Is Geelong home games at Etihad the biggest league-endorsed rort of recent times?

[Ricketz]

So you're saying that every team is a franchise?
You're saying Geelong doesnt represent Geelong?

Holy crap, you have some reading comprehension issues. We have a home ground that we don't share with other clubs, regardless of whether you think it is the best deal in the comp, we do - absolutely - deserve to be able to play every single home game there. How far we travel on away games is irrelevant to the argument - you are conflating an artefact of geography with a wilful decision to take home game advantage away from one individual club in the comp. Its a fail argument, but keep beating your dead horse.

 

[MotleyLemon]

So you're saying that every team is a franchise?
You're saying Geelong doesnt represent Geelong?

sides represent a city or suburb.

You've lost the plot big horse.

 

[PhatBoy]

Holy crap, you have some reading comprehension issues. We have a home ground that we don't share with other clubs, regardless of whether you think it is the best deal in the comp, we do - absolutely - deserve to be able to play every single home game there. How far we travel on away games is irrelevant to the argument - you are conflating an artefact of geography with a wilful decision to take home game advantage away from one individual club in the comp. Its a fail argument, but keep beating your dead horse.

It’s not the only thing he’s beating.

 

[DangerSloane]

You've lost the plot big horse.

I've lost the plot?
You're still whinging after getting not only the best H+A deal, but now a s**t easy draw.

 

[DangerSloane]

Holy crap, you have some reading comprehension issues. We have a home ground that we don't share with other clubs, regardless of whether you think it is the best deal in the comp, we do - absolutely - deserve to be able to play every single home game there. How far we travel on away games is irrelevant to the argument - you are conflating an artefact of geography with a wilful decision to take home game advantage away from one individual club in the comp. Its a fail argument, but keep beating your dead horse.

Never argued you shouldnt get 11 games there (although a number of Vic teams play home games at away stadiums)
What I argued is its pretty rich to whinge, when if you look at the whole picture you have the best deal in the AFL (including shared home games + travel)

 

[Ricketz]

Never argued you shouldnt get 11 games there (although a number of Vic teams play home games at away stadiums)
What I argued is its pretty rich to whinge, when if you look at the whole picture you have the best deal in the AFL (including shared home games + travel)

Huh? So you agree that we SHOULD have all our home games at our home ground, but don't agree that we should complain about it when we don't? That is some special logic there.

 

[DangerSloane]

Huh? So you agree that we SHOULD have all our home games at our home ground, but don't agree that we should complain about it when we don't? That is some special logic there.

I dont think you should complain no, given even with one less unique home games you end up with a better draw than the other 17 teams.
It is literally one less than every other team, and you get an easter monday blockbuster that I'm sure your club would prefer to continue.

 

[Chocoholic]

Essendon are a big club - top 4 in attendances this year. North, I'll give you.

They played North this year at Simonds for a crowd of 23,000. Doesn't seem like the Geelong fans were too interested in that game either. If Geelong made $400k from this game against North at Simonds this year I would be astounded. That would be around $17-a-head profit. Even with no-shows, it would be an extraordinary profit margin. These 'losses' that the CEO is speaking of are probably overstated unless they are looking at a massive negative return on the games at Etihad.

The reality is that the ground is being developed and will lose some 25% capacity in the process - down to about 25,500. Playing a team like Essendon at Simonds would deprive a lot of fans of tickets on both sides.

EDIT
Geelong vs Kangaroos - recent attendances.
2015 - Simonds - 23,452 / Etihad - 31,270
2014 - Simonds - 27,402 / Etihad - 32,564
2013 - Etihad* - 34, 152 / Etihad - 33, 584 (*Geelong Home Game)
2012 - Etihad - 29,630

More fans go to see the games at Etihad, even when playing a 'small' club like the Kangaroos and even when it is a home game for Geelong.

Thing is we don't make money of the North game due to the low attendance. We make money from a full Skilled, even though it is smaller. Thank god it's now in Geelong.

 

[JohnZ]

Geelong games at KP make $750k+ profit due to the high % of pre-sold seats to members on *11 game memberships (*home games in Melbourne are GA access only, must pay to reserve a seat similar to AFL members). Etihad games don't turn a profit when less than 40,000 people show up, therefore none of those games v North would've turned a profit at Etihad, but made quite a handsome one at KP.

 

[wal]

If the AFL ever schedule another final at Geelong then all arguments for keeping the GF at the G go out the window.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

If the AFL ever schedule another final at Geelong then all arguments for keeping the GF at the G go out the window.

Arguments mean jack s**t. The AFL are contractually obligated to have an MCG Grand Final for at least the next 19 years still.

 

[wal]

They were contractually obligated to hold all prelims not long ago either.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

They were contractually obligated to hold all prelims not long ago either.

The_Wookie blog has it all detailed. They are linked.
When the AFL re-negotiated to not have the MCG prelim obligation with the MCC a trade off was a guaranteed GF until 2037 as well as many other clauses and promises. The GF is not moving for some time.

 

[Underarm]

Im a little confused... Why is this weeks game at the MCG? Isn’t Geelongs home ground Kardinia Park?

I agree.
If Geelong are serious about 11 home games in Geelong they would ask to give up the 2nd biggest holiday blockbuster of the season.

 

[Kwality]

Still amazes me how people still don’t get this...

I’ll say it for about the 100th time.

Geelong only make more from a game at the MCG over KP if the crowd is 80k plus.

Guess people are more likely to buy it IF you support your claim.

 

[Mad_Hatter]

Guess people are more likely to buy it IF you support your claim.

Go read.
It's a pretty easy to find fact that has been spoken about by the club dozens of times.
Full house at KP = $1mil.

I agree.
If Geelong are serious about 11 home games in Geelong they would ask to give up the 2nd biggest holiday blockbuster of the season.

Must be too hard for a little man to understand, the Easter Monday game is out of the Cats (and Hawks) control, it's an auto fixture by the AFL and THEY DO ask for ALL home games at KP, then get told no.

 

[MarkT2]

Im a little confused... Why is this weeks game at the MCG? Isn’t Geelongs home ground Kardinia Park?

It's not that hard is it? Which Vic clubs play all their home games at home?

 

[Seeds]

I agree.
If Geelong are serious about 11 home games in Geelong they would ask to give up the 2nd biggest holiday blockbuster of the season.

i hope we do. hate easter monday.

 

[Seeds]

It's not that hard is it? Which Vic clubs play all their home games at home?

all of them bar geelong play all there home games in there home city unless they sell a game for money. all of them also get plenty of away games at there home grounds too. Bar geelong.

 

[Seeds]

geelongs treatment here is nothing more then tyranny of the majority. its massive cognitive dissonance to even put up any argument that geelong aint massively unfairly treated here. no other club in sport would accept it.

 

[NetworkNerd]

Go read.
It's a pretty easy to find fact that has been spoken about by the club dozens of times.
Full house at KP = $1mil.



Must be too hard for a little man to understand, the Easter Monday game is out of the Cats (and Hawks) control, it's an auto fixture by the AFL and THEY DO ask for ALL home games at KP, then get told no.

I agree with your clubs request for 11 games at KP/GMHBA

But surely $1M profit for 34000 supporters (nearly $30 profit per person) is a bit of mayonnaise

 

[Underarm]

Must be too hard for a little man to understand, the Easter Monday game is out of the Cats (and Hawks) control, it's an auto fixture by the AFL and THEY DO ask for ALL home games at KP, then get told no.

Please. If Brian Cook came out today and said "We don't want to play on Easter Monday. We are forced to do it despite countless requests to end the blockbuster" the game would be taken off them so fast and there would be 8 other clubs tripping over each other to play it.

 

[yodellinhank]

Please. If Brian Cook came out today and said "We don't want to play on Easter Monday. We are forced to do it despite countless requests to end the blockbuster" the game would be taken off them so fast and there would be 8 other clubs tripping over each other to play it.

It's just BS to appease fans. They know it isn't going to happen and they know geelong isn't suitable for it to happen - they don't even have the B&F in geelong.

 

[MarkT2]

all of them bar geelong play all there home games in there home city unless they sell a game for money. all of them also get plenty of away games at there home grounds too. Bar geelong.

Thanks for answering questions that I didnt ask. The point is about the schedule and venue agreements dictating no one gets all the home games at home. How is Collingwood v North at at Docklands different than Geelong v North at Docklands? The same city is completely irelevent. It's a half less in the car for most players.

 

[Seeds]

Thanks for answering questions that I didnt ask. The point is about the schedule and venue agreements dictating no one gets all the home games at home. How is Collingwood v North at at Docklands different than Geelong v North at Docklands? The same city is completely irelevent. It's a half less in the car for most players.

yes but you should of asked that question. only focusing on home games and not away games misses half of the picture.

docklands is 5 km down the road from pies home ground. Your supporter base is all there. Its 60 kms from geelong. We have far more supoorters then north but if we play them at docklands then north have overwhelming support. This influences ump decisions and helps build momentum when the intensity rises. Its a massive advantage to north against us but not against you.