VFL 2018 VFL Fixture

[MagpieBat]

To be released next week, is the word.


The weekend of AFL Round 3, where we play Carlton on a Friday night, just in case you didn't have it committed to memory.

Three byes is, at first glance, maybe too many, but with the competition reverting back to an odd number of teams (15) it was inevitable. Actually, three byes was an under-recognised element in our Top 2 finish in 2016. The third bye fell almost smack bang in the middle of our 10 week finish to the home and away season. It divided the run home up into month long manageable chunks and allowed a young team quite often short on AFL hardened manpower to blast teams with a very physically taxing gameplan for a month, then take a week off to reload, then go again.

The downside of 3 byes again, of course, is that we're almost certain to see the ridiculous scenario where the team has an enforced week off on the last weekend of May for state representative football, then a second bye just three weeks later by club demand...

Am hoping for TradeDraft's sake that we make a trip to Frankston to play the returning Dolphins. Won't cop any train replacement buses that way...

 

[TradeDraft]

3 Byes seem way overs

 

[TradeDraft]

Would love a Frankston Game. I can don't need any public Transport Then

 

[Mkcaptain]

To be released next week, is the word.

Damn. I was hoping your thread meant that it had been released.

I'd love another country game. Bendigo 2015. Wangaratta 2016. And no I don't count Geelong.

 

[MagpieBat]

3 Byes seem way overs

In an odd-numbered competition, to start the season on the first full weekend of April and accommodate a Grand Final on the Sunday before the AFL Grand Final with a week off for state representative football somewhere in there as well, something has to give...

 

[MagpieBat]

Damn. I was hoping your thread meant that it had been released.

I'd love another country game. Bendigo 2015. Wangaratta 2016. And no I don't count Geelong.

Oops.

There is a possibility that without North Ballarat in 2018, the VFL might schedule a couple at Eureka Stadium to keep local interest, as they did this year with Frankston Park. Would you settle for a game against the Bulldogs in Ballarat...?

 

[Mkcaptain]

Oops.

There is a possibility that without North Ballarat in 2018, the VFL might schedule a couple at Eureka Stadium to keep local interest, as they did this year with Frankston Park. Would you settle for a game against the Bulldogs in Ballarat...?

As long as its not in July/August. I can't think of anywhere more cold and miserable that time of year.

 

[jackcass]

3 Byes seem way overs

Agree, but 1 of those is for the interleague game.

 

[whiskeytown]

Nonsense of 3 byes and another likely inconvenient draw highlights the need for a national reserves comp. Foxtel would buy the rights to that.

Reserves and seniors games and byes can then be aligned perfectly e.g. Collingwood seniors and reserves play Adelaide seniors and reserves the same day in the same city at the same venue... or an alternate venue e.g Pies vs Crows at MCG & Pies reserves vs Crows reserves at Vic Park.

This gives fans doubleheaders and logistically is convenient and saves expenses for clubs as they can fly the whole squad and support staff out and back at once

VFL then consists of Port, Willy, Coburg, etc. They can run a more amateur comp and save expenses.

 

[TradeDraft]

Nonsense of 3 byes and another likely inconvenient draw highlights the need for a national reserves comp. Foxtel would buy the rights to that.

Reserves and seniors games and byes can then be aligned perfectly e.g. Collingwood seniors and reserves play Adelaide seniors and reserves the same day in the same city at the same venue... or an alternate venue e.g Pies vs Crows at MCG & Pies reserves vs Crows reserves at Vic Park.

This gives fans doubleheaders and logistically is convenient and saves expenses for clubs as they can fly the whole squad and support staff out and back at once

VFL then consists of Port, Willy, Coburg, etc. They can run a more amateur comp and save expenses.

But how would Fans who Don't Travel be able to watch the Reserves?

 

[Mkcaptain]

But how would Fans who Don't Travel be able to watch the Reserves?

If it mirrored the AFL draw there would only be 5 matches that you wouldn't be able to watch.

There are VFL venues I find it too hard to get to. Casey Fields, Werribee.

 

[TradeDraft]

If it mirrored the AFL draw there would only be 5 matches that you wouldn't be able to watch.

There are VFL venues I find it too hard to get to. Casey Fields, Werribee.

I can find Geelong and Ballarat where hard to get to as I could not get Public Transport. Lucky I have had some Lifts to those Ground.

My Dad has Driven me to Frankston and Casey Fields

 

[MagpieBat]

Nonsense of 3 byes and another likely inconvenient draw highlights the need for a national reserves comp. Foxtel would buy the rights to that.

Reserves and seniors games and byes can then be aligned perfectly e.g. Collingwood seniors and reserves play Adelaide seniors and reserves the same day in the same city at the same venue... or an alternate venue e.g Pies vs Crows at MCG & Pies reserves vs Crows reserves at Vic Park.

This gives fans doubleheaders and logistically is convenient and saves expenses for clubs as they can fly the whole squad and support staff out and back at once

VFL then consists of Port, Willy, Coburg, etc. They can run a more amateur comp and save expenses.

Won't happen. Venues these days are neurotic about their playing surfaces and the AFLPA views double-headers/curtain-raisers as a potential OH&S issue.

That would be solved with off-site games, but reserves teams are a football department spend item. Not every club can afford one, with all the overheads and expenses that go with it.

In any event, GilMac just ruled it out last month. A pity.

 

[MagpieBat]

If it mirrored the AFL draw there would only be 5 matches that you wouldn't be able to watch.

There are VFL venues I find it too hard to get to. Casey Fields, Werribee.

You're not missing anything there. Always drawn to play there on the second Saturday of June, where the ever-present wind comes in like a hurricane and the rain hits you sideways.

Waverley's distant descendant, but without Waverley's charm...

 

[whiskeytown]

But how would Fans who Don't Travel be able to watch the Reserves?

If mirrored with the AFL draw you get 23 games a year of reserves - 5 of which are interstate - versus 18 games of VFL now.

 

[Tarkyn_24]

But how would Fans who Don't Travel be able to watch the Reserves?

How do interstate fans get to watch their team?

Those that can travel do and otherwise it’s up to the club or a broadcaster to work it out.

FWIW id have watched the Collingwood ressies run around in Perth had there been a reserve grade when I lived there.

 

[Vicky Park]

You know what I'm gonna say. Same as every year. How many games at Vic Park? And please no games at Olympic Park. Sigh.

 

[TradeDraft]

You know what I'm gonna say. Same as every year. How many games at Vic Park? And please no games at Olympic Park. Sigh.

Knowing the Club they would want more Olympic Park Games then at Vic Park and Hopefully no Games at Docklands

 

[Vicky Park]

Knowing the Club they would want more Olympic Park Games then at Vic Park and Hopefully no Games at Docklands

TD, I enjoyed the double header at Docklands this year. Both the VFL and senior teams won, the latter beating North. IIRC Kirby put on a bit of a show in the twos, for his growing legion of fans.

 

[TradeDraft]

TD, I enjoyed the double header at Docklands this year. Both the VFL and senior teams won, the latter beating North. IIRC Kirby put on a bit of a show in the twos, for his growing legion of fans.

Doing the Double Header at Dockland nearly Killed Me. It's where I started to Develop the Clots I had

 

[Vicky Park]

Doing the Double Header at Dockland nearly Killed Me. It's where I started to Develop the Clots I had

Sorry TD, that’s not good. Too long a day, and home late at night?

 

[jackcass]

Knowing the Club they would want more Olympic Park Games then at Vic Park and Hopefully no Games at Docklands

Given the VFL GF is played at Docklands I'm happy for at least 1 game to be played there, and would certainly prefer it over Casey.

 

[TradeDraft]

Sorry TD, that’s not good. Too long a day, and home late at night?

Was Big Day. When I went from Ground to KFC to actually get Good Priced Chips. I came back after that with Sore Leg and that turned into a Clot and Spread around my Body

 

[MagpieBat]

TD, I enjoyed the double header at Docklands this year. Both the VFL and senior teams won, the latter beating North. IIRC Kirby put on a bit of a show in the twos, for his growing legion of fans.

Was happy to have that one, considering we were the away team that day. Which was something of an anomaly, considering that both our games against Werribee this year were as the 'away' team...

 

[MagpieBat]

Recent years have seen the fixture land on a Thursday or Friday. Probably the same this year.