2013 Fixture Discussion

[GingerGreatness]

Yep - hey we know we're in breach of the merger agreement, that's out of our control, but we'll give you guys a discounted membership, some post match functions and a NAB cup game.

Do not blame people for being upset and venting on here. At all.

 

[Loyal Lion]

Yep - hey we know we're in breach of the merger agreement, that's out of our control, but we'll give you guys a discounted membership, some post match functions and a NAB cup game.

Do not blame people for being upset and venting on here. At all.

Yep it's a real kick in the guts GG. The club's response just adds to the anger & frustration.

 

[LionKing]

BRISBANE LIONS FIXTURE 2013​

1 Saturday, March 30 - Western Bulldogs (Etihad Stadium 1.40pm)​

2 Saturday, April 6 - Adelaide Crows (Gabba 3.40pm)​

3 Saturday, April 13 - Gold Coast SUNS (Metricon Stadium) 7.40pm​

4 Sunday, April 21 - North Melbourne (Etihad Stadium) 4.40pm​

5 Sunday, April 28 - Melbourne (Gabba 3.15pm)​

6 Sunday, May 5 - Sydney Swans (SCG 1.10pm)​

7 Saturday, May 11 - West Coast Eagles (Gabba 2.10pm)​

8 Saturday, May 18 - Essendon (Etihad Stadium 1.45pm)​

9 Saturday, May 25 - Carlton (Gabba 7.40pm)​

10 Friday, May 31 - Collingwood (Gabba 7.50pm)​

11 Bye​

12 Saturday, June 15 - Fremantle (Patersons Stadium 2.40pm)​

13 Sunday, June 23 - Geelong Cats (Gabba 4.40pm)​

14 Sunday, June 30 - Hawthorn (Aurora Stadium 1.10pm)​

15 Saturday, July 6 - Gold Coast SUNS (Gabba 4.40pm)​

16 Saturday, July 13 - North Melbourne (Gabba 7.40pm)​

17 Saturday, July 20 - Melbourne (TIO Stadium 7.10pm)​

18 Sunday, July 28 - Port Adelaide (AAMI Stadium 12.40pm)​

19 Saturday, August 3 - St Kilda (Gabba 7.40pm)​

20 Saturday, August 10 - Richmond (MCG 1.45pm)​

21 Saturday, August 17 - GWS GIANTS (Gabba 7.40pm)​

22 Sunday, August 25 - Western Bulldogs (Gabba 4.40pm​

23 TBC - Geelong Cats Simonds Stadium (Venue TBC)​

 

[Ceebee]

Is there a reason why we never get to play the Hawks at the Gabba?

It doesnt seem fair at all.
Makes it tough for the players.
I am sure they wouldnt mind playing that game in Melb,instead of Tassie to appease the Vic fans.
Must be tough doing the draw though.
We will just have to ride with it and hope the boys can handle it.
In reality, our Club has been treated like shit for years by the A.F.L but I guess if they are holding us together financially at the moment there is not much the Club can do about it.
Still stinks though.
Hang in there Vic fans you will hopefully see some Finals this year.

 

[whizkizz]

Had a look at the other interstate teams fixtures.

All interstate sides got 5 games in Victoria, bar West Coast and Fremantle who managed 6.

Adelaide: 5 games in Melbourne
Brisbane: 4 games in Melbourne, 1 at SS, 1 in Tas, 1 in Darwin
Fremantle: 5 games in Melbourne, 1 at SS, 1 in Tas
GC: 4 games in Melbourne, 1 at SS, 1 in Cairns
GWS: 5 games in Melbourne, 1 in Tas
Port: 4 games in Melbourne, 1 at SS, 1 in Hobart
Sydney: 4 games in Melbourne, 1 at SS, 1 in Hobart, 1 in NZ
WCE: 6 games in Melbourne

Three interstate sides face Hawthorn in Melbourne:
Sydney - could hardly have a grand final replay not at the G
West Coast - Could probably have played in Tassie instead of us.
GC - If they had of put GC in Tassie and us at the G, then GC would only play 3 games in Melbourne.

As for the Melbourne game in Darwin, we just got dudded. Only two teams play 'away' games in Darwin (us and Port). All things being fair and cyclical, shouldn't get this game again for a few years after 2013.

With Hawthorn and North giving away home games in Tasmania, I think most years we'll find ourselves down there. Best case scenario we could get 7 games in Vic, worst case 5. I reckon most years we'll get the 6.

 

[WhiteLionFeva]

I think the draw is pretty good all things considered. The run home is soft based on 2012 rankings and the big games against Carlton and the Wobbles should help the coffers. I can live with the 5 games in Victoria provided we play at least one Melbourne final.

 

[Cousin Jed]

I guess South Melbourne fans will be outraged as well. I hope Andrew Ireland is outraged and not just disappointed.

Edit: nope but he was really disappointed

The club has an incredibly passionate and loyal supporter base in Melbourne and as part of the fixture process every year, we request from the AFL six away matches in Victoria, so we are really disappointed that request has not been met." - Swans CEO Andrew Ireland

 

[whatboutbob]

I guess South Melbourne fans will be outraged as well. I hope Andrew Ireland is outraged and not just disappointed.

1) They've no agreement for a minimum number of games.
2) They relocated.

 

[lionbear]

Like I said earlier, no use getting angry. Last year if you look at my posts at the release of the draw I went off my tree, but we have to accept this club is no longer anything to do with Victoria or Fitzroy.

We wear a jumper that has no connection to the roots of the club or anything for that matter.
Supporters who can't afford Foxtel have little ability to watch games.
The AFL don't really care as along as the Millions from TV are coming in.
And the club has to put Queensland first.

I watch a Brisbane game now and can hardly recognise a player, names yes, put faces no, you have to make do with radio and Telstra's Mobile app to watch games, it has worked for me this year, but then Brisbane's games seem to be on at times during the weekend when it is impossible to watch the game with family commitments.

I think for Victorian supporters to be a 100% member and follower of the Brisbane Lions you have only one choice:

Move to Brisbane.

That's the harsh reality, I am a Victorian Lions follower and always will be, but my passion is watching AFL generally, not watching the Lions, I am a victim of modernised AFL set ups. I have the 2001 to 2003 flags to enjoy. When Brisbane win another flag I will be happy, but I will not carry anywhere near the same emotion that I had when the Lions won in those three years, simply because I no longer relate to the club like i did back then.

There is something wrong when it is easier for me to watch the Cleveland Indians on my TV at home than the Brisbane Lions, but that's the modern corporate world we live in.

I hope the Vicotiran supporters keep up the fight, they deserve better than what they are getting served. But the reality is with the AFL in its current setup its a war we cannot win.

Enjoy the 4 games in Melbourne and 4 games on free to air (no doubt to or 3 of them are the same game bringing our viewing ability lower), and just know that you are a victim crowd and cash maximisation.

 

[Ceebee]

Had a look at the other interstate teams fixtures.

All interstate sides got 5 games in Victoria, bar West Coast and Fremantle who managed 6.

Adelaide: 5 games in Melbourne
Brisbane: 4 games in Melbourne, 1 at SS, 1 in Tas, 1 in Darwin
Fremantle: 5 games in Melbourne, 1 at SS, 1 in Tas
GC: 4 games in Melbourne, 1 at SS, 1 in Cairns
GWS: 5 games in Melbourne, 1 in Tas
Port: 4 games in Melbourne, 1 at SS, 1 in Hobart
Sydney: 4 games in Melbourne, 1 at SS, 1 in Hobart, 1 in NZ
WCE: 6 games in Melbourne

Three interstate sides face Hawthorn in Melbourne:
Sydney - could hardly have a grand final replay not at the G
West Coast - Could probably have played in Tassie instead of us.
GC - If they had of put GC in Tassie and us at the G, then GC would only play 3 games in Melbourne.

As for the Melbourne game in Darwin, we just got dudded. Only two teams play 'away' games in Darwin (us and Port). All things being fair and cyclical, shouldn't get this game again for a few years after 2013.

With Hawthorn and North giving away home games in Tasmania, I think most years we'll find ourselves down there. Best case scenario we could get 7 games in Vic, worst case 5. I reckon most years we'll get the 6.

Nice well thought out post

 

[Last of the Roys]

I guess South Melbourne fans will be outraged as well. I hope Andrew Ireland is outraged and not just disappointed.

Edit: nope but he was really disappointed

Good point though. Could be an opportunity for Lions and South fans to come together to demand action. We should be treated more favourably than other interstate clubs in terms of Melbourne games.

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

I do believe that statement was specific to the time when the Lions had that agreement with Melbourne. It did not / could not apply on an ongoing basis.

It does bring back how shit that deal was though. I remember someone in the Club recently admitted that the Lions saw no financial benefit from the deal and we may have even lost money. Wonderful.


Anyway, I fear for the future of the Lions Victorian / Melbourne supporter base and the continuation of the Lions heritage in Melbourne.

Without being able to see a team live as often you will get some people walking away from the Club. Worse is that we simply will not be able to find the next generation of Lions supporters to keep up the tradition in Melbourne. 6 games was bad enough, but 4 games is laughable - you can't really expect future generations of support to be built on such a flimsy base.

The fact that we also continue to get so few games on FTA TV in Melbourne is a double blow to our future support down here.

 

[Mr Ripper]

There's 14 wins in that thar fixture. Happy with that bit.

 

[Lions_Insider]

For what it's worth, I can tell you the Club is terribly disappointed that there are only five games in Victoria next season (and just four in Melbourne).

As it does each year, the Club specifically requested a minimum of six games in Victoria. However, that request was not granted by the AFL due to the factors that have been outlined on our website.

In short, the Club's influence on obtaining these six games has somewhat diminished with additional teams GWS and Gold Coast joining the competition, and some Victorian-based clubs selling games interstate/overseas - Richmond (Cairns), St Kilda (New Zealand), Western Bulldogs (Darwin), Melbourne (Darwin), North Melbourne (Hobart) and Hawthorn (Launceston).

While I certainly don't expect those reasons will appease everybody, I can assure you that it wasn't a matter of the Lions purposely 'de-prioritising' it's loyal Victorian fans.

The Club will continue lobbying hard with the AFL to ensure that we return to our desired six matches from 2014 and beyond.

Despite the obvious challenges that lie ahead, we sincerely hope that our Victorian-based fans continue supporting the team next season.

 

[Happy_Neale]

So is it fair to assume:

- We miss out on the extra game or two because we have to play in Darwin AND Tassie?
- We'll get a fair bite of the equalisation fund next season?

 

[Simba Moyo]

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

I was looking for a reply function and found nothing! Have to admit I had a good yet at my laptop when I saw this. Just shows how much the Lions are constantly overlooked.

 

[Haso]

For what it's worth, I can tell you the Club is terribly disappointed that there are only five games in Victoria next season (and just four in Melbourne).

As it does each year, the Club specifically requested a minimum of six games in Victoria. However, that request was not granted by the AFL due to the factors that have been outlined on our website.

In short, the Club's influence on obtaining these six games has somewhat diminished with additional teams GWS and Gold Coast joining the competition, and some Victorian-based clubs selling games interstate/overseas - Richmond (Cairns), St Kilda (New Zealand), Western Bulldogs (Darwin), Melbourne (Darwin), North Melbourne (Hobart) and Hawthorn (Launceston).

While I certainly don't expect those reasons will appease everybody, I can assure you that it wasn't a matter of the Lions purposely 'de-prioritising' it's loyal Victorian fans.

The Club will continue lobbying hard with the AFL to ensure that we return to our desired six matches from 2014 and beyond.

Despite the obvious challenges that lie ahead, we sincerely hope that our Victorian-based fans continue supporting the team next season.

We do appreciate your visit, LI, thankyou. As a collective both Briabane and Melbourne (and other) Lions supporters are pretty upset about this as you can tell, and I guess you can forgive the for that. While the AFL is the figure at fault here, I think that the fans expected a bit more of a public outcry from the club about it. On the other hand, this would have perhaps been unrealistic.

Cheers, LI.

 

[Happy_Neale]

For what it's worth, I can tell you the Club is terribly disappointed that there are only five games in Victoria next season (and just four in Melbourne).

As it does each year, the Club specifically requested a minimum of six games in Victoria. However, that request was not granted by the AFL due to the factors that have been outlined on our website.

In short, the Club's influence on obtaining these six games has somewhat diminished with additional teams GWS and Gold Coast joining the competition, and some Victorian-based clubs selling games interstate/overseas - Richmond (Cairns), St Kilda (New Zealand), Western Bulldogs (Darwin), Melbourne (Darwin), North Melbourne (Hobart) and Hawthorn (Launceston).

While I certainly don't expect those reasons will appease everybody, I can assure you that it wasn't a matter of the Lions purposely 'de-prioritising' it's loyal Victorian fans.

The Club will continue lobbying hard with the AFL to ensure that we return to our desired six matches from 2014 and beyond.

Despite the obvious challenges that lie ahead, we sincerely hope that our Victorian-based fans continue supporting the team next season.

Sorry LI, appreciate the response but how is it that some of the interstate teams outlined below can be granted more games than us in Melbourne despite not being a two team town, yet we can't get 5 or 6 games? The reasons you outlined don't affect our fixture any more than theirs.

Had a look at the other interstate teams fixtures.

All interstate sides got 5 games in Victoria, bar West Coast and Fremantle who managed 6.

Adelaide: 5 games in Melbourne
Brisbane: 4 games in Melbourne, 1 at SS, 1 in Tas, 1 in Darwin
Fremantle: 5 games in Melbourne, 1 at SS, 1 in Tas
GC: 4 games in Melbourne, 1 at SS, 1 in Cairns
GWS: 5 games in Melbourne, 1 in Tas
Port: 4 games in Melbourne, 1 at SS, 1 in Hobart
Sydney: 4 games in Melbourne, 1 at SS, 1 in Hobart, 1 in NZ
WCE: 6 games in Melbourne

 

[Dylan12]

So 4 games in Melbourne and 1 in Geelong

Yet Malcolm Holmes is ringing the praises of getting an NAB Cup game against Collingwood to make up for that. How honoured the Victorian fans must be to get a game which neither side will give a stuff about. Instead of simply lobbying the AFL for 6 games in Victoria, I hope they are reminded and shown a copy of the Merger Agreement stipulating that fact, especially considering we are playing 'away' games against Melbourne based teams in Darwin and Launceston.

 

[maroon and blue]

For what it's worth, I can tell you the Club is terribly disappointed that there are only five games in Victoria next season (and just four in Melbourne).

As it does each year, the Club specifically requested a minimum of six games in Victoria. However, that request was not granted by the AFL due to the factors that have been outlined on our website.

In short, the Club's influence on obtaining these six games has somewhat diminished with additional teams GWS and Gold Coast joining the competition, and some Victorian-based clubs selling games interstate/overseas - Richmond (Cairns), St Kilda (New Zealand), Western Bulldogs (Darwin), Melbourne (Darwin), North Melbourne (Hobart) and Hawthorn (Launceston).

While I certainly don't expect those reasons will appease everybody, I can assure you that it wasn't a matter of the Lions purposely 'de-prioritising' it's loyal Victorian fans.

The Club will continue lobbying hard with the AFL to ensure that we return to our desired six matches from 2014 and beyond.

Despite the obvious challenges that lie ahead, we sincerely hope that our Victorian-based fans continue supporting the team next season.

This all can be forgiven if the Lions have a Family Day at the Brunswick Oval prior to the start of the season. Will attract at least 3000 supporters of dads , mums and kids.
Otherwise every logical comment put forward here has been ignored by a few platitudes. Either way do the right thing or the "powers" that be should shut their faces. Don't the supporters in Brissie realise that this is a team that is followed and loved in all states. By grandmums, young kids and mums and dads. the club may be in Brisbane but it has a duty, heritage to look after all Lions Supporters.

 

[wabaa]

The only way this is going to work in a landscape where Melbourne teams are selling games interstate and overseas is to take another bloody Melbourne team with them as the away side. The Victorian sides already travel the least in the league, and should share the burden of living in such a dense landscape. Why should it always be the interstate clubs who must be the away side for sold games? I understand it's dollars but they can't have their cake and eat it too.

 

[Cousin Jed]

People should be directing their anger at the AFL. When you look at the above from Whizkizz it is patently ridiculous scheduling from them.

You have South Melbourne and Fitzroy fans in Melbourne and you send Brisbane to Darwin and Launceston and Sydney to NZ and Hobart.

Now WC probably wouldn't be too thrilled with going all the way to NZ so you could probably rule that out but you'd think they should be swapped with the Lions Launceston game and you'd have something slightly more reasonable

 

[Loyal Lion]

For what it's worth, I can tell you the Club is terribly disappointed that there are only five games in Victoria next season (and just four in Melbourne).

As it does each year, the Club specifically requested a minimum of six games in Victoria. However, that request was not granted by the AFL due to the factors that have been outlined on our website.

In short, the Club's influence on obtaining these six games has somewhat diminished with additional teams GWS and Gold Coast joining the competition, and some Victorian-based clubs selling games interstate/overseas - Richmond (Cairns), St Kilda (New Zealand), Western Bulldogs (Darwin), Melbourne (Darwin), North Melbourne (Hobart) and Hawthorn (Launceston).

While I certainly don't expect those reasons will appease everybody, I can assure you that it wasn't a matter of the Lions purposely 'de-prioritising' it's loyal Victorian fans.

The Club will continue lobbying hard with the AFL to ensure that we return to our desired six matches from 2014 and beyond.

Despite the obvious challenges that lie ahead, we sincerely hope that our Victorian-based fans continue supporting the team next season.

Thanks for the explanation LI. But it is simply not good enough!

As a passionate ex Fitzroy supporter since 1973 & now Brisbane Lions member, I simply do not have the desire or motivation to purchase a membership for the club in 2013. I will still watch the Lions games, but will not contribute financially (And please I don't watch a lecture or sermon from anybody on this forum about being disloyal or not true to the cause!) until the Lions get their act together with the Lion logo & the 6 games in Victoria, as per the merger agreement. If that means, not playing a game in Darwin or Tasmania, so be it. In reality we only have 4 games in Victoria in 2013 as it very hard to get tickets for the Geelong game.

 

[Haso]

 

[Bert Man]

Terrible draw I may only be able to go to one game, but cancelling tickets will be arranged

 

[whatboutbob]

For what it's worth, I can tell you the Club is terribly disappointed that there are only five games in Victoria next season (and just four in Melbourne).

As it does each year, the Club specifically requested a minimum of six games in Victoria. However, that request was not granted by the AFL due to the factors that have been outlined on our website.

In short, the Club's influence on obtaining these six games has somewhat diminished with additional teams GWS and Gold Coast joining the competition, and some Victorian-based clubs selling games interstate/overseas - Richmond (Cairns), St Kilda (New Zealand), Western Bulldogs (Darwin), Melbourne (Darwin), North Melbourne (Hobart) and Hawthorn (Launceston).

While I certainly don't expect those reasons will appease everybody, I can assure you that it wasn't a matter of the Lions purposely 'de-prioritising' it's loyal Victorian fans.

The Club will continue lobbying hard with the AFL to ensure that we return to our desired six matches from 2014 and beyond.

Despite the obvious challenges that lie ahead, we sincerely hope that our Victorian-based fans continue supporting the team next season.

Appreciate your input LI.

There were 18 teams in the competition last year, and yet we had 6 games in Melbourne.

The AFL chose us for the Hawks and Demons interstate games, when they had 16 other teams to choose from. They had options. They clearly de-prioritised us.