Rumour Bluemour Discussion XLI

[Coops93]

I know a lot can change in a year but didn't we request to not be part of opening round?

Regardless of who plays, I really dislike it. Let us start the season against Richmond with a big crowd at the G and be done with it

It's a nonsense concept only in place because of the AFL trying to play catchup with the NRL who have been on the ball with scheduling marquee events lately.

The AFL has been very reactive in this space, and while Gather Round has been a fantastic success, and I'd argue even better than the NRLs version, it is still a concept copied off them. Opening round has just been a flat-out flop imo, it's a silly waste of time that butchers early season momentum for teams and fans just getting into the new season.

 

[Sector 7G]

It's a nonsense concept only in place because of the AFL trying to play catchup with the NRL who have been on the ball with scheduling marquee events lately.

The AFL has been very reactive in this space, and while Gather Round has been a fantastic success, and I'd argue even better than the NRLs version, it is still a concept copied off them. Opening round has just been a flat-out flop imo, it's a silly waste of time that butchers early season momentum for teams and fans just getting into the new season.

Why is gather round a huge success? Less people go to the games than they would if played throughout the country. Nice for people in SA does nothing for the average fan. Great for the media who get free travel with an allowance but who wants to travel when their is massive surge pricing

 

[Red_man2008]

Why is gather round a huge success? Less people go to the games than they would if played throughout the country. Nice for people in SA does nothing for the average fan. Great for the media who get free travel with an allowance but who wants to travel when their is massive surge pricing

And it’ll pass its use by date soon when it’s cheaper to just watch a game in your home state. Even splash out for some nice accomodation rather than driving. Why would anyone go to SA now. It’s done.

 

[The Great Ian]

SA Govt pays the AFL (cash & non-capital investments) to host Gather round.

 

[Coops93]

Why is gather round a huge success? Less people go to the games than they would if played throughout the country. Nice for people in SA does nothing for the average fan. Great for the media who get free travel with an allowance but who wants to travel when their is massive surge pricing

Well depends how you want to describe success, but across just about every measurable metric it is. If you're talking solely about attendance #s, then I'm not sure what a pass mark for you is. 270,000 in attendance for the games, 40% of which are from interstate reportedly, with sold-out games at every venue except AO, which is still getting 40,000+ to the games, tells me there's plenty of fans at the grounds. Maybe they aren't "average" fans, whatever that means.

Who wants to travel with their massive surge pricing? Loads, apparently. Airlines have put on over 90 extra domestic flights in the lead up to Gather rd with it being the busiest week for Adelaide airport in the year with 200,000 people going in and out. Obviously not all for the footy, but given it's the busiest week on their calendar ever year it's clear why the spike.

The profits made by the AFL/Footy SA are being used to improve infrastructure at clubs across SA. For the state, it brought in about $114m in total spend across the SA businesses and events, solely from Gather Round. Footy profits are measured a different, I haven't seen a figure on it specifically but given the AFL has committed to extending it for years to come and millions of $s are being used to help community sites they are healthy.

It makes the AFL lots of money, it makes SA lots of money, it makes small & big business lots of money, fans want to and are willing to travel for it and it's improving facilities at grass roots level. Tangible positives are through the roof. Then, intangible, it's bringing AFL footy to community areas where it otherwise wouldn't be. I'm not sure how you'd measure that, but I think it's a good thing.

It's a win on just about every level. Is it something that lasts forever? Maybe not, I think it probably has a life span before it needs to move states, the concept needs to change in some way, or it needs to be given a breather before returning with some tweaks, but so far it's definitely been a success.

 

[Gethelred]

I mean, it got us one of our only three wins at Adelaide oval, so...

 

[ctwenty1]

Why is gather round a huge success? Less people go to the games than they would if played throughout the country. Nice for people in SA does nothing for the average fan. Great for the media who get free travel with an allowance but who wants to travel when their is massive surge pricing

By that logic, Carlton should play all games in melbourne because that would deliver the largest crowds

Dont take the popularity of Aussie Rules for granted. Gather Round brings more people to the game - particuallry through viewership. This sort of innovation is required to help promote the game

Agree that round zero isnt quite working, but the AFL needs to try things and move on if they dont work

 

[Stamos]

but the AFL needs to try things and move on if they dont work

I'd love to see the AFL try a fair draw, play everyone once (and maybe a rivalry round).
Play every team home and away across every 2 years.

That would be something.
They don't need to try gimmicks.

 

[ctwenty1]

I'd love to see the AFL try a fair draw, play everyone once (and maybe a rivalry round).
Play every team home and away across every 2 years.

That would be something.
They don't need to try gimmicks.

They can do both, and still try "gimmicks".

 

[JustaBattler]

I'd love to see the AFL try a fair draw, play everyone once (and maybe a rivalry round).
Play every team home and away across every 2 years.

That would be something.
They don't need to try gimmicks.

There should be a H&A competition that is based on every team playing each other once ( and as you say rotate H&A every year) and then there should be the flag competition for the finalists.

Conflating the two and trying to make the most cashola out of whatever hair brained meme is running at any time is frustratingly unfair at times.

 

[ajb72]

Is this opening round, round 0 , round 1, round -1?

I guess it beats losing to the Richmond kids.

 

[Shambolic]

High fiving his mates / defenders might actually be justified

Securing a ferrisb laugh must be in the top 1% of things to do in bigfooty - I have finally made it

 

[ctwenty1]

Securing a ferrisb laugh must be in the top 1% of things to do in bigfooty - I have finally made it

Ive had several, but to my most serious carlton analysis posts

 

[BigFrizz36]

It's a nonsense concept only in place because of the AFL trying to play catchup with the NRL who have been on the ball with scheduling marquee events lately.

The AFL has been very reactive in this space, and while Gather Round has been a fantastic success, and I'd argue even better than the NRLs version, it is still a concept copied off them. Opening round has just been a flat-out flop imo, it's a silly waste of time that butchers early season momentum for teams and fans just getting into the new season.

The NRL copied their version of magic round from the English Rugby League super league where it was called Magic weekend.

 

[goreds]

Securing a ferrisb laugh must be in the top 1% of things to do in bigfooty - I have finally made it

They're overrated.

The Paddy Dow of laughs on this board...

 

[manang magoos]

There should be a H&A competition that is based on every team playing each other once ( and as you say rotate H&A every year) and then there should be the flag competition for the finalists.

Conflating the two and trying to make the most cashola out of whatever hare brained meme is running at any time is frustratingly unfair at times.

Any idea of just playing each other once will not happen too much money from tv rights and ch7 and Foxtel want that 22/23 round season and lookout for a wildcard round which was already trialled in TAC cup this year

You can back it in it’s coming folks

 

[Dramoth]

Fun fact: you often break the patient's ribs if you are doing cpr right.

A mate told me that he uses the grinding of the broken ribs as a sign that he's doing CPR right. That's of course after he's broken them doing the first compression.

 

[gab213]

There should be a H&A competition that is based on every team playing each other once ( and as you say rotate H&A every year) and then there should be the flag competition for the finalists.

Conflating the two and trying to make the most cashola out of whatever hair brained meme is running at any time is frustratingly unfair at times.

I'd love to see every team play the others once. The league had a brief period, 71-86, where teams played each other twice, the only time I remember a truly fair fixture.

 

[DangerousD]

Any idea of just playing each other once will not happen too much money from tv rights and ch7 and Foxtel want that 22/23 round season and lookout for a wildcard round which was already trialled in TAC cup this year

You can back it in it’s coming folks

I was convinced the AFL were using round zero to soften us and the clubs up for a extra round of footy, I couldn’t believe it when we had to endure it again.

The AFL is desperate not to give NRL an advantage, so it surprises me they haven’t added an extra game or two.

Any extra games goes a long way to evening out the stupid fixture

 

[Bundy Bear Bogan]

I should clarify.

With where we are at as a football team, I actually don’t mind having Sydney at the SCG in opening round. We need to start showing some fortitude, and most of our offseason moves have been about galvanising the squad. So let’s put it to the test.

My problem is the overall idea of opening round. It’s a contrived pantomime of football, designed by the current CEO to put eyeballs on tvs by manufacturing rivalries for the sake of a few clubs, at the expense of the majority of fans who don’t get to see their team play. And then it creates ongoing inequities with byes that take teams in and out of the draw for weeks following.

2026 potentially offers a new makey upper, with the chance that the AFL edges away from its supposed mission of games in the developing states to also include one game between St Kilda and Collingwood at the MCG. So while we will have four Victorian clubs on the move up north for some sort of make believe rivalry, the chosen club at Collingwood will stay local and play a club who they’ve pushed around for years and whose only major rivalry with them occurred before John, Paul, George, and Ringo had released Revolver.

Meanwhile, hands up for all of us around here who have spent decades hating the Swans? There might be a few. But overall, I don’t think there’s much there. The AFL sees us trade Charlie to Sydney. They see the draft picks coming back which will become better if Sydney falls apart in 2026 and 2027. They hear Hayward and Florent talk about how they were shafted on the way out. And the AFL rubs its hands together and goes, “ooohhh, there’s a rivalry.”

As Thom Yorke would say, it’s a fake plastic rivalry. And it’s all a part of a fake plastic opening round.

How dare you claim us at the AFL would create a false narrative just in a attempt to make more money at the turnstiles and ratings.
I am deeply offended at the insult to my exemplary character
Signed Andrew Dillon

 

[ferrisb]

I'd love to see the AFL try a fair draw, play everyone once (and maybe a rivalry round).
Play every team home and away across every 2 years.

That would be something.
They don't need to try gimmicks.

Stuff a fair draw.

I want to play Collingwood, Essendon and Richmond twice every year.

I care about (and attend) those matches so much more than other teams.

 

[ferrisb]

Securing a ferrisb laugh must be in the top 1% of things to do in bigfooty - I have finally made it

 

[BlueNath]

Any idea of just playing each other once will not happen too much money from tv rights and ch7 and Foxtel want that 22/23 round season and lookout for a wildcard round which was already trialled in TAC cup this year

You can back it in it’s coming folks

For mine, the more footy the better! So I'm actually one who doesn't care if things are not even. I like the philosophy play anyone, anytime, anywhere.

Lets face it, even if everyone played each other just once, it makes a huge difference where and when you play teams. It'll never be even no matter how much science/maths goes into it.

 

[marcmurphy3]

For mine, the more footy the better! So I'm actually one who doesn't care if things are not even. I like the philosophy play anyone, anytime, anywhere.

Lets face it, even if everyone played each other just once, it makes a huge difference where and when you play teams. It'll never be even no matter how much science/maths goes into it.

Yeah, you can never make it completely even anyway. Everyone has their own advantages and disadvantages at different points in time.

 

[Blue and Silver]

Securing a ferrisb laugh must be in the top 1% of things to do in bigfooty - I have finally made it

Getting a multi-quote disagree from Jimmae

Like from Chief

Just one of the milestones