Fixture Leaks

[eddiesmith]

http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/rfnews/floating-final-round/2009/10/19/1255891774403.html



http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/rfnews/floating-final-round/2009/10/19/1255891774403.html

Well thats a bit annoying. What if your team is playing interstate and want to travel to see them? Leaving flight plans and all that to the last minute can be costly. Booking a trip for the whole weekend, to cover all draw possibilities, would also be expensive.

Can't say I like this idea I just hope the Crows are at home!

Well there is one way to avoid it for all teams bar 1 of Sydney and Brisbane but the clubs dont want a showdown or Derby

 

[SM]

Surely Sydney vs St Kilda will be at ANZ Stadium not the SCG.

Shut up. Would much rather play Geelong, St Kilda and Collingwood at the SCG and teams like Richmond, Port and Essendon at ANZ.

With a floating Round 22, does that mean some teams could play each other 3 times?

 

[strategy]

what a bloody disgrace the fixtures are .

its so corrupt or is it bad planning ?

SCRAP the JOKE PRE SEASON CUP

in place make it that ALL teams play each other twice on their homegrounds

 

[eddiesmith]

Shut up. Would much rather play Geelong, St Kilda and Collingwood at the SCG and teams like Richmond, Port and Essendon at ANZ.

With a floating Round 22, does that mean some teams could play each other 3 times?

No, floating would mean the matches are set but the dates and times are not

 

[DockerShocker]

i'm sorry but these draws look terrible
geelong, Saints and Doggies playing each over once.
WTF
and how is essendon vs geelong an AFL blockbuster, I'd consider geelong vs saints a blockbuster worthy for round 1
i'm sorry this is bullshit

 

[Call Me Cake]

While the fixture so far won't appeal to many, after some thought I've begun to see how it makes sense from a financial point of view (in terms of the AFL).

Let's use Essendon V Geelong, Round 1 as an example. It's no "blockbuster", but that's the point. You see, it doesn't matter if an opener is your typical blockbuster or not, supporters will rush out to watch their team play it's first match of the season either way. Supporters will be glued to the TV no matter who their opponent happens to be.

Thus, this will create revenue, bums on seats, peak interest... for nothing. While the AFL soaks this up, they also have future blockbusters to mooch off of as well (later on in the season.) - take Geelong V St Kilda, Round 13 as an example. This will sell out. Therefore, the AFL has gained revenue from Round 1 AND Round 13. Making Geelong and St Kilda play eachother once is another sly/clever move. This will ensure massive crowds and interest JUST BECAUSE it's "the only H&A match of the two teams"...

It seems weird at first, but it makes sense the more you start to think about it from a profitable ($$$) point of view. It'll all fall into place for the AFL without anyone even noticing.

 

[favourites]

I enjoy how people are already saying Geelong and St Kilda will be undefeated by the round 12... some people have short memories. Imagine if I suggested the the Saints would go 22-2 through the season, I would've been laughed out of big footy.

Things change from year to year.

 

[Chander Bing]

Saints, Cats and Dogs for 1,2,3.

Lock it in.

 

[Chander Bing]

Delusions.



As it is yours. It's the second biggest game of the year. Everyone is aware how much Collingwood cherish it in between the opportunity to choke in a Grand Final.



The Collingwood what club?



As someone else mentioned, the two flags we won in the TWENTY YEARS since you beat us kind of make up for it, ya know?



It'll fall off if you don't stop playing with it.



This. You know, I really rather like Carlton.






On the ACTUAL topic of leaks, thus far Essendon have been "booked to play" against Sydney, Port, Geelong, Melbourne, Hawthorn and North Melbourne. Apparently ALL these leaks are 100% confirmed. But as it is, the Sun says we're playing Geelong on Friday night, so I guess I can just sit and dread that for the next 5 months.

Hopefully the Herald Sun leaks the vast majority of important matches in the next week or so.

We are still a far superior team to you.

1990 was your grave. You will never rise from it.

 

[toddy104]

We are still a far superior team to you.

1990 was your grave. You will never rise from it.

Let me guess you jumped on the collingwood september bandwagon? Clearly u picked the wrong team

 

[Chander Bing]

Let me guess you jumped on the collingwood september bandwagon? Clearly u picked the wrong team

you didn't even make it to September.

 

[BallaratBulldog]

The doggies at etihad round 1

Oh joy, half our member base misses out on a seat to round 1. Tip top fixturing AFL

Only because the doggies requested it be their home at Ethiad to celebrate Johnsons 350th.

 

[Dan26]

i'm sorry but these draws look terrible
geelong, Saints and Doggies playing each over once.
WTF
and how is essendon vs geelong an AFL blockbuster, I'd consider geelong vs saints a blockbuster worthy for round 1
i'm sorry this is bullshit

Probably because the last 9 H&A games the clubs have met at the MCG, these have been the crowds:

42,746
61,783
56,093
61,089
54,922
53,901
75,632
77,643
75,129

Average: 62,104

Strangely, and disgracefully, when the two clubs meet in round 1 next year, it will have been EIGHT years since they have played a H&A game at the MCG.

The last six games between the two have all been at the Dome. The last three have been huge games, that would probably all have got over 70,000 people.

2009: Essendon 4th (5-4) vs Geelong 2nd (9-0)... sell-out 48,852

2008 : Geelong 6th (1-0) vs Essendon 2nd (1-0) sell-out 50,636

2007 : Essendon 5th (8-5) vs Geelong 1st (10-3) sell-out 51,156


That 2007 game on the Friday night in round 14 was huge. It probably would have got 80,000 at the MCG. The hype surrouding that 2007 game was huge. The 2008 and 2009 games would have been around the 70,000 mark.

Now, there are heaps of big crowd-drawing games you can play in round 1. The Grand Final re-match should NEVER be one of them. It can never match the Grand Final, or match the hype and expectation of the Grand Final. Round 1 will be big ANYWAY because people have been waiting or six months to see their team. So, wait until a later "less hyped" round to have the Grand Final re-match to "boost" that round.

We don't need a Grand Final re-match in round 1. It's not necessary.

Essendon vs Geelong is as good as any Friday night opener to start the season. It's not about the previous season. It's about the hype and expectation for the season coming UP.

 

[Gavin Excell]

Look on the bright side you get to play us twice this year and i know year in year out all Collingwood supporters love playing Geelong because it's a walk up start apparently

Yes Pies with one win from past 5 v Geelong have the wood on us.

 

[roostersgal4eva]

Does anyone know if the Lions get one game or two at AAMI?

 

[_RT_]

http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/rfnews/floating-final-round/2009/10/19/1255891774403.html



http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/rfnews/floating-final-round/2009/10/19/1255891774403.html

Well thats a bit annoying. What if your team is playing interstate and want to travel to see them? Leaving flight plans and all that to the last minute can be costly. Booking a trip for the whole weekend, to cover all draw possibilities, would also be expensive.

Can't say I like this idea I just hope the Crows are at home!

I'm pretty sure the AFL will release the details early enough so that people will have enough time to organise flights and accomodation if needed.

 

[greenred]

I'm pretty sure the AFL will release the details early enough so that people will have enough time to organise flights and accomodation if needed.

I don't think that was his point. Booking flights and accommodation in advance can save a lot of money. By waiting until the week you want to travel (because you won't know when your team is playing) it can cost a lot more or become very difficult to find flights/accommodation to suit. I think a lot of supporters will now choose not to travel for round 22 if their team is playing outside their state.

 

[favourites]

If it costs too much just don't go. I'm sure you would agree a flexible finals fixture is a must after Collingwood had the 6 day break vs 8 days of Adelaide.

My gripe is with interstate games being on Friday night.

Not only are we expected to travel but we also have to take a day off work. IMO all interstate games should be scheduled on a Saturday, to give ample time for people to get there and back.

 

[CoZi36]

I think the bottom 4 teams of the year before should play each other on the Sunday (round 22) of the next year, it's their own fault really.

Round 22 Sunday games - for example:
North Melbourne V. Fremantle
Richmond V. Melbourne.

 

[-CG-]

I don't think that was his point. Booking flights and accommodation in advance can save a lot of money. By waiting until the week you want to travel (because you won't know when your team is playing) it can cost a lot more or become very difficult to find flights/accommodation to suit. I think a lot of supporters will now choose not to travel for round 22 if their team is playing outside their state.

Yeah that was my point basically.

This year when the Crows played Carlton in Melbourne in Round 22 there would've been between 5,000 and 10,000 Crows fans, many of them having travelled over for the game.

Unfortunately now I don't think that will be able to happen any more, which sucks

If it costs too much just don't go. I'm sure you would agree a flexible finals fixture is a must after Collingwood had the 6 day break vs 8 days of Adelaide.

My gripe is with interstate games being on Friday night.

Not only are we expected to travel but we also have to take a day off work. IMO all interstate games should be scheduled on a Saturday, to give ample time for people to get there and back.

But it shouldn't be at a point where 'it costs too much'. This is round 22, its still the home and away season, if anything it should cost less than what booking last minute flights does for finals but its will just be another week of this process. Its unnecessary for supporters.

Actually I don't agree its a must. We haven't had it before so why now? Since when did AFL clubs start caring so much about having one less day to prepare for a final. Collingwood showed against us, by having two less days, that its not a deciding factor in a match.

The only solution to your second point would be to schedule derbys and showdowns in the final round so no one has to travel outside of their state, except for Brisbane and Sydney but they could play on Friday night or something.

This flexible fixture is just completely unnecessary in my opinion.

 

[Bring-Back-Powell]

Another un-official leak from the draft draw:

Melbourne V Western Bulldogs - round 7 MCG, Friday night.

 

[Pal22]

Some more on Geelong proposed fixture (from Geelong Addy)

• Only 7 games at Skilled Stadium, first in Round 4 vs Port Adelaide
• 4 home games in Melbourne (most likely all at the MCG) - vs Collingwood, Carlton, Hawthorn & Essendon
• 7 or 8 games at the MCG
• Round 1 vs Essendon on Friday night @ MCG
• Play Collingwood twice

Article also says that club has asked the AFL for an extra game at Skilled vs an interstate side so I'm guessing that if that changes will come at the expense of one of the Melbourne "home" games.

 

[bingle]

Another un-official leak from the draft draw:

Melbourne V Western Bulldogs - round 7 MCG, Friday night.

if i were a melbourne fan im not too sure i'd be completely happy with that. i would've preferred a higher drawing melbourne team on the friday night. Say Richmond or Carlton

 

[bingle]

and i guess another reason the AFL are now keen on the flexible round 22 fixture is because of the Sunday twilight game which they are dead keen is the best thing since sliced bread.

I dont recall this being too much of an issues until twilight games came into the fixturing.

 

[_RT_]

I don't think that was his point. Booking flights and accommodation in advance can save a lot of money. By waiting until the week you want to travel (because you won't know when your team is playing) it can cost a lot more or become very difficult to find flights/accommodation to suit. I think a lot of supporters will now choose not to travel for round 22 if their team is playing outside their state.

I think you'll find that the fixture will be finalised about 4-6 weeks out. Still plenty of time to book flights and hotels and save money.