Fixture 2023 Fixture

[dogwatch]

Why is Geelongs home ground in Geelong a cheat ground [emoji848]?

Do all of the interstate teams have cheat grounds too?

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Your implied point is valid. The fact that they have an unusually narrow ground and know better than other sides how to play it doesn’t make them cheats.

We used to have the same sort of advantage at the 183m long Western Oval which also had narrow wings. And usually a tricky wind as well. (Pretty sure it was re-shaped to more closely resemble the MCG or Docklands some time after it ceased to be our home game venue.)

My complaint is not Geelong’s big home ground advantage but the fact that 3-4 clubs almost never have to deal with that HGA any more, while the rest of the clubs do. Those few clubs are getting a leg up almost every year before the season even starts.

That’s not equalisation.

 

[Ash1337]

I prefer getting the hard draws because it makes a finals run more deserving. What I don't like is awful short breaks away or them travelling too much.

 

[carlton_99]

Good to hear. I haven’t seen the full 2023 fixture yet so I only covered up to 2022 for Collingwood Richmond and Essendon in my post above.

Essendon Richmond and Carlton get scheduled down there rarely and it only seems to happen when they are crap.

Blues played Cats once a year in 2018, 2019 and 2020 and all three games were at GMHBA.

 

[TiAn_]

I prefer getting the hard draws because it makes a finals run more deserving. What I don't like is awful short breaks away or them travelling too much.

I think we have another stretch this year in the middle of the season with 3 interstate trips in 4 weeks. Pretty rough.

 

[LondonBulldog]

This is so true.

I actually went back and checked the last 10 years (excluding 2020 given all games were basically interstate) and in that time we have played at Kardinia Park every single year with the exception of 2013 and 2018. So in that time we played them 2 times in a season on four occasions and once in a season on 6 occasions, but of those 6, 4 of those were at KP.

So basically you can almost bet on the fact that the Dogs will have to play the Cats and most likely it will be at Kardinia Park and if we get to play them at Marvel, it will be in addition to our annual trip down the highway. It’s ridiculous how much we get this outcome and it’s exactly for the reasons you state, that Geelong have to have a minimum of 8 games down there and some of those have to be against Victorian clubs and that means us, North, Melb and StKilda most likely.

Given their record at home, it’s basically a schedule loss every year.

This is by far and away the biggest problem with the draw at the moment. North, Saints, Dogs, Dees are essentially 1 game behind the "big" Melbourne clubs who never travel down to Geelong.

Geelong with the stadium basically pre-sold reserve seats, needs to be treated as an interstate game and all sides need to travel there.

 

[dogwatch]

Blues played Cats once a year in 2018, 2019 and 2020 and all three games were at GMHBA.

Yes that’s correct. Like I said, only when crap.

And even when crap they often got away without playing at KP.

Before 2018 they hadn’t played there since 1997.

 

[carlton_99]

Yes that’s correct. Like I said, only when crap.

And even when crap they often got away without playing at KP.

Before 2018 they hadn’t played there since 1997.

Yeh that is true but in terms of crowd it is always going to be better commercially for the AFL for the game to be at the G. And even if we were crap to play them only once in each of those years and all of them being at GMHBA was very odd to me.

 

[dogwatch]

Yeh that is true but in terms of crowd it is always going to be better commercially for the AFL for the game to be at the G. And even if we were crap to play them only once in each of those years and all of them being at GMHBA was very odd to me.

That’s my point. The AFL always puts commercial benefit above competition fairness.

From a business perspective it makes perfect sense. As long as they don’t pretend that every club gets an equal go in match scheduling.

I wasn’t suggesting Carlton play every year at KP. Once every 2 years would be fine. We by contrast have had to play there 10 of the last 12 years.

 

[Cudi]

So AFL.com.au had our fixture as 8th hardest compared to second hardest on FoxFooty.

Who has the hardest draw? We break down your club's 2023 fixture

Check out all you need to know about your club's fixture for the 2023 Toyota AFL Premiership Season

www.afl.com.au

They also have Freo as hardest, while Fox has them at 5th. Freo play Brisbane, Geelong, Sydney and us twice so that's pretty tough and makes me feel like the AFL.com.au rankings are better.

 

[doggies ftw]

So AFL.com.au had our fixture as 8th hardest compared to second hardest on FoxFooty.

Who has the hardest draw? We break down your club's 2023 fixture

Check out all you need to know about your club's fixture for the 2023 Toyota AFL Premiership Season

www.afl.com.au

They also have Freo as hardest, while Fox has them at 5th. Freo play Brisbane, Geelong, Sydney and us twice so that's pretty tough and makes me feel like the AFL.com.au rankings are better.

Geez that’s a super tough set of double ups for Freo

 

[carlton_99]

So AFL.com.au had our fixture as 8th hardest compared to second hardest on FoxFooty.

Who has the hardest draw? We break down your club's 2023 fixture

Check out all you need to know about your club's fixture for the 2023 Toyota AFL Premiership Season

www.afl.com.au

They also have Freo as hardest, while Fox has them at 5th. Freo play Brisbane, Geelong, Sydney and us twice so that's pretty tough and makes me feel like the AFL.com.au rankings are better.

Apologies for the intrusion but think the difference is because FoxFooty use percentage of opponents whereas AFL use ladder position of opponents. Percentages most years work well but I think 2022 was a bit of an anomaly. For instance you had two teams with %s in the 50s which is quite uncommon and then Geelong had a massive % over 140 which is similarly uncommon. You also had teams like Pies who were good enough to finish 4th yet had a % just over 100, whilst teams like Port finished 11th with a 110+%. In short, %s seemed a bit all over the place this year so think wins or ladder position of opponents is a more accurate reflection of fixture "difficulty".

 

[NBates]

John Ralph HS December 12, 2022

 

[CarnTheScray]

John Ralph HS December 12, 2022
View attachment 1571839

Carlton will be 4-2 at best.

 

[The Inbetweener]

Champion Data have given us the 2nd hardest draw as well. I’m pretty optimistic about us this year, but gee it would have been handy to received a softer draw like those who finished above us.

Our first 6 weeks is the hardest in the comp, if we get that right it could really set us up.

 

[weltschmerz]

Champion Data have given us the 2nd hardest draw as well. I’m pretty optimistic about us this year, but gee it would have been handy to received a softer draw like those who finished above us.

Our first 6 weeks is the hardest in the comp, if we get that right it could really set us up.

We finished 0.6% ahead of Carlton yet their draw is radically easier. Bit ridiculous.

 

[Dogs_r_barking]

I can’t help but think we seem to be off side with the AFL at the moment, not just the men but the women as well.

 

[hutchy31]

John Ralph HS December 12, 2022
View attachment 1571839

3-3 would be a very good result. That's by far the hardest stretch in our fixture. Anything better than 3 wins from the first six would have us well positioned for top four given what comes after that.

I'm actually fine with the challenging fixture, there's no team we should fear provided our coaching, selection and gameday tactics are better than last year. The talent is there, and barring multiple LTIs we should be in the mix. If we're not then something more fundamental is required in terms of change within the footy department.

 

[CarnTheScray]

We finished 0.6% ahead of Carlton yet their draw is radically easier. Bit ridiculous.

Carltons get gifted a lot.

 

[Mr. Walker]

Carltons get gifted a lot.

Carlton is the royal family of Australia. Do nothing but get given everything just for being.

 

[Bulldogs Legend]

That’s fixable. Try getting a season ticket or a Foxtel subscription.

I have both

 

[Bulldog rick]

A little disappointed that there isn't a game in qld next year. Love seeing the dogs at the gabba. That classic 1 point win in the finals in 21 will forever be etched in my memory.

 

[Sgt Slaughter]

A little disappointed that there isn't a game in qld next year. Love seeing the dogs at the gabba. That classic 1 point win in the finals in 21 will forever be etched in my memory.

No QLD games - Suns in Darwin! Closest game to me is in Sydney....

 

[flipper83]

I hope the club leverages the disappointment from the 2023 fixture and gets on the front foot for the 2024 fixture.

It will be the 100 year anniversary of the championship of Victoria game so we should petition for a home marquee game against Essendon in commemoration. We could even push for it to be an annual fixture and pitch it as a game recognising the pre VFL histories of the non founding VFL clubs.

It will also be the 25th anniversary of the fightback of 89 so a home marquee game against Collingwood (in appreciation of their support during that period) would also be appropriate.

 

[dogwatch]

I hope the club leverages the disappointment from the 2023 fixture and gets on the front foot for the 2024 fixture.

It will be the 100 year anniversary of the championship of Victoria game so we should petition for a home marquee game against Essendon in commemoration. We could even push for it to be an annual fixture and pitch it as a game recognising the pre VFL histories of the non founding VFL clubs.

It will also be the 25th anniversary of the fightback of 89 so a home marquee game against Collingwood (in appreciation of their support during that period) would also be appropriate.

Good ideas.
Small correction: 35th anniversary. Time flies, eh?

We could call it the Up Yours round.

 

[flipper83]

Good ideas.
Small correction: 35th anniversary. Time flies, eh?

We could call it the Up Yours round.

Woops my mistake.

The championship of Victoria game could become the centrepiece game of the heritage round like Dreamtime at the g is for indigenous round and Anzac Day is for Anzac round.

I think it could get off the ground and would mean we are no longer the only Victorian club without a marquee game.

Who's got links to the club