Preview AFL 2025 Opening Round - Lions v Cats (Gabba) POSTPONED

[Elixuh]

With Opening Round, Gather Round and all the rest of it, the season is beginning 3-4 weeks earlier than it did a few years ago.

The earlier and earlier you schedule footy in a tropical location, the greater the risk of some sort of extreme rain/heat/storm impacting things.

Just seems a bit silly for the AFL to tempt fate like that

You’d never leave your bunker in Geelong if you were concerned about 1 in 34 year events.

 

[Whiskers]

Just play it at Metricon. Gabba is a hole that needs to be demolished.

 

[Jatz]

With Opening Round, Gather Round and all the rest of it, the season is beginning 3-4 weeks earlier than it did a few years ago.

The earlier and earlier you schedule footy in a tropical location, the greater the risk of some sort of extreme rain/heat/storm impacting things.

Just seems a bit silly for the AFL to tempt fate like that

The NRL have started at the beginning of March and haven't really had a problem, they've even got a team further up in Townsville.

 

[paullions]

Just play it at Metricon. Gabba is a hole that needs to be demolished.

Bring on Victoria Park

 

[Billy ray]

Just play it at Metricon. Gabba is a hole that needs to be demolished.

Worse conditions!

 

[Sttew]

Games were moved at short notice during the Covid seasons so it can be done. If I were in Dillon's shoes I would pull the trigger and move the game to Marvel Stadium. Free entry for Lions and Cats members. This will be a massive TV event for Seven and Fox, and moving it will be a free kick for the NRL and Nine.

There's precedent for Brisbane being forced to play "home games" in Melbourne against the Cats - 2004 PF played at MCG

 

[Elixuh]

Just play it at Metricon. Gabba is a hole that needs to be demolished.

Have you read about the cyclone old boy? The conditions are worse at Metricon.

 

[Gavin Excell]

This would be extremely unlikely going ahead now

 

[bungalow_bill]

Games were moved at short notice during the Covid seasons so it can be done. If I were in Dillon's shoes I would pull the trigger and move the game to Marvel Stadium. Free entry for Lions and Cats members. This will be a massive TV event for Seven and Fox, and moving it will be a free kick for the NRL and Nine.

Lions have an excellent record at Marvel so bring it on.

 

[Sttew]

Lions have an excellent record at Marvel so bring it on.

They should just swap the 2 x H&A games around. Opening Rd in Geelong, R15 in Brisbane. Simple?

 

[Mr Meow]

Cats will be working behind the scenes to see if they can get the 4 points and funding from the qld gov for a new scoreboard.

Brisbane should be lobbying to relocate away from a shithole that can't even host an opening round of football.

 

[Elixuh]

Brisbane should be lobbying to relocate away from a shithole that can't even host an opening round of football.

Dont fear, we will soon be able to enjoy a new tier one stadium. Even those few that pay any tax in Geelong will have contributed to it!

 

[GenericUsername202]

Anthony Dillion is a clueless hack who should be fired over this debacle. How can you read the metrology report and think "oh this is fine". First of all, there will be 35,000 people there. Although much less so now because most people will probably be afraid to turn out. So you're going to likely have a half empty stadium. Then if it hits before, or during or even after, you have the potential of people and players being injured or even much worse. Not to mention Geelong won't even be able to leave for days (and that's the best case scenario). I mean, someone fire this clown please. This shit has lawsuit or much worse written all over it. Cancel it now, save people the time and if they're that desperate for a thursday night game, bump another game to that slot and give out free tickets or whatever.

 

[Billy ray]

 

[Rich01]

Gives Tanner Bruin another week to recover from his finger injury I spose.

 

[Mr Meow]

Dont fear, we will soon be able to enjoy a new tier one stadium. Even those few that pay any tax in Geelong will have contributed to it!

Sounds great!

 

[Mr Meow]

Gives Tanner Bruin another week to recover from his finger injury I spose.

Obsessed.

 

[STPer18]

The worst opening round to an AFL season ever? Might be time to hand it back to Victoria at this rate.

#QLDbias
#BringItHome

 

[Rich01]

Obsessed.

What’s the word on the street Meow?
You reckon it’s just a niggle or more a longer term injury?

 

[Mr Meow]

What’s the word on the street Meow?
You reckon it’s just a niggle or more a longer term injury?

I think you'll have a 1000 more obsessed posts on the topic. Weird unit, aren't you?

 

[Elixuh]

Not to mention Geelong won't even be able to leave for days (and that's the best case scenario).

 

[STPer18]

 

[The_Todd07]

Maybe it just became the ideal time to play them.

In all seriousness though, enough is enough. Move it to Round 3, you don't often get such a easy option for rescheduling.

You've got one team understandably more worried about the impact to their families and homes and another team who may not be able to get there or get stranded once there.

That's before the safety concerns for a one who would at the game if it were to go ahead.

 

[Sttew]

Anthony Dillion is a clueless hack who should be fired over this debacle. How can you read the metrology report and think "oh this is fine". First of all, there will be 35,000 people there. Although much less so now because most people will probably be afraid to turn out. So you're going to likely have a half empty stadium. Then if it hits before, or during or even after, you have the potential of people and players being injured or even much worse. Not to mention Geelong won't even be able to leave for days (and that's the best case scenario). I mean, someone fire this clown please. This shit has lawsuit or much worse written all over it. Cancel it now, save people the time and if they're that desperate for a thursday night game, bump another game to that slot and give out free tickets or whatever.

Who is Anthony Dillion? Is that the GABBA stadium manager?

 

[Mr Q]

Maybe it just became the ideal time to play them.

In all seriousness though, enough is enough. Move it to Round 3, you don't often get such a easy option for rescheduling.

You've got one team understandably more worried about the impact to their families and homes and another team who may not be able to get there or get stranded once there.

That's before the safety concerns for a one who would at the game if it were to go ahead.

I'd add that Sunday is also probably not a great time either - if a cyclone goes through on Friday and drops torrential rain, the ground may not have recovered enough by then to play.

Anyway, this game isn't the real headache for the AFL - there are solutions to this one (and the shift to round 3 is so glaringly obvious they should just call it now). The real headache is what happens if the cyclone dumps massive amounts of rain on Carrara and makes the ground unplayable, as the Suns and Bombers don't have another common bye week to move the game to, and don't play each other again this year.