All 4 first-week finals in Melbourne now a distinct possibility

[TP86]

Sydney can still finish sixth and end this possibility but if we were to entertain the hypothetical...which team gets Etihad in the first week of the finals? Remember that the four slots at FRI night, SAT arvo, SAT night and SUN arvo so there's no way all 4 can be at the MCG.

Collingwood v West Coast
Geelong v Hawthorn
St Kilda v Essendon
Carlton v Sydney/North/Fremantle/Melbourne

Blues get the short straw? First final in Melbourne for 10 years and they make them play it at Etihad? They are a tennant after all.

 

[Zarrix]

It would have to be Carlton, considering the lower pulling power of their potential opponents in Melbourne.

 

[harliquin]

Think that sums it up.. Collingwood and hawks/geelong automatically get the MCG I would think.

Saints/Carlton as Etihad tenants get Etihad?

 

[Shellz]

Woah Carlton fans will be pissed!

 

[damuzzdu]

Thread already going re this. Don't you read the sticky do a search before starting a new thread.

http://www.bigfooty.com/forum/showthread.php?t=856067

 

[red+black]

All 4 first-week finals in Melbourne now a distinct possibility

It was a possibility even if Sydney won today, so what's your point?

 

[The Old Dark Navy's]

Woah Carlton fans will be pissed!

Maybe, but someone has to play there. I'm more miffed that people keep thinking that Etihad is our home ground, when Etihad and the MCG are our joint home grounds.

 

[10571z]

Top 4 teams get priority. That's that i guess

 

[Mervyn Beasley]

If the blues do play at Docks you would think it would be on the Sat, which is obviously better than the Sunday.

 

[Dont be a lemon]

If the blues do play at Docks you would think it would be on the Sat, which is obviously better than the Sunday.

I think the elimination finals are day matches and the qualifying finals are night matches?

 

[jonoman89]

I would be pissed off if that were the case.

St Kilda would rather play at Etihad, their home ground. We would rather play at the MCG, one of our home grounds.

St Kilda would be at a big disadvantage playing Essendon at the MCG, and so would we at Etihad. The AFL would be pissing off both home finalists.

I'd back us to get 70k at the MCG regardless of the opponent.

 

[The Old Dark Navy's]

I agree that Carlton vs 8th will probably be the lower drawing game, but Carlton having Etihad as a home ground along with the G, is no reason to fixture Carlton there. At least Carlton have the G as a partial home ground, whereas Essendon and the Saints are Etihad tenants.

I'd imagine there would be a fairly decent crowd for the Carlton match anyway, being our first final in Melbourne in 10 years.

 

[pazza]

St. Kilda v Essendon would pull 80K + comfortably.

Carlton v Sydney would pull 55K
Carlton v Fremantle 45K
Carlton v North Melbourne 65K

 

[XFactor1979]

Good

keep it down there

 

[The Old Dark Navy's]

St. Kilda v Essendon would pull 80K + comfortably.

Carlton v Sydney would pull 55K
Carlton v Fremantle 45K
Carlton v North Melbourne 65K

Maybe, but as jonoman pointed out, the two higher ranking teams in those games would rather reverse those grounds. Saints would much rather play the Bombers at Etihad as it is easier to press up and not as much space for the Bombers runners to work in. Carlton would rather the G so we can use the space for Yarran, Betts and Garlett to work in, and if the opponent is Sydney, make it harder to them to close us down.

 

[jonoman89]

Yep. Classic case of what the clubs want vs how much money is to be made.

And i highly doubt the AFL give a s**t about what Carlton and St Kilda would want. Last year they forced Sydney to play us at ANZ instead of the SCG.

 

[Mervyn Beasley]

I think the elimination finals are day matches and the qualifying finals are night matches?

Sat arvo

 

[master bate]

If it's Carlton v Sydney or Carlton v Freo then I say it should be at Etihad, but if it's Carlton v North then I think it gets priority over the 2 Etihad teams in StKilda and Essendon.

Actually why not play Geelong v Hawthorn at Skilled Stadium, I bet I could find a few cats fans who like that idea.

 

[pazza]

Maybe, but as jonoman pointed out, the two higher ranking teams in those games would rather reverse those grounds. Saints would much rather play the Bombers at Etihad as it is easier to press up and not as much space for the Bombers runners to work in. Carlton would rather the G so we can use the space for Yarran, Betts and Garlett to work in, and if the opponent is Sydney, make it harder to them to close us down.

Moot point as St. Kilda can't contain us at Etihad anyway!

 

[red+black]

Yep. Classic case of what the clubs want vs how much money is to be made.

And i highly doubt the AFL give a s**t about what Carlton and St Kilda would want. Last year they forced Sydney to play us at ANZ instead of the SCG.

Sydney have a (stupid) deal to play all finals at ANZ for the next few years, nothing to do with the AFL.

 

[bulletproof]

Er, We'll play in Geelong if that helps. Spread the game to the regions and all that.

 

[jonoman89]

Sydney have a (stupid) deal to play all finals at ANZ for the next few years, nothing to do with the AFL.

Really? Jeez, the Swans fans were complaining pretty hard last year about the location of our final....

You'd hope they'd have made a lot of cash out that deal. Would make no sense otherwise.

 

[red+black]

While it should be the case, no way does the AFL care what is right and just. Carlton may get scheduled to play at Etihad which is a joke.

I was at the 1994 final between North (3) and Hawthorn (6) which was played at Waverley for some reason.

 

[red+black]

Really? Jeez, the Swans fans were complaining pretty hard last year about the location of our final....

You'd hope they'd have made a lot of cash out that deal. Would make no sense otherwise.

Yeah, money over results. Kind of like Richmond selling home games. Good financially, but potentially bad for the actual football side.

 

[MWPP]

If it's Carlton v Sydney or Carlton v Freo then I say it should be at Etihad, but if it's Carlton v North then I think it gets priority over the 2 Etihad teams in StKilda and Essendon.

Actually why not play Geelong v Hawthorn at Skilled Stadium, I bet I could find a few cats fans who like that idea.

Disagree, since that scenario would be 2 Etihad teams vs. 2 Etihad teams anyway, so which match ends up at MCG depends on the relative crowd pulling power of each of those games. In terms of expected crowds
-Essendon= or slightly > Carlton
-St. Kilda > North
So Essendon vs. St. Kilda should be at the MCG, while Carlton v Sydney/North/Fremantle should be at Etihad.