Analysis 2020 Fixture - Who will we play

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This is a really good fixture when you compare it to this years horrendous one.

Strategically there's a nice, even spread of challenge. 6-day breaks are fairly spread out but also occur earlier in the season when we should be fresher and able to recover better. There's no bad "hellish" period where we need to travel lots or play last years top 4 in one month. But there is enough challenge to make sure we don't hit a potential finals campaign under prepared. If we're good enough we can easily secure a top 4 spot with this fixture.

The business people at the club should be very happy. Plenty of prime time slots (though only 3 as the home side). Plenty of family friendly games to boost memberships. With a few exceptions we are playing the clubs we'd want to play at stadiums that will give us the best financial return.

And for the supporters this is a great fixture. All our MCG games (home and away) should be appealing. Even the Marvel ones are pretty decent, mostly in good time slots. Only one Sunday twilight (4:40pm) game next year and it's an away game so whatever. But it's important that where we all can...

TURN UP TO THE BLOODY GAMES!!
We've got a chance as a supporter base here to show AFL HQ that the low attendances in 2019 were definitely due to the shitty time slots. If we don't turn up in numbers in 2020 with this fixture then kiss good-bye those Thursday and Friday night, and Saturday games. We'll be Sunday 4:40pm most weeks after that otherwise!


Anyway here are some stats on our 2020 fixture...
  • We have 7x 6-day breaks.
    • Six of those occur before our BYE in round 14.
    • Only a single occurrence of B2B 6-day breaks for us (round 5,6) - subject to floating round 23 fixture.
    • Our top 3 toughest 6-day break games are likely to be:
      1. Round 3 v Collingwood. We'll be on return from Perth and they'll be off an 8-day break. (no travel)
      2. Round 13 v Geelong. We'll be on return from Gold Coast and they'll be off the bye. (13 days)
      3. Round 6 v West Coast. They're off an 8-day break and no travel the week prior.
    • Our top 3 most favourable 6-day break games are likely to be:
      1. Round 12 v Melbourne. They meet us off their own 5-day break.
      2. Round 9 v Sydney. They have a 7-day break but are on the road again after a trip to Perth.
      3. Round 19 v Port. Their home game but off an extra 6-day breaks. We have good breaks in the month leading up to it.
  • Our doube-up games...
    • Round 1 (MCG) & 15 (Gabba) v Brisbane
    • Round 4 (MCG) & 13 (MCG) v Geelong
    • Round 8 (Marvel) & 17 (UTAS) v North Melbourne
    • Round 9 (MCG) & 23 (SCG) v Sydney
    • Round 10 (UTAS) & 18 (AO) v Port Adelaide
  • We travel interstate for away games just 5 times...
    • Round 2 v Fremantle @ Optus Oval
    • Round 12 v Gold Coast @ Metricon Stadium
    • Round 15 v Brisbane @ The Gabba
    • Round 19 v Port Adelaide @ Adelaide Oval
    • Round 23 v Sydney @ SCG
  • We've got far more prime-time TV time slots in 2020...
    • Round 4 v Geelong - Easter Monday 3:20pm @ MCG (away)
    • Round 7 v Bulldogs - Saturday night 7:25pm @ Marvel (away)
    • Round 9 v Sydney - Saturday night 7:25pm @ MCG (home)
    • Round 11 v Melbourne - Friday night 7:50pm @ MCG (home)
    • Round 13 v Geelong - Friday night 7:50pm @ MCG (home)
    • Round 15 v Brisbane - Thursday night 7:20pm @ The Gabba
    • Round 16 v Essendon - Thursday night 7:20pm @ Marvel (away)
    • Round 19 v Port Adelaide - Friday night 6:50pm @ Adelaide Oval
    • Round 20 v St Kilda - Saturday night 7:25pm @ Marvel (away)
  • And a bunch of family friendly timeslots... (ie. not Sunday twilight or night games)
    • Round 1 v Brisbane - Sunday arvo 3:20pm @ MCG
    • Round 3 v Collingwood - Saturday arvo 1:45pm @ MCG (home)
    • Round 4 v Geelong - Easter Monday 3:20pm @ MCG (away)
    • Round 5 v Carlton - Sunday arvo 3:20pm @ Marvel (home)
    • Round 6 v West Coast - Saturday arvo 1:10pm @ UTAS
    • Round 10 v Port Adelaide - Saturday arvo 1:45pm @ UTAS
    • Round 17 v North Melbourne - Saturday arvo 2:10pm @ UTAS
    • Round 18 v GWS - Saturday arvo 1:45pm @ MCG
    • Round 21 v Adelaide - Saturday evening 4:35pm @ UTAS
    • Round 22 v Richmond - Saturday arvo 3:20pm @ MCG (away)
 
This is a really good fixture when you compare it to this years horrendous one.

Strategically there's a nice, even spread of challenge. 6-day breaks are fairly spread out but also occur earlier in the season when we should be fresher and able to recover better. There's no bad "hellish" period where we need to travel lots or play last years top 4 in one month. But there is enough challenge to make sure we don't hit a potential finals campaign under prepared. If we're good enough we can easily secure a top 4 spot with this fixture.

The business people at the club should be very happy. Plenty of prime time slots (though only 3 as the home side). Plenty of family friendly games to boost memberships. With a few exceptions we are playing the clubs we'd want to play at stadiums that will give us the best financial return.

And for the supporters this is a great fixture. All our MCG games (home and away) should be appealing. Even the Marvel ones are pretty decent, mostly in good time slots. Only one Sunday twilight (4:40pm) game next year and it's an away game so whatever. But it's important that where we all can...

TURN UP TO THE BLOODY GAMES!!
We've got a chance as a supporter base here to show AFL HQ that the low attendances in 2019 were definitely due to the shitty time slots. If we don't turn up in numbers in 2020 with this fixture then kiss good-bye those Thursday and Friday night, and Saturday games. We'll be Sunday 4:40pm most weeks after that otherwise!


Anyway here are some stats on our 2020 fixture...
  • We have 7x 6-day breaks.
    • Six of those occur before our BYE in round 14.
    • Only a single occurrence of B2B 6-day breaks for us (round 5,6) - subject to floating round 23 fixture.
    • Our top 3 toughest 6-day break games are likely to be:
      1. Round 3 v Collingwood. We'll be on return from Perth and they'll be off an 8-day break. (no travel)
      2. Round 13 v Geelong. We'll be on return from Gold Coast and they'll be off the bye. (13 days)
      3. Round 6 v West Coast. They're off an 8-day break and no travel the week prior.
    • Our top 3 most favourable6-day break games are likely to be:
      1. Round 12 v Melbourne. They meet us off their own 5-day break.
      2. Round 9 v Sydney. They have a 7-day break but are on the road again after a trip to Perth.
      3. Round 19 v Port. Their home game but off an extra 6-day breaks. We have good breaks in the month leading up to it.
  • Our doube-up games...
    • Round 1 (MCG) & 15 (Gabba) v Brisbane
    • Round 4 (MCG) & 13 (MCG) v Geelong
    • Round 8 (Marvel) & 17 (UTAS) v North Melbourne
    • Round 9 (MCG) & 23 (SCG) v Sydney
    • Round 10 (UTAS) & 18 (AO) v Port Adelaide
  • We travel interstate for away games just 5 times...
    • Round 2 v Fremantle @ Optus Oval
    • Round 12 v Gold Coast @ Metricon Stadium
    • Round 15 v Brisbane @ The Gabba
    • Round 19 v Port Adelaide @ Adelaide Oval
    • Round 23 v Sydney @ SCG
  • We've got far more prime-time TV time slots in 2020...
    • Round 4 v Geelong - Easter Monday 3:20pm @ MCG (away)
    • Round 7 v Bulldogs - Saturday night 7:25pm @ Marvel (away)
    • Round 9 v Sydney - Saturday night 7:25pm @ MCG (home)
    • Round 11 v Melbourne - Friday night 7:50pm @ MCG (home)
    • Round 13 v Geelong - Friday night 7:50pm @ MCG (home)
    • Round 15 v Brisbane - Thursday night 7:20pm @ The Gabba
    • Round 16 v Essendon - Thursday night 7:20pm @ Marvel (away)
    • Round 19 v Port Adelaide - Friday night 6:50pm @ Adelaide Oval
    • Round 20 v St Kilda - Saturday night 7:25pm @ Marvel (away)
  • And a bunch of family friendly timeslots... (ie. not Sunday twilight or night games)
    • Round 1 v Brisbane - Sunday arvo 3:20pm @ MCG
    • Round 3 v Collingwood - Saturday arvo 1:45pm @ MCG (home)
    • Round 4 v Geelong - Easter Monday 3:20pm @ MCG (away)
    • Round 5 v Carlton - Sunday arvo 3:20pm @ Marvel (home)
    • Round 6 v West Coast - Saturday arvo 1:10pm @ UTAS
    • Round 10 v Port Adelaide - Saturday arvo 1:45pm @ UTAS
    • Round 17 v North Melbourne - Saturday arvo 2:10pm @ UTAS
    • Round 18 v GWS - Saturday arvo 1:45pm @ MCG
    • Round 21 v Adelaide - Saturday evening 4:35pm @ UTAS
    • Round 22 v Richmond - Saturday arvo 3:20pm @ MCG (away)

It’s a better fixture in comparison to last year for sure, but still no MCG home games against Essendon, Richmond and Carlton. :$
 

Platten44

All Australian
Aug 5, 2019
855
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This is precisely what Kennett and Reeves are negotiating with the AFL as part of the Tassie exit discussions
We won't be getting out of Tassie anytime soon as there won't be a Tassie team in the AFL and North won't play 8 games split between the North and South
 

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Aug 27, 2015
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I assume the club is very happy with the Tasmania arrangement, and given we almost always win down there, it's like banking 3-4 wins that we may not have got with the same games at the MCG.

We're in an extremely good financial position, so we're not exactly dying for the gate sales...

Understand the angst from Melbourne-based supporters, but if the clubs happy, and we're banking wins... isn't it a great outcome for Hawthorn? (+10k Tassie members).
I've never supported our Tasmanian arrangement but acknowledge its' considerable financial benefit to the club. Our unwillingness to pull out of it becomes far more understandable as it becomes clearer the AFL's preference is to have us play those games at Docklands rather than the MCG, perhaps as part of a long-term plan to eventually force us to become a Docklands tenant instead, as would be perfectly in keeping with their attitude of wanting to minimize our commercial exposure and on-field success at every turn.

What else is to be expected with a Handbagger flog who missed out on a Premiership medal thanks to us running the league?
 
Jun 7, 2007
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Tottenham Hotspur
So, Tassie games are West Coast (Anzac Day, nice), Port Adelaide, North Melbourne and Adelaide. So, which one of West Coast, Port and Adelaide have been relocated to Victoria? Another less than inspiring Tassie fixture.

At least North Melbourne's Hobart fixture isn't any better with Freo, Lions, Gold Coast and Melbourne.

Nice to have a few games to try and get to at the G, Brisbane, Pies, Cats and Giants I will target and try to get over for.
Why have we never played Melbourne in Launceston? The usual Vic clubs are just North, Saints and the Dogs (with Carlton recently). Melbourne are no bigger yet avoided the trip to Tassie until North went to Hobart
 
The fixture means absolute zero in my opinion. Teams are in and out of form throughout. We just need to find a way to win everywhere no matter the history or circumstances.

Insofar as profits, I can’t remember the last time we played 7 home mcg games.

KOLOKOTRONIS

Played seven home games at the MCG in 2016.

Home games were at the MCG against:

  1. Eagles
  2. Adelaide
  3. Sydney
  4. Melbourne
  5. Richmond
  6. North Melbourne
  7. Collingwood
 

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Mar 24, 2017
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Lowest since 2006 (5 home and 1 away)

The AFL is giving us a hint, and an indication that our life post Tasmania will be as a dual 8-8 or 9-7 MCG / Docklands tenant
Disagree. They are giving us a hint that if we don't get out of Tassie, we will only get one more game @ MCG that Blues?Bombers who are not even tenants. If we leave Tassie we would get a similar deal to Melbourne.
 
Sep 17, 2004
40,316
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Disagree. They are giving us a hint that if we don't get out of Tassie, we will only get one more game @ MCG that Blues?Bombers who are not even tenants. If we leave Tassie we would get a similar deal to Melbourne.

Here is hoping...

Same team / same venue, the last 3 times we played them...

Round 1 v Brisbane 34,092 (35,492, 39,007, 27,778)
Round 2 v Fremantle 41,845 (only time we played them)
Round 3 v Collingwood 60,634 (66,407, 58,091, 56,593)
Round 4 v Geelong 65,723 (53,636, 73,189, 70,345)
Round 5 v Carlton - 46,604 (33,182, 69,814*, 36,817)
Round 6 v West Coast 16,149 (15,504, 15,063, 17,880)
Round 7 v Western Bulldogs 35,651 (35,320, 46,608, 24,727)
Round 8 v North Melbourne 32,758 (33,220, 27,981, 37,073)
Round 9 v Sydney 48,839 (32,784, 52,181, 61,552)
Round 10 v Port Adelaide 13,025 (11,637, 13,007, 14,431)
Round 11 v Melbourne 41,910 (41,973, 41,833, 41,925)
Round 12 v Gold Coast 17,128 (14,278, 17,729, 19,377)
Round 13 v Geelong 62,725 (66,347, 59,529, 62,360)
Round 14 v Brisbane 23,123 (25,051, 20,628, 23,691)
Round 16 v Essendon 38,876 (44,886, 27,576, 44,166)
Round 17 v North Melbourne 15,824 (14,509, 16,143, 16,820)
Round 18 v GWS 19,686 (14,636, 17,906, 26,518)
Round 19 v Port Adelaide 43,588 (37,910, 43,025, 49,831)
Round 20 v St Kilda 31,521 (35,883, 24,795, 33,886)
Round 21 v Adelaide 15,859 (16,167, 15,124, 16,287)
Round 22 v Richmond 64,659 (64,936, 70,701, 58,392)
Round 23 v Sydney 35,144 (29,553, 39,660, 36,221)

Total - 805,376

Interesting if you look at our last 3 years of home and away attendance (866,536, 794,684, 787,621) par is lower then average of the last three years

I guess after the god awful 2018/19 draws our bar in now so low that this is a success

Not like 2008-14 where we had decent draws (drew 890,000 to 920,000 to each season)

I guess that’s what ZERO return fixtures against Collingwood, Essendon, Richmond, Carlton (and only 2 games total at the MCG) will do
 

hamohawk1

Premiership Player
Feb 18, 2011
4,325
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Good fixture, we play at Marvel a bit which is only an issue because of the stadium. Its a hole, cold as f**k in winter (i always think colder than the G) and has no atmosphere.

Really should be something the AFL looks at in years to come if you're going to only have 2 premier stadiums in Melbourne, one shouldn't be so ridiculously more desirable than the other.
 

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