honour.

If anything it showed that the GF really is a Melbourne event, the entire city gets behind it and it is an amazing place to be for that long weekend. You don’t get that in a non-footy city.
Your last statement is your most accurate "you don't get that in a non-footy city". I found the crowd noise to be way down on other GFs but I guarantee you that had it been in Adelaide or Perth the crowd noise would have been significantly higher. Players from all clubs have said that the noise level at OPTUS Stadium is unbelievable and the equal of the MCG.
 
Non Victorian club supporters have to pay over priced travel and accommodation or sometimes buy before they even know if their team has made the GF just to avoid the high costs.

Now imagine trying the same if the game was in the most isolated city on the planet, Perth.
 

Choogler

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Its an absolute joke that the VFL signed the agreement with the MCC for so long...
if they really want to grow the game in northern states and finish the rugby codes off for good then a travelling GF would be the way to do it.
As others have said, Brisbane one year, Melbourne the next, Sydney the next etc.
Take the whole thing and do it properly, the parade, the brownlow all the festivities.
Its a shame Brisbane didnt have the buildup this year (because of covid) but i guess without the virus the GF wouldnt have been up here.

I think the sooner the arrogant Victorians realise its not the VFL anymore the sooner the game will grow.
It was the non victorian clubs that saved their league when they joined in the late 80s early 90s.
Agreed, but I think the thing that is overlooked in this whole sorry agreement that the AFL put in place is that it not only discounts but completely disrespects a whole generation of Non-Victorian supporters of ALL CLUBS, including Melbourne based clubs, that will now never have the opportunity thru ill health, lack of finances or any other reason to go to witness a GF live. I've been fortunate to have seen 4 GFs live so it isn't about me, I just happen to believe that all supporters should have the same chance and rotating the GF through each of the states with AFL teams is the only way that will happen. My suggestion is the rotation be based on the number of teams in each state... ie 10 out of every 18 in Melbourne and 2/18 in each of the other states with a schedule set in advance. This would also mean a home GF for any team would become a matter of chance.
 

Choogler

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Now imagine trying the same if the game was in the most isolated city on the planet, Perth.
Be good to see two Vic clubs play in Perth, and their supporters have to do what interstate supporters have been faced with for 21 of the past 29 years. Just saying!
 

Choogler

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Every cell in your body dies and is replaced every 20 years (most parts far less).

Yet the vast majority of people consider themselves to be the same person they were 20 years ago. Changed to be sure, improved hopefully, but still the same person.
Difference is that your body is a living breathing thing with emotions, just like the supporters excluded by the MCG agreement. On the other hand, the MCG is but a human (re-)built structure, just like any other stadium
 

GoGeta

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Why even have a thread like this?

I must be *ing psychic.

I knew every single post in this thread before I entered it..

Melbourne teams fans ''MCG'', Interstate teams fans ''Share it around''

Another pointless thread.
 
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