AFLW Home Final Privileges and Biased Ground Announcers

[Liam Boy]

It was wonderful watching North Melbourne tear the Demons apart on Sunday, nothing could have diminished that. But I feel like the league needs to do something to regulate the way clubs run home finals. It was absolutely embarrassing and ridiculous the way the ground announcements were only acknowledging one team and one set of supporters. It's one thing to do that in the H&A but in finals it's really jarring to go straight from the pomp and circumstance, welcome to country, please rise for the national anthem, etc. straight back into "OK DEES ARMY GET READY TO CHEER YOUR TEAM." They only called Melbourne goals, which lead to the amusing circumstance of only 1 of the 8 goals kicked for the game being called by the announcer. Couldn't even get the names of the North goalkickers up on the scoreboard.

What do others think? Is this just what you get for finishing higher? Personally I think the finals should have more of a special status, and a home final shouldn't be the same thing as a regular home game. I'd honestly hate it if the shoe was on the other foot and North took the responsibility of hosting a home final so lightly, totally refusing to even acknowledge the other team. This would never, ever be allowed in the mens' and I'm sure they'd never let a club do this at a home Grand Final so why allow it in a qualifying final?

 

[Teen Wolf]

I noticed it for Adel v BL too. Thrilling end to a close match, the final siren goes and the flat-as-a-tack ground announcer waits all of 12 seconds before giving it a "well, that was a bit of a heartbreaker..."

Given that Melbourne and North are playing home finals at Ikon Park, I'm not sure why the league is keeping up the pretence of "clubs deliver week 1-3 finals in the women's comp". The AFL should just be taking full control of putting on all finals, as they do with the men's comp.

Taking full control would, of course, also mean putting the crowd and camera on opposite sides of stadiums at Geelong and Carrara. Failing to get stuff like this right really only bothers me because of all the noise that the head honchos have made about improving the presentation of the product.

 

[The Victorian]

I noticed it for Adel v BL too. Thrilling end to a close match, the final siren goes and the flat-as-a-tack ground announcer waits all of 12 seconds before giving it a "well, that was a bit of a heartbreaker..."

Given that Melbourne and North are playing home finals at Ikon Park, I'm not sure why the league is keeping up the pretence of "clubs deliver week 1-3 finals in the women's comp". The AFL should just be taking full control of putting on all finals, as they do with the men's comp.

Taking full control would, of course, also mean putting the crowd and camera on opposite sides of stadiums at Geelong and Carrara. Failing to get stuff like this right really only bothers me because of all the noise that the head honchos have made about improving the presentation of the product.

Speaking from being there on Saturday night, the wing and side of the ground we were on was the better side. You feel more part of the action with players on the bench on that side of the ground.

 

[Teen Wolf]

Speaking from being there on Saturday night, the wing and side of the ground we were on was the better side. You feel more part of the action with players on the bench on that side of the ground.

And really, if the crowd can't be moved to the other side of the ground, there's absolutely nothing else that can be done to address the issue...

 

[The Victorian]

And really, if the crowd can't be moved to the other side of the ground, there's absolutely nothing else that can be done to address the issue...

Move cameras to the other side