Any chance we could make the season opener not the same teams every year?

[Sausages]

Your forgetting that this game used to be an easy 4 points for the Blues, of course at some stage the wheel will turn again.
Carlton won 5 of the first 6 round 1 games then we have won the last 5 in a row so Richmond 6
Carlton 5 at this stage.

Yeah, I recall those days - but we still had the same arguments, didn't we? It has just turned out that, for the most part in this fixture's history, one team has been under performing in relation to the other, with the odd exception.

I know many people have and do take great delight at seeing Carlton suffering for a decade or more - but sheesh, it'd be good for footy if they were able to climb off the canvas this year. The discussions about who/why/how they've floundered for so long have been done to death and yes, the onus is certainly on them to improve, as opposed to the fixture evening up due to the Tiges falling off a cliff.

 

[Topkent]

**** me dead every year someone complains about this.

Will be hilarious if Carlton start to get their shit together right has Richmond become shit again.
The only problem with this game has been Carlton sucking balls, can't forever surely

 

[Sausages]

**** me dead every year someone complains about this.

Will be hilarious if Carlton start to get their shit together right has Richmond become shit again.
The only problem with this game has been Carlton sucking balls, can't forever surely

Jesus you're an evil bastard TK
Cue the Neverending Thread

 

[TeeJay Blue]

**** me dead every year someone complains about this.

Will be hilarious if Carlton start to get their shit together right has Richmond become shit again.
The only problem with this game has been Carlton sucking balls, can't forever surely

In a world where that happens, no one would bat an eye.

When Carlton were flogging Tigers in the early years, people had no problem with the match. But when Carlton lose by smaller margins, people complain about the blues being so terrible and not deserving any profitable time-slot.

That's the way things go.

 

[JohnnyFontane90]

the season should open with the reigning champ hosting someone who's an expected challenger. maybe west coast home to richmond or something like that.

but for everyone in this thread, as bad as carlton have been the last few years, they've always been pretty competitive in the opener. richmond have won the last 5 but the margins have been 22 points on average.

by comparison, season openers involving any team not called carlton in the last decade have had average winning margins 56 points.

so yeah best keep carlton in the opener....

 

[JohnnyFontane90]

Thoughts?

It wouldn't be so bad if it were a decent match up, say maybe the grand finalist from last year, at least it would be different teams each year, but everyone talks the match up and the blues get smashed as usual. It's like the season doesn't really start until Friday night. The season opener is always a fizzer.

Why is it a locked in thing that Richmond and Carlton open the season, is it Because cartlton can't draw a crowd that big at any other time of the year and need the money?

this literally never happens.

carlton average losing margin in season openers: 22 points
Adelaide crows average home losing margin in season openers: 35 points

mic drop.

 

[Topkent]

In a world where that happens, no one would bat an eye.

When Carlton were flogging Tigers in the early years, people had no problem with the match. But when Carlton lose by smaller margins, people complain about the blues being so terrible and not deserving any profitable time-slot.

That's the way things go.

I don't really care, you can go out Thursday night an pretend the season starts with Collingwood an Geelong if you want

 

[TeeJay Blue]

I don't really care, you can go out Thursday night an pretend the season starts with Collingwood an Geelong if you want

Well I'm a blues supporter so I obviously wouldn't ignore my team.

And I don't care about any non-blues or non-tigers supporters doing something else. But complaining about it just makes it seem like they care.

 

[TeeJay Blue]

Thoughts?

It wouldn't be so bad if it were a decent match up, say maybe the grand finalist from last year, at least it would be different teams each year, but everyone talks the match up and the blues get smashed as usual. It's like the season doesn't really start until Friday night. The season opener is always a fizzer.

Why is it a locked in thing that Richmond and Carlton open the season, is it Because cartlton can't draw a crowd that big at any other time of the year and need the money?

Can you or anybody enlighten me here? When in recent times have blues been "smashed as usual" by Richmond?

Once again I quote my research:

Let's go back to 2007 when the season opener became a thing. I'll include the couple of non-season openers along the way as well as the head to heads during the latter half of the seasons. Margins in bold are from season openers. Margin in blue is the 2013 EF.

Along the way, Richmond has won many games without humiliating the blues.
30, 5, 12, 27 (Carlton's 2015 season), 30, 9, 43, 26 and 26 (Carlton's worst season in 117 years)
(Wow we've been so horrible! Why do we exist!)

Compare it with Carlton victories against the tigers in the earlier years.
17, 30, 83, 20, 56, 89, 20, 103, 44, 4, 10 and 20.
(How no one batted an eye when Richmond got pantsed!)

Blues average winning margin against Tigers team is almost double (41 to 23). As for the season openers, averages are 44 (Carlton) to 27 (Richmond).
If I were to include the two early matches from 2013 and 2014, Richmond's average margin would drop down 5 to 22.

Doesn't seem like blues were "smashed as usual".

Not saying it couldn't happen, but the fact is that it hasn't.

 

[GremioPower]

There was one close game in the last 4 opening matches:

Year: Richmond - Carlton
2018: 17.19 - 15.5
2017: 20.12 - 14.5
2016: 14.8 - 12.11
2015: 15.15 - 11.12

I think the issue was Freo destroying Collingwood in 2014 (17.14 - 5.16). AFL doesn't want to risk interstaters humiliating a Victorian club like that in the beginning of the season...

 

[Benny78]

I was about to say it's a joke to start the season with a vfl game every year and the clubs should be changed. But they'd certainky be replaced with some interstate club. The AFL is terrible at doing basically everything. Therefore two good Victorian clubs opening the season will be the last thing they do.

 

[Tandy]

I don't mind it. Every year it's a mystery how much if any Carlton will improve.

 

[Isaac Cumming No 1]

Meh

If two Vic clubs play at the MCG on Rhursday night to open the season, I dont get why I care.

 

[LightTower4]

They can have it.
I prefer not playing on a Thursday night.
Unless it's Anzac Eve.

 

[Fat Nyfe]

It shouldn’t be the GF rematch either. Just make it a random matchup featuring finals teams, and mix it up every year.

 

[go_the_dockers]

I would like the first game to be competitive

 

[Bomberboyokay]

Putting the wooden spooner in the season opener is ****ing embarrassing. Should be two good teams.

"But it's a big crowd". Don't give a shit. It'd still be big on Sunday afternoon.

 

[1972championsofaust]

If it’s just about maxing out attendance and dollars... Wouldn’t Richmond and Carlton get just as many if not more if it was played Sat arvo at the G... Think way more school kids could go instead of a Thursday School night match!

 

[Drewie11]

I don’t mind it really, if I had the choice though I’d go for the grand final teams playing at the premiers ground so they can get the flag out on show.

I just have a feeling this one could be a blow out though, Richmond are a team that could have easily won the GF last year and have added one of the best big forwards in the competition. Carlton are tipped to finish around the bottom 4 again. With the new 6-6-6 rule we could see a larger gap added between top and bottom teams.

If Richmond do give Carlton a flogging by over 100 points then the AFL might look at changing it. If Carlton stay within under 50 points then it will stay the same again next year

 

[the harry]

I like it.

All teams play 22 H&A games so it isn't a huge issue, but enjoy the big crowd at the G.

 

[Deliverance]

The whole fixture for round 1 looks pretty shit actually.

 

[FootyJunkie]

Defending Champ @ Losing Prelim Finalist the champs did not beat

Richmond v West Coast

 

[bzparkes]

At least they're hiding a shit game by 2 sides which play scrappy, unskilled football on a Thursday night in preparation for the real stuff over the weekend.

Oh and much better than that season opener a few years back featuring the Swans , and whoever else, on a Thursday night then the rest of the games a week later. What a shamozzle that was.

 

[Bomberboyokay]

I just have a feeling this one could be a blow out though

2-20 vs 19-5. You're right to feel that way.

 

[Wallaby]

I would like the first game to be competitive

Carlton hit the lead in the last quarter in Rd 1 2018. It was a great game.

Carlton got a jump, led by 5 goals at one stage.
Richmond fought back, got in front, only for Carlton to get the lead again. There were 7 lead changes in the 3rd and 4th quarters.
Richmond eventually won the game with a run of 4 goals in 5 minutes mid-way through the last.

If that's not a competitive game, you have a very tight definition.