- Oct 2, 2008
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- Brothers of Destruction
The constant I hear from interstate supporters is how Victorian clubs have a distinct home ground advantage when playing a Grand Final. I hear about travel time on planes.
The constant I hear from Victorians is how interstate teams get to play on the grounds they train, share with one one other tenant, max! Which gives them a distinct advantage to clock wins during the home and away.
They (we) all gloss over a few key facts,
1. Whilst Fremantle share a home ground with West Coast, they have an advantage to train and play on a field 16 others access at most, twice a year. Making it vastly easier to tske advantage of home field advantage to win matches throughout the season, much harder to win Grand final day.
2. Collingwood share the same home ground with 9 other clubs, and whilst clubs like Essendon and the Saints aren't technically residents of the MCG, they play their enough to offset any advantage Collingwood would have over the venue.
3. Geelong is merely a city by name, it's dwarfed in size by Gold Coast, Newcastle, Wollongong, etc. The 'city' in itself is merely a one hour drive on the highway.
No one complains Melbourne play all the home games at the G, and no one did for Richmond from 1983-2016. It only becomes an issue whrn the team is successful, and far too much credit is placed on the 'favourable' fixture than the quality of the team. When Melbourne do come good, people will begin complaining about an advantage they clearly don't have.
Whilst interstate and Victorian supporters squabble in a simplistic and unsophiscated manner (me included), one club gets away with the free pass of all free passes.
Lets look at Geelong
- Play frequently at the MCG for familiarity of the surface? (YES.) They share the same advantage Victorian clubs have over the interstate.
- Play frequently on the home ground they train on, one they share with one one tenant. (YES.) They share the same advantage interstate clubs have over Victorian teams. An advantage thst doesn't help in finals, but helps during the home and away.
Much was made of Geelong's insistence to play their home finals at their home ground, but besides the fans being locked out, the AFL promising a home final in their home state, not home ground and the sheer money lost by all. Geelong didn't once complain playing Melbourne or Richmond at the MCG, until they began losing. Infact, much has been made of Richmond's success agaisnt Geelong in finals at the G, but let's not forget until Richmond's win over Geelong in 2017, The Tigers hadnt beaten Geelong at the MCG since 1999!!
Now, on this day, Geelong are urging the AFL to play all their home games at the Cattery once again, why can't the Bulldogs play at Whitten? Carlton at ikon? What about hawthorn at Waverly? Could you Guess how many more wins the Bulldogs would have this season if they played Whitten Oval? Geelong get this, every, single, year. In fact, they don't lose at the Cattery, how could you? Home crowd, inability of opposition to even get a seat and ground dimensions unlike any surface.
The constant I hear from Victorians is how interstate teams get to play on the grounds they train, share with one one other tenant, max! Which gives them a distinct advantage to clock wins during the home and away.
They (we) all gloss over a few key facts,
1. Whilst Fremantle share a home ground with West Coast, they have an advantage to train and play on a field 16 others access at most, twice a year. Making it vastly easier to tske advantage of home field advantage to win matches throughout the season, much harder to win Grand final day.
2. Collingwood share the same home ground with 9 other clubs, and whilst clubs like Essendon and the Saints aren't technically residents of the MCG, they play their enough to offset any advantage Collingwood would have over the venue.
3. Geelong is merely a city by name, it's dwarfed in size by Gold Coast, Newcastle, Wollongong, etc. The 'city' in itself is merely a one hour drive on the highway.
No one complains Melbourne play all the home games at the G, and no one did for Richmond from 1983-2016. It only becomes an issue whrn the team is successful, and far too much credit is placed on the 'favourable' fixture than the quality of the team. When Melbourne do come good, people will begin complaining about an advantage they clearly don't have.
Whilst interstate and Victorian supporters squabble in a simplistic and unsophiscated manner (me included), one club gets away with the free pass of all free passes.
Lets look at Geelong
- Play frequently at the MCG for familiarity of the surface? (YES.) They share the same advantage Victorian clubs have over the interstate.
- Play frequently on the home ground they train on, one they share with one one tenant. (YES.) They share the same advantage interstate clubs have over Victorian teams. An advantage thst doesn't help in finals, but helps during the home and away.
Much was made of Geelong's insistence to play their home finals at their home ground, but besides the fans being locked out, the AFL promising a home final in their home state, not home ground and the sheer money lost by all. Geelong didn't once complain playing Melbourne or Richmond at the MCG, until they began losing. Infact, much has been made of Richmond's success agaisnt Geelong in finals at the G, but let's not forget until Richmond's win over Geelong in 2017, The Tigers hadnt beaten Geelong at the MCG since 1999!!
Now, on this day, Geelong are urging the AFL to play all their home games at the Cattery once again, why can't the Bulldogs play at Whitten? Carlton at ikon? What about hawthorn at Waverly? Could you Guess how many more wins the Bulldogs would have this season if they played Whitten Oval? Geelong get this, every, single, year. In fact, they don't lose at the Cattery, how could you? Home crowd, inability of opposition to even get a seat and ground dimensions unlike any surface.
