Hawks prelim shifted to Saturday 5.15pm

[lyndhurst]

Reported by carro in the age this morning

Anz is booked for rugby on Saturday night so swans get the early game Friday night and the extra 24 hours to recover prior to the big dance

Why are we penalized ?

And tough t***ies for the idiots like me who booked flights back to Melbourne assuming we play Friday night, the historical reward for winning the first QF

 

[wolvesjr34]

The AFL are cheating scum. They should just suck it up and play the sydney game at the Farking SCG.

 

[hawker11]

Hardly surprising from the AFL, putting $$$$ before competition integrity and at our club's expense.

Hawthorn should demand a Saturday Afternoon match. I'm just hoping that this decision works in our favor for players needing an extra day to be 100% fit for the prelim.

 

[Messenger]

Whenever you have an opportunity to lock yourself into an exclusive agreement to play finals at a stadium AND not get first choice of dates for games, you absolutely have to take it.

 

[Messenger]

Hardly surprising from the AFL, putting $$$$ before competition integrity and at our club's expense.

Hawthorn should demand a Saturday Afternoon match. I'm just hoping that this decision works in our favor for players needing an extra day to be 100% fit for the prelim.

But the AFL have to consider their stakeholders.......

 

[Flamin Joe]

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/swans-to-get-the-drop-on-hawks-20120908-25lfg.html

I can understand where the AFL are coming on this and I would of been happy with a day game just to make the difference as little as possible, but that's a joke.

It's all about the money.

 

[treefingers]

Let's be realistic, if we win we'll still get a 7 day break, and i don't give a flying * if we have a days less break because if we're good enough we'll win it all anyway

 

[lyndhurst]

Solution should have been obvious

If the swans can't get their act together and provide a stadium on Saturday, then they play Sunday

 

[SHAKESPEARE]

We get a nice look at a day match before the big dance. Massive advantage even if we get a 7 day break.

 

[hawkman]

Just saw this line in the article. I hope the people at Hawthorn tee off at the AFL. Its not like we could get a worse fixture next year anyway

AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou confirmed last night the Hawks would play on the Saturday night.

 

[Hodginator]

Surely has to be a day game. If the Crows or Freo win, they'd want to fly home that evening.

 

[lyndhurst]

Shakespeare the game is a NIGHT match Saturday

= no advantage

 

[hawkman]

Surely has to be a day game. If the Crows or Freo win, they'd want to fly home that evening.

You would think so. Can they give Sydney any more advantages? Prelim final against a team of a 6 day break possibly even off 2 6-day breaks. Then a extra day break for the Grand Final

 

[Gene Simmons]

I wonder if the AFL would have pulled this stunt if Collingwood were minor premiers and earnt the 1st Prelim final?

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Absolute joke from the AFL. Demetriou must have hated his time at Hawthorn given the variety of methods he's deploying to screw Hawthorn over this season.

 

[Mojo]

Meh..

Sans any big knocks, one day shouldn't have a major influence. We do have an additional week off to iron out any current niggles.

 

[Flukey!]

A day game would be the right thing to do.
The league bending over to accommodate channel 7 no doubt if it is actually at night.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Meh..

Sans any big knocks, one day shouldn't have a major influence. We do have an additional week off to iron out any current niggles.

So does Sydney, Mojo.

As the article pointed out, protocol is that the club which finished higher on the ladder gets the extra day's break after the preliminary final to prepare for the grand final.

Just this season this can't be done.

Given Hawthorn's terrible draw this season, the run of umpiring over the past few weeks and now this, I'm pulling on my tinfoil hat and sniffing a conspiracy.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

A day game would be the right thing to do.
The league bending over to accommodate channel 7 no doubt if it is actually at night.

Correct. West Coast had a day preliminary final against Collingwood in 2010, but only because they were travelling back to Perth if they defeated Collingwood.

Otherwise, it's a night preliminary final to maximise Channel 7's ratings. They did pay over $1 billion for the rights (along with Foxtel) for it.

 

[hawkman]

Correct. West Coast had a day preliminary final against Collingwood in 2010, but only because they were travelling back to Perth if they defeated Collingwood.

Otherwise, it's a night preliminary final to maximise Channel 7's ratings. They did pay over $1 billion for the rights (along with Foxtel) for it.

We will be playing either Adelaide or Fremantle. If it is played at night neither will be able to fly home that night.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Having said all that, Hawthorn played their preliminary final against St Kilda in 2008 and that turned out alright.

 

[hawkman]

Having said all that, Hawthorn played their preliminary final against St Kilda in 2008 and that turned out alright.

Imagine how Hodge would have played if he had an extra days rest before the GF

 

[Mojo]

All the more sweeter, Dixie!

You can't see this affecting our campaign, can you?

 

[Paul Kersey]

Don't worry about it.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Not really Mojo. I'm just annoyed that it always seems to be Hawthorn inconvenienced by the AFL, not any other team.