Beyond the GF – Why the MCG Contract doesn’t pass the Stink Test

[PrisonBars4life]

The game is older than 1983-present. Also... nobody gives an ingrown sh*t what the tally is between SA V WA. Still too far West of the SA eastern border for us Vics to give a toss. GAFO and start your own league. Or your own country.
Sucked in!

Everyone else is walking around freely enjoying themselves while you're all locked up because you're too dumb to follow basic rules.

 

[HPKS]

Everyone else is walking around freely enjoying themselves while you're all locked up because you're too dumb to follow basic rules.

Yeh the way they’re goin the Boxing Day test will be in Adelaide & New Years test in Perth.

 

[PrisonBars4life]

How about we lay a patch of MCG turf at Optus at great expense when the AFL is financially struggling because we're total dumb campaigners.

 

[Coolangatta]

Do you think two weeks before the GF is too late of a date to prepare? If not, why not wait until the second prelim is finished and decide the venue that night? Vic v Vic MCG, Vic v non-Vic neutral (best chance to swap it around), WA v WA Optus etc.

 

[JackFlash]

nah....

I want a grand final occasionally outside of Victoria.


Hell Back when Swans made grand finals in 2005-2006 and swans hosting the occasional game at homebush. I always wondered what a grand final was like in homebush which holds 80,000 seats.

Hell Andrew Demitriou actually wanted a one off grand final in Homebush as a curiousity factor.

You vics are stubborn. You had a grand final in Waverly in 1991 which got 75,000 people there. I blame the AFL for having Angry Anderson invade the grand final with that Abomination known as the batmobile lol

Things have to return to normality here in Melbourne, the city is in lockdown and not coming out of it until October/November. The Melbourne Cup will be run in front of no one, the Ashes Boxing Day Test is in jeopardy, the Tennis will not be in Australia at all in January and the Grand Prix which is 6 months away is already unlikely? The city is devastated, it's almost in ruins. The Grand Final must return to Melbourne and be a part of the come back the place needs. The MCG is still the game's showpiece arena. We try and forget the Angry Anderson batmobile....of course, i blame Ross Lyon for all of it!!!

 

[Purple Suit]

How about we lay a patch of MCG turf at Optus at great expense when the AFL is financially struggling because we're total dumb campaigners.

If McGowan knocked back Eddie, no way he lets the turf in.

 

[FreoFan85]

30% is still not a disadvantage. No different to what the Victorian opponents of Collingwood and Essendon have when they play those two clubs in home and away games.

I've been to 29 Grand Finals, and I would argue the Crows has more supporters than the Kanagroos in 1998. Plenty of neutrals were supporting Brisbane in 2001-2-3.

Sydney had at least half the support, if not more people barracking for them in 2012 and 2014.

I would also argue Freo had more support in 2013 than Hawthorn. Certainly in the AFL members where I was sitting this was the case.

This is part of the issue in being able to share the final around. You are able to grow the actual game and get it in front of more fans. I have been to attend one afl grand final (2010 draw). I had to book at the start of the season and was going whoever was playing.

Now I love football I have gone to nearly every game at Optus since it’s been built. I lucky enough to have mates that are all eagles supporters and always have spare tickets, then having my own 24 year dockers membership means that I have gone to nearly every game. I went to all the neutral games e.g Sydney vs gws aswelletc

Now because this is going to be a one off game, every man and his dog are going to try and buy tickets and more than likely I will miss out. If it was shared around a bit I know that at least I would be able to get a ticket in the next few times it was in Perth.

Obviously not anyone’s fault for being in the position where they could go 29 times, but it would be great to share the game around.

 

[Coolangatta]

Rotating or highest-ranked winner is better than picking a neutral venue.

I went back and tested it, and you'd have had no MCG GFs from 2012-19 based on playing the game at a neutral venue since every GF in that period was a Victorian team v an interstate team. Not a fan of every GF being at the MCG, but 55% of the teams are Vic, so it should be there every second year IMO.

Rotating runs the risk of a derby GF being in QLD, though, and the highest-ranked idea wouldn't have enough time to prepare because of all the corporate bullshit.

Top of the ladder isn't a bad idea, but you could still have WA teams 2nd and 3rd, so no derby GF in Perth etc.

Locking in the venue gives everyone ample time. MCG every second year, then rotate Adelaide-Sydney-Brisbane-Perth. Perhaps Gold Coast and Brisbane share the QLD one in the future; Tassie gets one, etc.

 

[Freomaniac]

Remind me which stadiums in Australia can host crowds above 60k.
I’ve got the MCG and ANZ Stadium.

well Perth stadium holds 60,000

it can increase to 70,000

 

[Incarnate]

Parochialism aside, why not tender it out to other capital cities as with the super bowl? Maybe a mid year announcement for the following years GF location. Could mean serious publicity, growth and coin in all coffers if approached right.

 

[Baird]

The Grand Final will continue to be played at the MCG and you uppity interstaters will continue to cry about it. Stay mad, lmao.

 

[Teen Wolf]

With Perth now (in Non COVID times) regularly getting 55k to their games, the bar has now been lifted, to get 10 of the highest drawing games at the MCG to fulfill their disgraceful shitty contract, they’re going to have to try even harder to push these MCG "Blockbuster" games.

 

[juss]

Any sane person understands that having the Grand Final, basically in perpetuity, at your home ground, home city or home state is an advantage to varying degrees. This is beyond doubt.

The AFL has gifted the Grand Final to the MCC for a further 32 years, for what amounts to beans. $225 million for an upgrade of the “Docklands Precinct” a stadium/area which most Melbournite’s seem to despise any rate, some ongoing upkeep of the MCG and some money for women’s AFL facilities in Victoria. That’s it. For a 32 year contract? If you chuck in the MCG small upgrades and the Women’s facility upgrades in the 1 state, they basically sold the rights to the AFL Grand Final for around $10 million a year. An event that creates up to $100 million a year, in a normal year for the Victorian economy. What do you reckon $10 mill will buy you in 2058? A 3 bedder in Box Hill North? Complete madness. The AFL/MCC/Vic Government collusion on this has been extraordinary.

Whilst the actual Grand Final being held at the MCG every year is really, really corrupt, especially at the non commercial price they paid for it, it isn't even the most contemptuous facet of the disgraceful deal.

The MANDATED 10 of the top 12 highest drawing games must be played at the MCG is the most unfair, disgraceful and biased part of this deal. Why? Well look how this happens, who it benefits and why. What it means is that the AFL actively promote Marquee games, all at the MCG, almost always in stand alone spots. Who benefits? Exclusively the big Melbourne teams. Its why we have ANZAC Day, Dreamtime at the G, Queens birthday "tradition", the Easter Monday Geelong/Hawthorn "Blockbuster". It’s why Sheedy’s hair brained “Farmers Game” has been tried.

The rest of these AFL promoted "Blockbusters" are shared amongst the big 6 Vic teams depending on who's in form or they are scheduled early in the season when hope is still high. Again, who benefits? These specific teams because they get huge gate takings and huge exposure, with all the associated sponsorship and commercial benefits this brings. When did the AFL ever really promote a game, like properly promote a game that wasn't an MCG Blockbuster? I mean a Showdown hasn't ever been on a Friday night FFS.

McGuire's grubby hands are all over this deal. He's the conduit between the MCC/AFL and State Govt. Collingwood of course benefit the most from it. Have you ever thought it weird that McGuire always barracks for Carlton, Collingwood's supposed sworn enemy? It's because he's desperate for the rivalry to get back to what it was in VFL times. It's another chance to promote Collingwood and Collingwood's preeminence and most importantly, more cash for Collingwood.

With Perth now (in Non COVID times) regularly getting 55k to their games, the bar has now been lifted, to get 10 of the highest drawing games at the MCG to fulfill their disgraceful shitty contract, they’re going to have to try even harder to push these MCG "Blockbuster" games.

Bias, Non Commercial, Nepotistic, Corrupt, partisan, dishonourable.

Non-commercial? The MCG can sell 40,000 more tickets than the next biggest AFL quality stadium for the biggest game of the year where they can charge the most.

Laughable that you think the deal is non commercial. It's entirely ****ing commercial. If it was Non commercial it'd be played at the home ground even in a 20k stadium.

 

[Incarnate]

Its 2021 dude. Corruption is THE Australian way. Corruption is absolutely rife in big business and politics.

And there’s far, far worse results than where a game of footy is played.

It’s basically just one big game where big business and politicians hand our money to each other no matter what the consequences. And I mean no. matter. what.

Its got exponentially worse over the past decade. Another few decades like this and we’ll genuinely resemble some South American or African shithole.

As opposed to our upstanding British and US counterparts?

 

[Coolangatta]

The biggest problem with shifting the grand final at late notice would be getting sufficient staff at short notice for everything—chefs, bar staff, corporate wait staff, security, merchandise sellers, cleaners, etc. Then you've got pregame, half-time and post-game entertainment, and Auskickers. So, if they ever did rotate the GF every second year, they'd have to stick to that venue because they're never going to completely can the commercial side of things.

 

[Papa G]

.

Non-commercial? The MCG can sell 40,000 more tickets than the next biggest AFL quality stadium for the biggest game of the year where they can charge the most.

Laughable that you think the deal is non commercial. It's entirely ******* commercial. If it was Non commercial it'd be played at the home ground even in a 20k stadium.

Zero comprehension. Zero.

 

[juss]

.

Zero comprehension. Zero.

The median AFL Grand Final ticket price is about $310, the average is similar. Let's call it $300 across 40,000 extra tickets. That's $12 million ever year in additional ticket sales revenue, or $360 million over 30 years.

Please add that to your non commercial argument.

 

[Captain_Bender]

The grand final should never be held in shit stain minnow hillbilly states such as South Australia

 

[OnlyPowerForever]

The grand final should never be held in sh*t stain minnow hillbilly states such as South Australia

Ha ha. That just reinforced my opinion of Victorians, formed by living amongst those ferals for 6 years.

 

[Captain_Bender]

Ha ha. That just reinforced my opinion of Victorians, formed by living amongst those ferals for 6 years.

lol typical hillbilly South Australian

CAN YOU SQUEAL LIKE A PIG?

 

[OnlyPowerForever]

I hope that everyone watching Footy Clasisfied right now, watching Caroline, Eddie, Ross and Lloyd waxing on about going to the GF year after year, and appreciate that this is basically an impossibility for non-Victorians, in an Australian competition.

But hey, congrats on keeping locked away for yourselves, something that would be cherished by supporters in every other state.

 

[OnlyPowerForever]

lol typical hillbilly South Australian

CAN YOU SQUEAL LIKE A PIG?

You mean, like a Victorian when they lose an entitlement?

 

[frenchconnection]

Agreed pass it round the footy states SA, WA and VIC. Not against the non footy states having it just not sure they have good enough stadiums

And Tasmania when they come onboard as hopefully in due course they will get a stadium a size similar to Adelaide and Perth.

 

[Captain_Bender]

You mean, like a Victorian when they lose an entitlement?

Please I live on the border and I can tell by personal experience, that South Australians tend to be a bit shall we say "Special"

 

[OnlyPowerForever]

Please I live on the border and I can tell by personal experience, that South Australians tend to be a bit shall we say "Special"

Ah, so THAT'S where the Ignore function is....