2019 fixture

[Viceregal]

And to whoever said the AFL doesn't or can't manipulate the draw:

AFL fixture boss Travis Auld was asked if the league might one day repeat this season’s disastrous experiment, where Carlton was given four Friday night games. “Not based on the feedback we got, no,” Auld said. “There was strong feedback there. “We owned some of that last year when we released the fixture — it was a series of reasons, why we ended up where we did.”

Collingwood has a whopping seven Friday night games, two more than any other club, while Essendon has four despite dropping out of the top eight this season.“When it’s a team like Collingwood — such a big club, such a big supporter base — you have to take advantage of that,” Auld said of the losing grand finalists. “There’s a lot of expectation around Essendon coming into next season and they’ve been rewarded.”

Yep, the AFL has no influence over the draw whatsoever despite a clear example where it admitted it does influence the draw.

Alternate universe thought process.

Ok - Lions have 11 home games in Brisbane so that is 11 of the 22 leaving 11 ... we really would love you to play all of those 11 at the MCG but the Lion's fans in Perth and Adelaide and Sydney would feel left out so we will get you travel to each of them once so that leaves 8 games. Now for rivalry round we would of course rotate that so one year you play GCS for the Bears/Brisbane rivalry and the other you play Collingwood for the Fitzroy/Melbourne Rivalry. So unfortunately you will only be able to play 7 or 8 games at the G each year but I hope you understand we did the best we could.

 

[Daniels Riches]

It's clearly different to have your team moved half a continent away than to have its nicknames and colours changed. I don't think you really believe Bears fans and Fitzroy fans have lost equal amounts.

The loss of my team still hurts and will always hurt. I'd like it to hurt less over time, but it doesn't really.

So I'm afraid I'm probably not going to let it go, now or ever.

I'd give 2 likes for this post if possible. Can totally relate to your last 2 paragraphs mate. Well said.

 

[Daniels Riches]

I think I'm finished with the Fitzroy conversation for now, as I've made my opinion clear about how I feel about the fixture. But to sum things up (and I think a few others may be able to relate to this).

I love the Brisbane Lions. Footy is such a big part of my life and am a very, very passionate Brisbane Lions fan. We have been lucky to have some success in the 2000s and now it looks like we are really on the up...But I'd trade those 3 flags back in a heartbeat for my Fitzroy Lions. Hell, winning a game for us was like winning a grand final!

 

[1883]

I think I'm finished with the Fitzroy conversation for now, as I've made my opinion clear about how I feel about the fixture. But to sum things up (and I think a few others may be able to relate to this).

I love the Brisbane Lions. Footy is such a big part of my life and am a very, very passionate Brisbane Lions fan. We have been lucky to have some success in the 2000s and now it looks like we are really on the up...But I'd trade those 3 flags back in a heartbeat for my Fitzroy Lions. Hell, winning a game for us was like winning a grand final!

Spot on.

 

[davemc_lions]

The other thing showing my age.. I used to go early watch at least half the reserves before the main game get to know the kids coming through.
My mates who have teams still in Melb take their kids to VFL games a few times a year the kids can get up close to players. Normally some of the main squad go down and watch from the stands and the kids can mingle.
Seeing we play in the NEAFL those Vic fans kids growing up miss this. Been good youtube streaming the last half of the year. Although not really hands on for the young kids.

We could of easily as said swapped with GC for the doggies game.. Although there are still a lot of lions supporters who live in the country for them coming down from up north Ballarat be a easier destination.
Your not going to take the Roys out of the older Melb members who still pissed we got sold off and then every team afterwards get $$$ to save them

 

[BRAB]

Oh boy fellas haha.

 

[Tassie4ever]

The other thing showing my age.. I used to go early watch at least half the reserves before the main game get to know the kids coming through.
My mates who have teams still in Melb take their kids to VFL games a few times a year the kids can get up close to players. Normally some of the main squad go down and watch from the stands and the kids can mingle.
Seeing we play in the NEAFL those Vic fans kids growing up miss this. Been good youtube streaming the last half of the year. Although not really hands on for the young kids.

We could of easily as said swapped with GC for the doggies game.. Although there are still a lot of lions supporters who live in the country for them coming down from up north Ballarat be a easier destination.
Your not going to take the Roys out of the older Melb members who still pissed we got sold off and then every team afterwards get $$$ to save them

Believe it or not, it is also incredibly difficult for Lions followers in Brisbane to catch up with our NEAFL side, seeing they play everywhere from woop woop to the Black Stump. Very rarely in your actual Brisbane. Which is where we live. Generally.

Not easy to get a grip on progress among the kids.

I used to enjoy the seconds lead-up games but this is now way in the past, it seems.

 

[CarterS]

There have been many calls for a national reserves comp and when Rockliff was with the club he was one of the ones leading those calls.

 

[Ironmonger]

There have been many calls for a national reserves comp and when Rockliff was with the club he was one of the ones leading those calls.

While I'm in a wishful thinking mood, I'd have loved to have a Fitzroy team in the VFL as a reserves team to the Brisbane Lions.

I know the practical problems are huge, but there are other sports that have feeder teams in different cities. Pretty sure the Melbourne Storm are/were one.

 

[BangyBangy]

I had a choice of going out with friends tonight or staying a home being a hermit & having a crack at the ladder predictor.

I regret nothing.

Here is my (yes, optimistic as usual) rundown. I'll keep it short & sweet.

R1: Home vs WC. Loss. Courageous 20pt loss.
R2: Away vs Norf. Loss. Standard away loss to Norf. 20pt.
R3: Home vs Port. WIN. Top up didn't work, time for a rebuild Port. 20pts.
R4: Away vs Ess. Loss. Not expecting any upset this year. Bombers too tough at home 30pts. (can't be arsed predicting margins from here on in).
R5: Home vs Coll. WIN. Tipping an upset here. We lost to them last year because Beams' heart was always Collingwood. 31 Touches 2 Goals. Bastard.
R6: Away vs Suns. WIN. With an average age of 18.1 the suns will find it hard to win a game this year. Any early season spirit will be gone by Round 6.
R7: Home vs Syd. WIN. Been too long since we took them down. Downward trajectory for the swans with many ageing stars.
R8: Away vs WB. WIN. A game many wouldn't expect us to win. But the dogs are leaking players & don't seem particularly united.
R9: Home vs Crows. WIN. Another mini upset sure. But if Burton is still at the Crows they'll probably be down to about 10 fit players by round 9.
R10: Away vs Freo. WIN. Meh, it's only Freo. Sure they've got Lobbe & Hogan. But Lyon coaches such a s**t style of footy, he'll play them in the backline.
R11: Home vs Hawks. BIG WIN. They are so much our bunnies, we should make things a little more even by playing our NEAFL side.
R12: Away vs Blues. WIN. By round 12 Carlton will be a tough battle with GC for pick 1 in the draft, they wouldn't want to risk it by beating us.
R13: Bye. 9 & 3. No surely not. Place your bets now. We're a sure thing.
R14: Away vs Saints. WIN. With a caretaker coach now in charge the wheels have fallen off the Saints. Billy Longer still can't get a game.
R15: Home vs Dees. WIN. A line in the ground game. Steven May has no impact on the game as he isn't allowed to take Steph Martin out..
R16: Away vs GWS. Loss. This isn't a fairytale guys. We will lose the outlier
R17: Away vs Port. Loss. Who the hell designed this fixture. Why was Swanny so happy about it. Dylan12 was right.
R18: Home vs Norf: WIN. Enough of losing to this top up club. From now on we put the boner into shinboner.
R19: Away vs Hawks. WIN. Yes another win. This one will hurt even more, after we pick up Cyril in the mid season draft. (is that a thing next year?).
R20: Home vs Dogs. WIN. A spirited performance by the dogs with Schache having a set shot after the siren to salute his team mates. Oh no. He misses everything.
R21: Home vs Suns. WIN. A poor two running performance by the suns (they all seem to have emulated their coach it seems) leads to a big loss.
R22: Home vs Cats. WIN. No miracle on grass required. Matho best on ground after giving Selwood a lesson on ducking.
R23: Away vs Tigers. Loss. Bugger.

End of home & away position 6th:
Finals exit: Semi Final vs Richmond.

Thanks for reading.

 

[BuntonRules]

I had a choice of going out with friends tonight or staying a home being a hermit & having a crack at the ladder predictor.

I regret nothing.

Here is my (yes, optimistic as usual) rundown. I'll keep it short & sweet.

R1: Home vs WC. Loss. Courageous 20pt loss.
R2: Away vs Norf. Loss. Standard away loss to Norf. 20pt.
R3: Home vs Port. WIN. Top up didn't work, time for a rebuild Port. 20pts.
R4: Away vs Ess. Loss. Not expecting any upset this year. Bombers too tough at home 30pts. (can't be arsed predicting margins from here on in).
R5: Home vs Coll. WIN. Tipping an upset here. We lost to them last year because Beams' heart was always Collingwood. 31 Touches 2 Goals. Bastard.
R6: Away vs Suns. WIN. With an average age of 18.1 the suns will find it hard to win a game this year. Any early season spirit will be gone by Round 6.
R7: Home vs Syd. WIN. Been too long since we took them down. Downward trajectory for the swans with many ageing stars.
R8: Away vs WB. WIN. A game many wouldn't expect us to win. But the dogs are leaking players & don't seem particularly united.
R9: Home vs Crows. WIN. Another mini upset sure. But if Burton is still at the Crows they'll probably be down to about 10 fit players by round 9.
R10: Away vs Freo. WIN. Meh, it's only Freo. Sure they've got Lobbe & Hogan. But Lyon coaches such a s**t style of footy, he'll play them in the backline.
R11: Home vs Hawks. BIG WIN. They are so much our bunnies, we should make things a little more even by playing our NEAFL side.
R12: Away vs Blues. WIN. By round 12 Carlton will be a tough battle with GC for pick 1 in the draft, they wouldn't want to risk it by beating us.
R13: Bye. 9 & 3. No surely not. Place your bets now. We're a sure thing.
R14: Away vs Saints. WIN. With a caretaker coach now in charge the wheels have fallen off the Saints. Billy Longer still can't get a game.
R15: Home vs Dees. WIN. A line in the ground game. Steven May has no impact on the game as he isn't allowed to take Steph Martin out..
R16: Away vs GWS. Loss. This isn't a fairytale guys. We will lose the outlier
R17: Away vs Port. Loss. Who the hell designed this fixture. Why was Swanny so happy about it. Dylan12 was right.
R18: Home vs Norf: WIN. Enough of losing to this top up club. From now on we put the boner into shinboner.
R19: Away vs Hawks. WIN. Yes another win. This one will hurt even more, after we pick up Cyril in the mid season draft. (is that a thing next year?).
R20: Home vs Dogs. WIN. A spirited performance by the dogs with Schache having a set shot after the siren to salute his team mates. Oh no. He misses everything.
R21: Home vs Suns. WIN. A poor two running performance by the suns (they all seem to have emulated their coach it seems) leads to a big loss.
R22: Home vs Cats. WIN. No miracle on grass required. Matho best on ground after giving Selwood a lesson on ducking.
R23: Away vs Tigers. Loss. Bugger.

End of home & away position 6th:
Finals exit: Semi Final vs Richmond.

Thanks for reading.

I want some of what you are smoking. Thanx for putting a smile on the dial.

 

[Ironmonger]

I want some of what you are smoking. Thanx for putting a smile on the dial.

I know, right?

We're going to cream Richmond in that semi-final!

 

[Gadzorks]

I had a choice of going out with friends tonight or staying a home being a hermit & having a crack at the ladder predictor.

I regret nothing.

Here is my (yes, optimistic as usual) rundown. I'll keep it short & sweet.

R1: Home vs WC. Loss. Courageous 20pt loss.
R2: Away vs Norf. Loss. Standard away loss to Norf. 20pt.
R3: Home vs Port. WIN. Top up didn't work, time for a rebuild Port. 20pts.
R4: Away vs Ess. Loss. Not expecting any upset this year. Bombers too tough at home 30pts. (can't be arsed predicting margins from here on in).
R5: Home vs Coll. WIN. Tipping an upset here. We lost to them last year because Beams' heart was always Collingwood. 31 Touches 2 Goals. Bastard.
R6: Away vs Suns. WIN. With an average age of 18.1 the suns will find it hard to win a game this year. Any early season spirit will be gone by Round 6.
R7: Home vs Syd. WIN. Been too long since we took them down. Downward trajectory for the swans with many ageing stars.
R8: Away vs WB. WIN. A game many wouldn't expect us to win. But the dogs are leaking players & don't seem particularly united.
R9: Home vs Crows. WIN. Another mini upset sure. But if Burton is still at the Crows they'll probably be down to about 10 fit players by round 9.
R10: Away vs Freo. WIN. Meh, it's only Freo. Sure they've got Lobbe & Hogan. But Lyon coaches such a s**t style of footy, he'll play them in the backline.
R11: Home vs Hawks. BIG WIN. They are so much our bunnies, we should make things a little more even by playing our NEAFL side.
R12: Away vs Blues. WIN. By round 12 Carlton will be a tough battle with GC for pick 1 in the draft, they wouldn't want to risk it by beating us.
R13: Bye. 9 & 3. No surely not. Place your bets now. We're a sure thing.
R14: Away vs Saints. WIN. With a caretaker coach now in charge the wheels have fallen off the Saints. Billy Longer still can't get a game.
R15: Home vs Dees. WIN. A line in the ground game. Steven May has no impact on the game as he isn't allowed to take Steph Martin out..
R16: Away vs GWS. Loss. This isn't a fairytale guys. We will lose the outlier
R17: Away vs Port. Loss. Who the hell designed this fixture. Why was Swanny so happy about it. Dylan12 was right.
R18: Home vs Norf: WIN. Enough of losing to this top up club. From now on we put the boner into shinboner.
R19: Away vs Hawks. WIN. Yes another win. This one will hurt even more, after we pick up Cyril in the mid season draft. (is that a thing next year?).
R20: Home vs Dogs. WIN. A spirited performance by the dogs with Schache having a set shot after the siren to salute his team mates. Oh no. He misses everything.
R21: Home vs Suns. WIN. A poor two running performance by the suns (they all seem to have emulated their coach it seems) leads to a big loss.
R22: Home vs Cats. WIN. No miracle on grass required. Matho best on ground after giving Selwood a lesson on ducking.
R23: Away vs Tigers. Loss. Bugger.

End of home & away position 6th:
Finals exit: Semi Final vs Richmond.

Thanks for reading.

Showed this to friends at ours tonight and they are going to buy a 3 game membership now. They are immigrants who foolishly supported Carlton and Collingwood when they first arrived. Thanks for turning them right side out and see you at the gaba.

 

[StevoJenkins]

I had a choice of going out with friends tonight or staying a home being a hermit & having a crack at the ladder predictor.

I regret nothing.

Here is my (yes, optimistic as usual) rundown. I'll keep it short & sweet.

R1: Home vs WC. Loss. Courageous 20pt loss.
R2: Away vs Norf. Loss. Standard away loss to Norf. 20pt.
R3: Home vs Port. WIN. Top up didn't work, time for a rebuild Port. 20pts.
R4: Away vs Ess. Loss. Not expecting any upset this year. Bombers too tough at home 30pts. (can't be arsed predicting margins from here on in).
R5: Home vs Coll. WIN. Tipping an upset here. We lost to them last year because Beams' heart was always Collingwood. 31 Touches 2 Goals. Bastard.
R6: Away vs Suns. WIN. With an average age of 18.1 the suns will find it hard to win a game this year. Any early season spirit will be gone by Round 6.
R7: Home vs Syd. WIN. Been too long since we took them down. Downward trajectory for the swans with many ageing stars.
R8: Away vs WB. WIN. A game many wouldn't expect us to win. But the dogs are leaking players & don't seem particularly united.
R9: Home vs Crows. WIN. Another mini upset sure. But if Burton is still at the Crows they'll probably be down to about 10 fit players by round 9.
R10: Away vs Freo. WIN. Meh, it's only Freo. Sure they've got Lobbe & Hogan. But Lyon coaches such a s**t style of footy, he'll play them in the backline.
R11: Home vs Hawks. BIG WIN. They are so much our bunnies, we should make things a little more even by playing our NEAFL side.
R12: Away vs Blues. WIN. By round 12 Carlton will be a tough battle with GC for pick 1 in the draft, they wouldn't want to risk it by beating us.
R13: Bye. 9 & 3. No surely not. Place your bets now. We're a sure thing.
R14: Away vs Saints. WIN. With a caretaker coach now in charge the wheels have fallen off the Saints. Billy Longer still can't get a game.
R15: Home vs Dees. WIN. A line in the ground game. Steven May has no impact on the game as he isn't allowed to take Steph Martin out..
R16: Away vs GWS. Loss. This isn't a fairytale guys. We will lose the outlier
R17: Away vs Port. Loss. Who the hell designed this fixture. Why was Swanny so happy about it. Dylan12 was right.
R18: Home vs Norf: WIN. Enough of losing to this top up club. From now on we put the boner into shinboner.
R19: Away vs Hawks. WIN. Yes another win. This one will hurt even more, after we pick up Cyril in the mid season draft. (is that a thing next year?).
R20: Home vs Dogs. WIN. A spirited performance by the dogs with Schache having a set shot after the siren to salute his team mates. Oh no. He misses everything.
R21: Home vs Suns. WIN. A poor two running performance by the suns (they all seem to have emulated their coach it seems) leads to a big loss.
R22: Home vs Cats. WIN. No miracle on grass required. Matho best on ground after giving Selwood a lesson on ducking.
R23: Away vs Tigers. Loss. Bugger.

End of home & away position 6th:
Finals exit: Semi Final vs Richmond.

Thanks for reading.

Would make us the new, better Collingwood if we managed to pull this off. Take my money!

 

[CarterS]

We were relatively competitive in away games last year which makes me optimistic.

We have a run of away games against Gold Coast, WB, Freo, Carlton, St. Kilda. Need to win at least 3 of them I'd say.

Another thing... have we ever had 3 home games in a row in the BL era?

 

[irel]

I want some of what you are smoking. Thanx for putting a smile on the dial.

He said crack didn't he. He was quite open about it too.

staying a home being a hermit & having a crack

 

[Football Pope]

We were relatively competitive in away games last year which makes me optimistic.

We have a run of away games against Gold Coast, WB, Freo, Carlton, St. Kilda. Need to win at least 3 of them I'd say.

Another thing... have we ever had 3 home games in a row in the BL era?

Yes, although it involves the use of a split round.. 2002 - R11, R12 & R13 ( if you want the double hat trick- R14 was an away game against Melbourne @ the Gabba)

 

[Dalions]

A quick look says we have 23275 members in 2018 but I can’t find the how many of those are Victorian members.

If anyone knows where to find the stats I’d like to know what percentage of our members are Victorian based and if we have the biggest interstate membership by percentage.

Sydney might be comparable but if we are the biggest then we should be getting more Victorian games than other clubs. In my opinion anyway.

Pretty sure it may have been a radio interview during trade period where I heard Chris Fagan say that this year there were close to 8000 Vic members.
I thought it was a lot, but when you think about it, maybe it is around about the mark.
Most games we get around the 18 to 20k at the Gabba.
Teams like North, West Coast, Bulldogs etc we get around the 18k mark so 15k Brisbane supporters and 3 to 4k opposition supporters.
Teams like Collingwood and Essendon we get more like 22k, 15k Brisbane and 6 to 7k oppo supporters.
Could be on the money.
Once we get good again the Supporter numbers will rise, but if there are 8000 members down in Melbourne (Vic) that is a fantastic number!

 

[3KZ is Football]

Great article in The Age on the fix-ture. Sums up beautifully how our great game has descended deeper and deeper into the BS.

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/there-s-daylight-then-carlton-20181102-p50dnu.html

Still think we will make the Eight though.

 

[Dylan12]

Greg Swann definitely drank the Kool-Aid when describing our draw.

Great article because it’s so true. Our club does it better than them all with respect to saying how great everything is and never criticising anything to the point that it thinks we’re stupid half the time.

Would be such a welcome to have someone like a Jeff Kennett to actually call things as they are and stop pussyfooting around on most things.

 

[Hollow Knight]

Greg Swann definitely drank the Kool-Aid when describing our draw.

Great article because it’s so true. Our club does it better than them all with respect to saying how great everything is and never criticising anything to the point that it thinks we’re stupid half the time.

Would be such a welcome to have someone like a Jeff Kennett to actually call things as they are and stop pussyfooting around on most things.

Hawthorn have political capital and can afford to waste it, which is what they have done here.

We are on the AFL’s purse strings and have to manage our limited ammunition stores carefully.

It’s not like vocally complaining is an innovative approach. It’s easy as can be, just also happens to be stupid in this instance.

 

[buttermuffs]

Swann has also been a generally good CEO, he hasn’t stirred up any s**t as far as I know.

 

[Bucking Beads]

Tough first 4 weeks but it is a great test for our list. We could easily see enough development in our list to be 4-0. There is no point worrying about anything until we get through some games.

 

[Jivlain]

We were relatively competitive in away games last year which makes me optimistic.

We have a run of away games against Gold Coast, WB, Freo, Carlton, St. Kilda. Need to win at least 3 of them I'd say.

Another thing... have we ever had 3 home games in a row in the BL era?

2004 we had four home games in a row... but one of them was at the MCG

 

[Dylan12]

Hawthorn have political capital and can afford to waste it, which is what they have done here.

We are on the AFL’s purse strings and have to manage our limited ammunition stores carefully.

It’s not like vocally complaining is an innovative approach. It’s easy as can be, just also happens to be stupid in this instance.

Don't think I've ever heard Swann stand up for Fitzroy and the need for six games in Melbourne. If that's now worth using our limited ammunition stores carefully on then I don't know what is. If the club won't or refuse to fight for that, then lets not kid or selves and just do away with the merger and you guys can go back to being the Brisbane Bears and the club can just not worry about ever having to fight for anything.