Beyond the GF – Why the MCG Contract doesn’t pass the Stink Test
- Thread starter Papa G
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- #702
lol Ive lived in Adelaide most of my life.
Afl: we want your TV audience attendance for our advertising $$$ but don't actually want your physical attendance.
Constantly astonished that a league that professes to want to grow in non heartland states makes decisions that show clearly that its devoted to one state and that the rest of the states are there so they can get the money for a national comp only.
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- #707
You mean aside from bailing out the Swans and Bears several times, bailing out and rebuilding the QAFL and NSWAFL, funding the NEAFL, expanding with GWS and Gold Coast, dedicating hundreds of millions in expansion funding, development programs and facility and stadium funding AND continuing to fund the Lions/Swans and Giants to levels most teams can only dream of. Not to mention ensuring FTA broadcasts for all teams outside victoria - something not given to Victorian sides in Victoria i might add, and trying to negotiate its way out of the original grand final deal by ensuring first home finals, then home prelims could be played.
They do the bare minimum.
On the other side of the ledger they distort the whole competition by having way too many teams in one state, stifling the league, ensuring a the draw is always mismatched and that the victorian clubs travel the least. They have vic club presidents that almost dictate to the league, sell off the grand final rights for a pittance that only directly benefits victorian fans, in secret and ensuring that EVERY SINGLE GRAND FINAL has a vast majority of victorian fans even when held with two interstate sides.
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- #709
Whats been done in Qld and NSW isnt the bare minimum. The league didnt have to do anything.
- They didnt distort it, this was a natural consequence of an expanding local competition. This was a known condition of the expansion and every damn interstate club that has joined the comp since was aware of it.
- Vic club presidents make up more than half the league, their club members are more than half the leagues members, their crowds and tv audiences too. until the league expands again, this will remain the case. No matter how you spin it, the majority of the leagues interests are in Victoria.
- Sold off the grand final rights in a commercial reality for the league that has never given any seriious indication that it would move the grand final interstate unless under duress whether money was involved or not.
The league didn't have to do anything but it wants that national league tv right money.
It wants to expand - but then does things that go against that expansion.
Self sabotage…..
It's the only way I think the AFL would consider breaking its MCG contract. Otherwise come back in 2060
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- #713
Its also a win for the majority of the AFL & AFLW clubs, the AFL itself, and most of its active support base.
That is the only reason left ... & with more MCC members getting a gig than members of the competing clubs, the losers are the fans/members of the competing clubs, who have earned their spot by winning on field, only to be gazumped by a sweet heart/sleazy back room deal ...
That is all true & its interesting how little interest the AFL media (media that covers the national comp) have paid to holding those responsible to account. Personally I am very disappointed how easily Mr Goyder has avoided robust questioning over who approved the back door talks being held in the first place.
Anyone who shares your interest in the game understands how we are where our game is today, & most points of view have their own clubs best interest as a big influence on what constitutes 'FAIR' ...
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I think you'll find reality and basic facts is about as useless against the powers of these entitled, deluded souls as it is with anti Vacc and QAnon crazies. Sadly, they're destined to live lives of perennial disappointment as the world dose not resolve around their every desire as they have been raised to believe. I think they should be happy that non Melbourne based clubs have significant statistical advantages when it comes to the home and away season and the finals. There is just no statistical advantage for their clubs in the Grand Final. They don't like the idea of a level playing field, they're not used to it, so they've got their hands out again, angrily demanding even more unsporting advantages for their clubs, feeling very aggrieved that the world has not delivered, and blaming Victorians for not doing enough to gift them unearned success.
I do agree that there are issues with regards to access to see the Grand Final live for rank and file club members in favour of AFL and MCC members. I also don't have an objection to Grand Finals being played elsewhere. I think eventually it may happen, and that that would potentially be a good thing. However there is no evidence that the Grand Final played at the MCG gives a significant unsporting advantage to Melbourne based clubs. At best, it's likely less than a goal from what we can statistically glean from results so far.
My issue is access and allowing fans who might wait 20 plus years to see their team play in a Grand Final.
Having access to potentially only 15000 tickets, and having to buy price gouge level flight tickets and accommodation makes it incredibly unfair for non Victorians.
I actually live in Geelong now, so it would be beneficial to me for it to stay at the MCG.. but I would like to see some fairness.
Home grand finals would help with this inequality.
Make the ground size minimum 60,000 and force places like the GABBA, Adelaide Oval and Sydney to come up with the appropriate solution.
Failing that, at least make it every second or third year it moves.
Do the stats tell you anything ?
My view is our continued use of home & away when we all know advantage is about travel, & the travelling team is at a disadvantage.
The days when going to Vic Park or Punt Road are long gone, but we have continued to kid ourselves nothing has changed.
Home & away is about dollars for the clubs, we all know it, just dont want to admit it because it clearly distinguishes the successful & the 'all so rans' when the AFL aspires to an even competition.
When we transparently address the home & away model of the 1920s as a basis for our national comp in the 2020s, we will get somewhere on what constitutes an even playing field.
At least finals are earned, you can look to your own club for success or failure, bar the GF that continues to pretend the 1920s model is the best we can do.
So Grin do tell, what do the home & away stats tell you about travel ? More generally what do these stats you refer to, tell us?
The Home and Away statistics informs us that non Melbourne based clubs are more likely to make the final 8 and the final 4.
They play 10 games against travelling teams.
Melbourne clubs travel less & never play 10 games against travelling clubs.
A great example of the nonsense that is home & away in the national comp. What else does that stat tell you?
I agree that it's swings and roundabouts that statistically appears to favour non Melbourne based clubs. So I'm not sure why it's supporters of non Melbourne based clubs who are complaining.
- Nov 21, 2013
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I suspect that the AFL wouldn't want to break that contract as I'm sure if it did they would be sued for 10's of millions $'s and lose.
The MCG lawyers would have made sure that contract was water tight and the AFL would be aware of that.
Senor M
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It's not just the MCC, but a three-way agreement between the MCC, the AFL and the Victorian government.
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- #725
11 home games per club a season dates back to 1970 - regardless of where the club is located, all clubs get them - thats my definition of fairness. Travel is a consequence of the league setup which every non victorian club willingly joined knowing this fact. Clubs and supporters who pretend that its not fair are being ridiculous.
The season could not be extended due to the traditional season separation that exists in Victoria - and SA for that matter - around ground usages between footy and cricket, and no clubs are going to willingly give up revenue from home hosted matches, nor should they have to.
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