Preview 2013 AFL fixture released

[footscore]

We're playing the first 4 games in 18 days. That means a 6 day break every round. Surely they won't make us travel interstate more than once with a month full of 6 day breaks.

I agree and can't see us traveling more than once either because two interstate trips would take it's toll early and if it was more than once, we may have to rest players which jeopardizes the 4 points.
Sure the AFL wouldn't mind that though.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

It would be easy to get complacent about Hawthorn and then get beaten.
Remember how determined we were in '09...

We will need to play at the top of our game - as always - to beat them in 2013

If our players get complacent about anything in 2013, after a seventh-placed finish in 2012 (with numerous first quarters which could be politely described as 'shithouse'), they are fair dinkum kidding themselves.

 

[pjcrows]

Cats to play Hawthorn, Sydney, Carlton and North in first 4 games.

 

[Pal22]

Official confirmation now that Easter Monday is a Hawthorn home game, not ours as previously reported - dissapointing but hopefully this means we may avoid an interstate trip in round 2
What we know so far:

Round 1 - Hawthorn @ MCG (Away game)
Round 4 - Sydney @ SCG (Away game)

 

[HappyChappy35]

Round 1 is now officially a Dawks home game. Here's hoping our home game against them is at Kardinia Park.

Cats to play Hawthorn, Sydney, Carlton and North in first 4 games.

Will mean the Carlton match is a home game at the MCG/Etihad (most likely the latter). Where did you hear this BTW?

 

[Meow]

Someone was telling me today we have 6 interstate games again- don't know where or when they all are. We apparently play Hawthorn, Sydney, and the Pies twice. We have 4 home games at the G and Jihad and 7 games at K Park, two of which are against the Tigers and Swans and the first being in Round 10 on Sat night (we play 3 Melb-based clubs there + 4 interstaters). Our first mickey mouse cup game is interstate, followed by one at K Park, then one at Etihad.

Don't know how much truth there is to this so don't assume this is confirmation of anything in any way.

 

[romeoh]

Would love to get Perth only once for a change. Not fussed by any other aspects of it.

 

[David the Cat]

We have a reasonable record at Patterson Stadium I think...though we lost both last year.

That WCE game though was a farce...can't remember a game where umpires completely ruined a game quite as badly as they did with this game. The low point of 2012 for me, and should lead to a quiet withdrawal from the scene of Jeff Gieschan.

 

[pjcrows]

Round 1 is now officially a Dawks home game. Here's hoping our home game against them is at Kardinia Park.


Will mean the Carlton match is a home game at the MCG/Etihad (most likely the latter). Where did you hear this BTW?

Niel Balme.

 

[SJ]

The drip feed fixture release is the AFL's worst idea ever.

 

[HappyChappy35]

Niel Balme.

Sounds pretty reliable then if it actually came from Balme himself.

The drip feed fixture release is the AFL's worst idea ever.

I know, the AFL should either release it now or just shut up until it is comes out next Friday.

 

[Pal22]

Article in the AGE this confirms that:

We play Hawthorn twice (second time is rumoured to be round 15)
Only play Collingwood once
Three night games at Simonds Stadium, first vs the Suns on June 1st

 

[fpm84]

Very disappointing that our first night game at Geelong will be against GC. I thought we'd at least get Richmond or St Kilda.

 

[BotsMaster]

Article in the AGE this confirms that:

We play Hawthorn twice (second time is rumoured to be round 15)
Only play Collingwood once
Three night games at Simonds Stadium, first vs the Suns on June 1st

That is a must win game, otherwise the pies flogs will think they have some sort of pact to never lose to us again like we have with Hawthorn.

 

[HappyChappy35]

Three night games at Simonds Stadium, first vs the Suns on June 1st

Very, very disappointing. Our first night game ever at Kardinia Park and the AFL give us some dud, plastic interstate franchise. I realise the Ablett factor and all, but why couldn't they have given us a Victorian club or at least an interstate side such as Adelaide or Sydney. Not happy.
Can't help but feel as though we're going to get screwed over yet again. Let me guess who our other games at KP are against- Melbourne, the Bulldogs, Port, GWS and Brisbane?

 

[James1970]

The drip feed fixture release is the AFL's worst idea ever.

It is, but I'm cynical enough to believe they do so as it allows them to still tinker with it right up until deadline, with regards to the trade period. They probably pencilled in the Dees playing Pies once, but pulled out a rubber and penned them in twice with the Daws move.

I hope one day to live long enough to see each team playing each other once, with no pre-season. The build-up to round one would be incredible, and each round a true must win at all costs game. Finalists would be worthy, the Premier all-mighty.

 

[Meow]

Article in the AGE this confirms that:

We play Hawthorn twice (second time is rumoured to be round 15)
Only play Collingwood once
Three night games at Simonds Stadium, first vs the Suns on June 1st

I think you'll find that 1 or 2 of those 'night' games are actually twilight games starting at 4:40. I know the Suns (think it's them but not sure) in Round 10 is a proper night game but I'm not sure on the others. Will try and ask the chick I know from the membership department that gave me the info before about this (again, don't know how reliable it is but she claims to have seen a copy of the draft draw).

 

[Jimmy Yamazaki]

Want to play West Coast and Freo at KP this year for a change and not go over there. Not gonna happen but I can dream.

 

[#CATS11#]

this is from the afl page -
Geelong will play under lights for the first time at Simonds Stadium, after the recent upgrade of the ground, with the AFL likely to schedule three or more games at night at the Cattery.
It is believed the first clash under lights will be against Gold Coast on June 1.
Given their recent storied history, the Cats and the Hawks will also meet twice next season, the first the Easter Monday blockbuster at the MCG in round one.

 

[Moggy]

I hope one day to live long enough to see each team playing each other once, with no pre-season. The build-up to round one would be incredible, and each round a true must win at all costs game. Finalists would be worthy, the Premier all-mighty.

Do you mean play each other once or twice?

I long for the latter, without pre-season. A proper and fair fixture again!*

* it used to be this way back in VFL days, right? Memory fading...

 

[James1970]

Do you mean play each other once or twice?

I long for the latter, without pre-season. A proper and fair fixture again!*

* it used to be this way back in VFL days, right? Memory fading...

No, teams should play each other just once. Scarlo said the same thing when retiring - the season is too long.

 

[thegerman]

I agree, do you really think that big business blokes like Cook and previously Costa would let that slide if they had even the slightest inkling that the AFL was loading the draws?
Its a nice idea, but we are a drawcard team so why the hell wouldnt they want us to be successful?


I cant remember the exact number, but we make a lot more off a sold out KP game than a 80,000 MCG game.
Stuff the opposition supporters, its not their home game!! Essentially when we play our "home" game against the Pies at the MCG its their home game because they get the far greater attendance - majority of the time due to it being a friday game and being hard for people living in Geelong to get there - creating the cauldron effect for the Pies.

Why cant we be afforded the same luxury? The AFL have no excuse as to the "blockbuster" value to TV stations next year as we will have lights and be able to have night games!!

The ONLY reason we wont get a team like Collingwood or Hawthorn at KP is due to the fact that the AFL will loose too much money, not us!!

Yep, about 600-650k for a home game, and we need to get in over 60k at the MCG just to break even. 80k brings in about 350-400k and 80k upwards can get close to a home
game surplus.

Imagine bringing a bigger club down, where we can get them in early and start buying up at the ground also.

 

[David the Cat]

No, teams should play each other just once. Scarlo said the same thing when retiring - the season is too long.

Not if a few teams merge.....Hawthorn and Melbourne might work .. D ( demons ) awks ( Hawks)....Go the mighty Dawks...

Got a ring to it I reckon.

 

[HappyChappy35]

Yep, about 600-650k for a home game, and we need to get in over 60k at the MCG just to break even. 80k brings in about 350-400k and 80k upwards can get close to a home
game surplus.

Imagine bringing a bigger club down, where we can get them in early and start buying up at the ground also.

That figure of $600-650k may be even higher next year with the increased capacity. We earn $30 per patron, so with a crowd of 30,000 we may be looking at raking in $850-900k per home game from now on.
How exciting is our first home game under lights going to be against the Gold Coast? Can't wait for a lopsided contest against a bunch of teenagers.

 

[Moggy]

If our players get complacent about anything in 2013, after a seventh-placed finish in 2012 (with numerous first quarters which could be politely described as 'shithouse'), they are fair dinkum kidding themselves.

I would agree, but I was more talking the suggestion above that the Hawks would have a GF hang-over as well as "the curse" to hamper them.

I think they will come out absolutely fired-up, like we did in 2009.

Also, we have been beating the Hawks by ever decreasing margins, and I don't think it's possible to cut it any finer than we did last time around!