2013 Fixture Discussion

[Football Pope]

What are the club's options?

1. Accept it without question. Go over like a lead balloon, and not the hard rocking type.
2. Put out a press release reiterating the club's position and pointing the finger at the AFL. What they did.
3. Legal action against the AFL over the draw? What other options do they have?

All clubs have their hands tied by the draw. The club gets to put in their claims, and obviously they did, but the AFL is the final arbiter. I can understand people getting pissed off at the AFL, but unless you're wanting the club to launch legal action or some such (and any realist could point out the likelihood of this), I don't see what the club could do more than what they have done.

Edit: The thing that pisses me off about the Victorian games is that we play seven Victorian clubs but two of the games are off in Shitsville. How hard would it have been to swap one or two other clubs into an Aurora and/or Darwin slot?

Yep Piss poor...the 2 biggest story's the AFL have out at the moment are to do with Clubs cheating the system...and the stance they'll go to, to stamp that out....Yet they, the AFL cheat the Victorian based supporters on reneging on an agreement on 6 games in Victoria.

 

[lionbear]

Honestly, not angry about the Victorian draw, I accepted last year that we are a Queensland club, thanks to the latest media rights its now impossible to follow the Lions from outside of Queensland unless you have a lot of spare time on your hands which I do not.

When the times comes to become a member of a club again, my plan is to get a reserved seat at Skilled Stadium, I love the Lions, they are my number 1 team and always will be, but I want to watch regular live footy, and for a Victorian, the Brisbane Lions can no longer offer me that.

The club can't control the AFL, and I have accepted that and have moved on.

 

[Cousin Jed]

Maybe some people should give the club more than 5 minutes after the draw has come out before they start trashing them about how they treat Melbourne fans.

 

[Loyal Lion]

Maybe some people should give the club more than 5 minutes after the draw has come out before they start trashing them about how they treat Melbourne fans.

To be honest, I find that statement to be pretty condescending. You are entitled to your opinion as am I, but don't start telling other people how they should or shouldn't feel about this situation. It is a blatant breach of the merger agreement.

 

[lionbear]

Honestly, in heart of hearts, do you really think that's an option for the club?

The AFL said that clause was no longer required to be followed when Brisbane signed an "away" game against Melbourne at the Gabba.

 

[Simba Moyo]

On the plus side, we'll be playing more games in Melbourne when we make the finals.

 

[Brisbane2013]

Who wrote the summary for the fixture? because some guy believe we won 9 games this year..

 

[Whabbaghetti]

No Saturday nights on FTA means no BT. That's a win in my books. Disappointing that GC gets 2 more FTA games broadcast to Victoria then the Lions do though.

 

[LionKing]

Less games in Melbourne, premiership Lions jumper banished for the time being and the club wonders why Vic based memberships are down

 

[Football Pope]

The AFL said that clause was no longer required to be followed when Brisbane signed an "away" game against Melbourne at the Gabba.

Yep.. and as a member wasn't happy when the club did that..Basically the AFL are penalizing the Lions Melbourne based members "perpetually"

 

[whatboutbob]

Holmes' roll-over response on 4 Melbourne games is very disappointing.

We had an 18 team competition last year and yet the AFL managed to fixture us for 6 games in Melbourne. It seems simply that the AFL and/or our club have de-prioritised our Melbourne based fans.

 

[Cousin Jed]

To be honest, I find that statement to be pretty condescending. You are entitled to your opinion as am I, but don't start telling other people how they should or shouldn't feel about this situation. It is a blatant breach of the merger agreement.

Be outraged all you want about the fixture. But maybe people should wait to see what the club offers as "compensation" exactly before trashing that

 

[ZoBlitz]

Holmes' roll-over response on 4 Melbourne games is very disappointing.

We had an 18 team competition last year and yet the AFL managed to fixture us for 6 games in Melbourne. It seems simply that the AFL and/or our club have de-prioritised our Melbourne based fans.

What should have Holmes said? I mean, the fixture has been released after all.

 

[whatboutbob]

Be outraged all you want about the fixture. But maybe people should wait to see what the club offers as "compensation" exactly before trashing that

Unless the compensation is return flights to Brisbane (or Tassie, or Darwin), I don't see how it'll make up for getting fewer games down there.

It is great that they're talking about more post-match functions and that sort of thing, but none of that will make up for the inability to get along to more games.

 

[Brisbane2013]

No Saturday nights on FTA means no BT. That's a win in my books. Disappointing that GC gets 2 more FTA games broadcast to Victoria then the Lions do though.

No saturday night on fta?

 

[Rally]

Hmm, travelling to Geelong, Darwin and Tassie. Not ideal, but the fact we only play 2 finalists twice (one being North Melbourne) is pretty handy. Nothing exceptional but I'll take it.

Commiserations to Melbourne fans though.

 

[whatboutbob]

What should have Holmes said? I mean, the fixture has been released after all.

I'd have liked to have seen some fire. "We're disappointed" is pretty limp.

 

[Loyal Lion]

Be outraged all you want about the fixture. But maybe people should wait to see what the club offers as "compensation" exactly before trashing that

I'm not interested in "compensation". So we will get a discount on a Victorian membership. Big deal.

I like the opportunity to see my club play live as much as possible. 6 games a year is not even adequate, but that's all we had.

Now it's even less. So from rounds 9 to 19 in 2013, we have no Melbourne games ??? Absolutely pathetic.

 

[POBT]

Yeah that fixture is completely unbalanced. First 5 are good. Last 9 are decent. 8 in the middle absolutely batshit insane

That 8 in the middle looks bad because of the fact that everyone expects Essendon/Carlton to be top 8 sides.

But based on 2012 results we play:

Rd 6 - Team 1
Rd 7 - Team 5
Rd 8 - Team 11
Rd 9 - Team 10
Rd 10 - Team 4
BYE
Rd 12 - Team 6
Rd 13 - Team 7
Rd 14 - Team 2

 

[Cousin Jed]

I'd have liked to have seen some fire. "We're disappointed" is pretty limp.

Well they are paying his wages (effectively) so "don't bite the hand that feeds you" comes to mind.

 

[irel]

Piss poor response from the club. Head in sand, pants around ankles and accept what’s coming. Not even a whimper. What a disappointing response.

 

[Pancho Gonzales]

I can't wait to see what the club offers us Melbourne members as 'compensation' - Some post match functions where some promo girls try to flog us raffle tickets while we wait 45 minutes for an assistant coach and two first year players to come out? Simply put, the club shouldn't accept being the other team when clubs sign to play home games interstate. One of Darwin or Tassie I could accept, but why both?

 

[Loyal Lion]

I'd have liked to have seen some fire. "We're disappointed" is pretty limp.

Couldn't agree more. It's the type of response I would have expected from Bowers, not from Holmes.

 

[Harris Specter]

And Collingwood travel the least yet again.

Apart from Fremantle and West Coast, we are the ones who travel the most in all the teams, and yet, only have 4 Victorian games.

And that stretch of games from Round 7-14 looks horrible. If we could snare 3 or 4 out of those 8 games, I'll be real happy.
Could finish with 15 wins after having a quick glance at the fixture and the opponents corresponding previous match before us.

 

[Football Pope]

Simon Lethlean:
Hi Pope, The Lions have four games in Melbourne and one in Geelong. What we have done is guarantee them a game in Melbourne against Collingwood in round three of the NAB Cup, but they are travelling to Tasmania and Darwin, which has probably meant one less game in Victoria.