Preview 2023 Fixture - hopes, dreams, dreads

[crow2crow]

I don’t mind going to all corners of the country when home ground advantage is sold, but when we play a Melbourne side it should be at a finals venue. Every single time. Nothing against Ballarat and Tassie, just we shouldn’t play there. That’s where other Melbourne sides that presently get over a dozen games at the finals venues should play.

agree but its economics
i hate the country grounds too

 

[Klug]

I used to go to Melbourne for 2/3 games a year because we had half a dozen to choose from and you could choose rounds with good games in the other rounds. Port always requested a home game ANZAC game and ours always seemed to be in Melbourne so I'd go over for that weekend. Last year we played on Mars.

Looking at it this year with the rolling fixture there is only 1 locked in.

I know it probably doesn't make sense to criticise all things Victorian but then also complain that we're not really part of it any more, but they are good weekends away.

And I think Melbourne and Victorian memberships was a pretty big part of the clubs focus 10 or so years ago.

But I keep saying it, we're always going to get the Victorian clubs in the games they sell to regional stadiums because those clubs need away games vs. Melbourne clubs so that they can still sell 11 game memberships (they give them make up games where they are the away team)

I just wan't to know, do other teams get it as much as us?

Adelaide - 3 Marvel/MCG
Brisbane - 6 Marvel/MCG
Fremantle - 5 Marvel/MCG
Gold Coast - 4 Marvel/MCG
GWS - 3 Marvel/MCG (similar tour of Aus to us)
Port - 6 Marvel/MCG
Sydney - 5 Marvel/MCG
West Coast - 5 Marvel/MCG

So we've got the GWS/Gold Coast treatment from the AFL (and they both sell games to regional areas), so there are games to go around, we don't seem to be getting them.

You could argue ladder, but we finished higher than the Eagles last year. The year before Collingwood finished bottom 2 but they don't lose their commercially favourable draw. Port finished just a couple of games above us and have 6 games. Carlton finished 9th and have 7 Thursday and Friday night games in the first half of the year, and years where we are top 4 we don't get it that good the following year.

I'm sure they run it all through a formula of how many people will turn up or tune in anyway if we give them Sunday Twilight vs. Saturday Night. Just feels like as supporters we're punished for being a strong group that turns up and travels, but not big enough as a club to make any noise and force change.

We should as a minimum have the same as West Coast's 5 games at MCG or Docklands, given where we finished last year.

I agree with your thoughts that the Crows maybe get tapped for the tour of Aust games, with so many ex Adelaidean Crows supporters who will attend these games, vs say a Fremantle or Port.

While Hardwick sulks about travelling 5km to play at Docklands a couple of times a year....he really shouldn't have to put up with that.

 

[jackster83]

Away games that are not in Melbourne:

Adelaide: 7
Brisbane: 6
Carlton: 6
Collingwood: 6
Essendon: 7
Fremantle: 6
Geelong: 5
GC: 8
GWS: 9
Hawthorn: 6
Melbourne: 8
North: 7
Port: 4
Richmond: 7
Sydney: 7
St Kilda: 7
West Coast: 6
Western Bulldogs: 7

 

[Punchy Bassett]

View attachment 1571444

Yeah these tables are BS, doesn't take into account the places you need to travel to, the gaps between games versus your opponents breaks etc.

 

[Thetrader15]

Yeah these tables are BS, doesn't take into account the places you need to travel to, the gaps between games versus your opponents breaks etc.

That's code for "It's too hard to do a proper assessment, we just need a headline".

 

[skam85]

I was thinking of getting a Vic membership - now I have seen the draw, I will not..

I have a VIC membership and it's still worth it IMO. If you have friends that support other VIC clubs or are just like going to the G for a random game - you will get 8 games at the MCG you can just scan your ticket at the gate and enter.. And the 3 GA tickets if you're ever back in Adelaide. I often tag along with Pies, Richmond or Melbourne supporter mates so if that's your vibe then 14 games for $265 is pretty good value.

 

[dani_giuls]

I have a VIC membership and it's still worth it IMO. If you have friends that support other VIC clubs or are just like going to the G for a random game - you will get 8 games at the MCG you can just scan your ticket at the gate and enter.. And the 3 GA tickets if you're ever back in Adelaide. I often tag along with Pies, Richmond or Melbourne supporter mates so if that's your vibe then 14 games for $265 is pretty good value.

I have one mate over here who likes/will go to AFL matches and hes a fellow Adelaide supporter! Have a cousin who is a Carlton supporter but not sure I want to be tagging along to those games It's just a shame that we dont play more games in Melbourne (suburbia) or I would definitely look into membership.

 

[Mr MysteryGuest]

 

[Southerntakeover]

Listening to Silver on the radio, our only fixture demands were early home games against big victorian clubs.

So we're trying to wallpaper over the cracks with attendance by trying to supplement crowds with away fans at the expense of developing any attempt at an annual tradition etc.

 

[Scorpus]

Listening to Silver on the radio, our only fixture demands were early home games against big victorian clubs.

So we're trying to wallpaper over the cracks with attendance by trying to supplement crowds with away fans at the expense of developing any attempt at an annual tradition etc.

Wouldn't you want the big fixtures at the end of the year after crowds stop coming when they realise mid year we won't get close to finals?

 

[CrowsB4hoes]

Surprised Geelong haven’t played there

 

[Dirty Bird]

Wouldn't you want the big fixtures at the end of the year after crowds stop coming when they realise mid year we won't get close to finals?

Alternatively
If it's the end of the year and you play the Richmonds/Collingwoods etc. Their soft draws have pumped them up, create the illusion we'll get smashed, and our fairweather fans noshow.

If we improve (I honestly expect a jump this year) - Having them late for huge games would be ideal. But if we do stink up the joint. May as well have 45k games early and 30k late rather than 30k all year long.

 

[Dirty Bird]

The only thing I take out of that is that Richmond have been treated as an everyone else rather than in the same category as Collingwood/Carlton/Essendon

But think of it

If they're going to protect those 4 teams (Richmond now protected) only sending 1 down the road each year (when there's no development), that leaves 13 teams to take 9 home games.

So one would assume everyone else would head there 2 times every 3 years.

My 2 qualms are

1) The 4 regional games. If things were 100% fair, 1.5 a year (17/27 Regional/+Geelong to spread across the whole league - I'd give every club BUT 1 an away regional match. Then rotate Geelong games - Though, after this year, I would expect all 11 games down there rain hail or shine. Have tolerated it 22/23 due to redevelopment. But 24 onwards. They shouldn't have to play home games in Melbourne, which lets be real; They're only doing it to let the AFL accomplish their contracts which they can't with Melbourne/Hawthorn/Western Bulldogs/North Melbourne/St Kilda selling games interstate. Hopefully Tasmania19 takes Hawthorn/North Melbourne out of Tassie and their games are in Melbourne going forward and it allows Geelong to host 11 a year rather than 9.

2) All the fox games (We have 13 fox, 1 7 game scheduled thus far after 21 fox, 1 7 game last year). I get the networks perspective. They can maximise viewership with their regional broadcasting. But it gives the Victorian clubs a leg up by allowing their mid-tier nothing clubs to get primetime games* as 7 doesn't care about the non-vic teams. They get a monopoly on them anyway. So may as well get as much headway into Melbourne as possible (hence the pro-Victorian timeslots) - But the thing is, I still remember 2017. What were the 3 highest ranked Friday Night games of the year? Geelong-Sydney, Geelong-Adelaide, Sydney-Adelaide. The neutral doesn't care about the team, they care about the quality. They'd rather watch a 15-0 Gold Coast vs 15-0 Fremantle than a 2-13 Carlton vs a 7-8 Richmond. *And the issue with this is it costs non-Victorian clubs sponsorship. If you were going to sponsor someone, would you rather advertise to Adelaide 22 times, or nationally 15 times? Nationally every time.

You know what I laugh about. The fans complain about how things aren't fan friendly. But think of it. Locked in schedule (for the most part) now rather than floating all year like last year. All non-vic teams getting their team on fta rain hail or shine.

This is fan friendly.

You complain about losing these luxuries, but this is what's actually creating the pro-Victorian coverage. Why in gods name would 7 want Port Adelaide vs Brisbane on free to air tv. When they can cover St Kilda vs Hawthorn, and they get to sho Port Adelaide vs Brisbane in Adelaide and Brisbane anyway, then St Kilda vs Hawthorn everywhere else. They now get to get larger pieces of the pie in 3 cities rather than 2. Until the non-Victorian fans look at the bigger picture and give up their monopoly rights for domestic football teams, we will always have Pro-Victorian coverage. We're complaining about the symptom, but the blame comes down to the selfish fans who kick up a stink every time a tv deal is up for negotiation "we demand 22 games on tv" Cool, now you relegate us to foxtel (locking us out of thursday night, friday night, one of the saturday night games, and one of the sunday afternoon games) so 7 can have their cake and eat it by just showing us into Adelaide.

 

[LeftyLuke]

The only thing I take out of that is that Richmond have been treated as an everyone else rather than in the same category as Collingwood/Carlton/Essendon

But think of it

If they're going to protect those 4 teams (Richmond now protected) only sending 1 down the road each year (when there's no development), that leaves 13 teams to take 9 home games.

So one would assume everyone else would head there 2 times every 3 years.

My 2 qualms are

1) The 4 regional games. If things were 100% fair, 1.5 a year (17/27 Regional/+Geelong to spread across the whole league - I'd give every club BUT 1 an away regional match. Then rotate Geelong games - Though, after this year, I would expect all 11 games down there rain hail or shine. Have tolerated it 22/23 due to redevelopment. But 24 onwards. They shouldn't have to play home games in Melbourne, which lets be real; They're only doing it to let the AFL accomplish their contracts which they can't with Melbourne/Hawthorn/Western Bulldogs/North Melbourne/St Kilda selling games interstate. Hopefully Tasmania19 takes Hawthorn/North Melbourne out of Tassie and their games are in Melbourne going forward and it allows Geelong to host 11 a year rather than 9.

2) All the fox games (We have 13 fox, 1 7 game scheduled thus far after 21 fox, 1 7 game last year). I get the networks perspective. They can maximise viewership with their regional broadcasting. But it gives the Victorian clubs a leg up by allowing their mid-tier nothing clubs to get primetime games* as 7 doesn't care about the non-vic teams. They get a monopoly on them anyway. So may as well get as much headway into Melbourne as possible (hence the pro-Victorian timeslots) - But the thing is, I still remember 2017. What were the 3 highest ranked Friday Night games of the year? Geelong-Sydney, Geelong-Adelaide, Sydney-Adelaide. The neutral doesn't care about the team, they care about the quality. They'd rather watch a 15-0 Gold Coast vs 15-0 Fremantle than a 2-13 Carlton vs a 7-8 Richmond. *And the issue with this is it costs non-Victorian clubs sponsorship. If you were going to sponsor someone, would you rather advertise to Adelaide 22 times, or nationally 15 times? Nationally every time.

You know what I laugh about. The fans complain about how things aren't fan friendly. But think of it. Locked in schedule (for the most part) now rather than floating all year like last year. All non-vic teams getting their team on fta rain hail or shine.

This is fan friendly.

You complain about losing these luxuries, but this is what's actually creating the pro-Victorian coverage. Why in gods name would 7 want Port Adelaide vs Brisbane on free to air tv. When they can cover St Kilda vs Hawthorn, and they get to sho Port Adelaide vs Brisbane in Adelaide and Brisbane anyway, then St Kilda vs Hawthorn everywhere else. They now get to get larger pieces of the pie in 3 cities rather than 2. Until the non-Victorian fans look at the bigger picture and give up their monopoly rights for domestic football teams, we will always have Pro-Victorian coverage. We're complaining about the symptom, but the blame comes down to the selfish fans who kick up a stink every time a tv deal is up for negotiation "we demand 22 games on tv" Cool, now you relegate us to foxtel (locking us out of thursday night, friday night, one of the saturday night games, and one of the sunday afternoon games) so 7 can have their cake and eat it by just showing us into Adelaide.

All i know is that more Foxtel games means more Dwayne Russell. Wtf.

 

[Klug]

All i know is that more Foxtel games means more Dwayne Russell. Wtf.

At least there are no ads after goals.

As annoying as "Dance Step" Dwayne is, the Channel 7 commentators are much worse overall in my opinion.

 

[crow2crow]

All i know is that more Foxtel games means more Dwayne Russell. Wtf.

and more of Smelly Underpants

 

[GROTTO]

I could see us winning any of them.
GWS are no good, missing 2 of their best 3 mids
Richmond probably the toughest game, but don't play AO well
Port anything can happen
Fremantle beat us by a point last year
Carlton we beat comfortably
In reality probably 2 wins but could be any number 0-5

We last beat GWS away in 2014, they bat deep in their midfield and its an away game too, they beat us by 10+ goals last year.
Tigers by your own admission gain two mids of Taranto and Hopper along with Dusty for our game.
Port are 4-1 in the last 5 showdowns, I expect Port to beat us.
Fremantle have also developed into a much stronger and better side than the team that beat us in Round 1.
Carlton I felt approached the game expecting the win and took us lightly. It definitely wont happen next year.

Its not say we might not win a game or two, as anything is possible, given injuries, suspensions, weather, inaccurate kicking, however on the balance of probabilities I would have us at 0-5 or 1-5 at best.

Happy to be wrong, especially more so if our two wins as you suggested are Richmond/Fremantle and Port.

 

[pjcrows]

With the remaining fixture being released later this week, and us playing some attractive footy, what games are we thinking are a chance for a Friday/Saturday night slot slot?

Adelaide v North Melbourne AO
Essendon v Adelaide MRVL
Adelaide v GWS AO
Melbourne v Adelaide MCG
Adelaide v Port AO
Adelaide v Gold Coast AO
Brisbane v Adelaide G
Adelaide v Sydney AO
West Coast v Adelaide OS

Unfortunately looks like most of our home games will be buried in the graveyard slots, with the possibility of Gold Coast being a Saturday night.

 

[Dirty Bird]

With the remaining fixture being released later this week, and us playing some attractive footy, what games are we thinking are a chance for a Friday/Saturday night slot slot?

Adelaide v North Melbourne AO
Essendon v Adelaide MRVL
Adelaide v GWS AO
Melbourne v Adelaide MCG
Adelaide v Port AO
Adelaide v Gold Coast AO
Brisbane v Adelaide G
Adelaide v Sydney AO
West Coast v Adelaide OS

Unfortunately looks like most of our home games will be buried in the graveyard slots, with the possibility of Gold Coast being a Saturday night.

I wonder if we could finally get a Friday night showdown

West Coast vs North? Lol
Western Bulldogs vs Greater Western Sydney? The AFL wouldn't risk it with how GWS is flying
Richmond vs Melbourne? Plausible, but the AFL will have to bank on RIchmond turning it around
Hawthorn vs St Kilda? Not with Hawthorn
Gold Coast vs Brisbane? I mean, this is looking the other game of the round. But zero chance 7 would allow it
Geelong vs Fremantle? Again, plauisble, but the AFL will have to bank on Fremantle turning it around
Essendon vs Sydney? It too is plausible, 2 mid table sides, high drawing, it is a chance. But I feel the AFL would rather just give it (showdown) a go once
Collingwood vs Carlton? High risk high reward. Has the potential to be the biggest game, but if Carlton continues their current form. Could be an absolute dud

I wonder if we can get the Friday Night Showdown.

But the thing with Saturday night, is that there's 2 games. So a game like the 4 AO games you haven't highlighted, might get the foxtel Saturday night game (especially that Sydney game) just so 7 can maximise viewership (get the vic market with pro vic game, then get the regional market with our games.)

 

[Vooligan]

With the remaining fixture being released later this week,

Is this confirmed?

 

[George Kramer]

Is this confirmed?

Supposed to be coming out this week and there was talk we’d get better timeslots.

 

[kirky]

Is this confirmed?

Read somewhere tomorrow but Travis Auld said when the AFL fixture for first 15 rounds was released late last year that round 16-23 would be released 4-6 weeks out, so that makes it around this week (if 6 weeks).

 

[skam85]

Supposed to be coming out this week and there was talk we’d get better timeslots.

Take a shot every headline or article uses the term "box office Crows"

 

[Dewy006]

Selfishly hoping we play the Bombers on a Sunday as I’ll be in Melbourne that weekend but can’t go to a Sat or Sat night game

 

[MatthewB]

Selfishly hoping we play the Bombers on a Sunday as I’ll be in Melbourne that weekend but can’t go to a Sat or Sat night game

im hoping the Showdown is the Thursday night, we are flying out to Brisbane on the Friday