Its On Again..........

[Borry]

Heard that the AFL are again considering a NAB Cup Derby after Fremantle complained to the AFL about playing in Darwin.

 

[DCFCFAN84]

Heard that the AFL are again considering a NAB Cup Derby after Fremantle complained to the AFL about playing in Darwin.

LOL I wouldn't want to go to Darwin either.

 

[Bluto]

LOL I wouldn't want to go to Darwin either.

It is a disgrace that the two teams that travel the most during the season are forced to do these long trips during the preseason. And Darwin in Feb!? No thankyou.

The Eagles have had to travel to Alice Springs two years in a row for crying out loud (i think).

Neither the Dockers nor the Eagles should have to board a plane more than once before Round 1.

 

[ImperialPurple]

Freo were supposed to be playing in Darwin, but apparently the club complained that it would be too physically draining just a week or so after playing an exhibition match in Capetown to then have to head to Darwin. So the AFL said, well even though you and the weags both said you don't want a pre-season derby, if you don't want to go to Darwin, then you have to have a derby.

Gee thanks.

 

[estibador]

So this is the thanks we get for helping the AFL out in growing the game in South Africa? We get back and get held out over a barrel - either a draining preseason derby or a draining trip to Darwin.

Top blokes down at the AFL. We scratch their back and they stab ours.

 

[pistol17]

Id take the derby then if Demetriou and Anderson are going to be a couple of w..kers. The derby will be physically draining but having lived in Darwin during February I would give Darwin a miss especially a week after going to South Africa.

I thought Darwin was Western Bulldogs country? They should be playing up there with Melbourne.

 

[Bluto]

Freo were supposed to be playing in Darwin, but apparently the club complained that it would be too physically draining just a week or so after playing an exhibition match in Capetown to then have to head to Darwin. So the AFL said, well even though you and the weags both said you don't want a pre-season derby, if you don't want to go to Darwin, then you have to have a derby.

Gee thanks.

I can't believe the option of having two games in Perth isn't on the table. Send North and Dees over here and there would be 10x the crowd they would get at home.

 

[Dyslexic Emo]

Or we could pull something similar to what the eagles did when they forgot to bring their clash strip for a game against the bulldogs, except in this case we just 'forget' to bring our players

 

[Roundhouse]

If the AFL is playing hard ball then guys like Rick Hart need to step up to the plate and show some courage.

If the AFL are giving us a "derby or darwin" ultimatum then we need to show some steel and threaten to boycot the fixture all together.

This would show the AFL how ruthless FFC can be.

It would also create an inevitable bagging in the press from the AFL and the opposition club which would in turn help to create a siege mentality among the playing group for the rest of the season.

Yeah right, then the AFL will be scared of us and humbly bow to any of our future requests.

Ferchrissakes the AFL is a billion dollar business. You're advocating tactics that the Bumgeelup U/11's would scoff at as unproffessional. It's just plain dumb.

Back on topic, a pre-season derby wouldn't be all that in comparison to playing in the Darwin heat on a hard surface. It will be less draining, and a good challenge against a midfield that is suited to Subi.

 

[The Night Shift]

FFS


Can we not have a pre season derby for once!!!!

 

[summerthebat]

I hope we just play the bottom of the barrel players, why would we ever give a shit about the NAB cup again when last time we lost Farmer and Johnson for 6 and 4 weeks?

**** that noise!

 

[wehavethepassion]

I hope we just play the bottom of the barrel players, why would we ever give a shit about the NAB cup again when last time we lost Farmer and Johnson for 6 and 4 weeks?

**** that noise!

Yes we do No's 25 to 44 and add afew Colts players from SF & EF and the top 22 have "general soreness" from the South Africa trip.

 

[Bradesmaen]

They make preseason games between WCE/Freo and PA/Ade so that the melbourne teams make more prize money.

 

[wehavethepassion]

The NAB cup season is startin on the 15th of Feb which is what about 2-3 weeks early on top of that we have to go to S.Africa to play a practice match
a week earlier - all in the heat.

 

[ImperialPurple]

They make preseason games between WCE/Freo and PA/Ade so that the melbourne teams make more prize money.

The article I read said they were keen on a Western Derby as they had already agreed that there would be no pre-season Showdown. It also said it was largely about the $$$ as they could expect a crowd of close to 40,000 - more than they would get for any other first round NAB Cup game.

 

[freocynic]

I thought Darwin was Western Bulldogs country? They should be playing up there with Melbourne.

I am always a bit stumped as to why FFC lets the competing Victorian team get the home ground advantage??? Like the Hawks/Saints in Tassie, they do a lot of promotion, hold clinics, etc and try to win over the crowd so they barrack for them. Why don't we go up there and do some promotion of the game, and of ourselves, and win over the crowd a bit more to barrack for us? I know we don't really 'need' these supporters....but instead of being negative and making a silly stand and boycotting the game, we should try and cement a proportion of supporters to barrack for us.

Ultimately, it would be great if we could get like a 'Darwin Dockers Supporters Club' or a 'Tassie Dockers Supporters Club' going with some decent numbers.

 

[The Night Shift]

well.. we can just play fringe and junior players for all but a few pre season games, seeing as we learnt a valuable leason last year about overzealous suspensions and other things.

 

[DCFCFAN84]

If the AFL is forcing us to do one or the other I would say fine the Derby but I would play every rookie we have and make sure our best players like Pavlich don't play.

 

[Chris who]

In early 1982 John todd's swan districts beat collingwood in the escort cup to set up a crucial match with richmond to get in the semi finals. The game was to be held in melbourne on a tuesday, after the swans had already played their regular wafl fixture. Todd said **** you to the then vfl and sent reserves and colts players, would have been a thrill, for them but the scoreline ended up 33 goals to 4.

My Thoughts are why can the eagles or dockers ever get a reasonable Nab cup fixture, we should put a united front up and boycott

 

[freocynic]

I don't understand a lot of the thinking here...I know its only the NAB cup but shouldn't we try and win every game we play???

 

[Roundhouse]

In early 1982 John todd's swan districts beat collingwood in the escort cup to set up a crucial match with richmond to get in the semi finals. The game was to be held in melbourne on a tuesday, after the swans had already played their regular wafl fixture. Todd said **** you to the then vfl and sent reserves and colts players, would have been a thrill, for them but the scoreline ended up 33 goals to 4.

My Thoughts are why can the eagles or dockers ever get a reasonable Nab cup fixture, we should put a united front up and boycott

There is a big difference between being made to play on a Tuesday after having played on the weekend, and being scheduled to play a fierce rival in the first game of the pre-season.

The "we are taking our bat and ball and going home" approach loses its effectiveness pretty quickly, and always has unwanted repercussions. Freo would be better of choosing our battles, and this one is hardly life or death.

Having said that, if the Weags wanna boycott then go ahead. You guys will just be saving yourselves another flogging anyway.

 

[The Night Shift]

In early 1982 John todd's swan districts beat collingwood in the escort cup to set up a crucial match with richmond to get in the semi finals. The game was to be held in melbourne on a tuesday, after the swans had already played their regular wafl fixture. Todd said **** you to the then vfl and sent reserves and colts players, would have been a thrill, for them but the scoreline ended up 33 goals to 4.

My Thoughts are why can the eagles or dockers ever get a reasonable Nab cup fixture, we should put a united front up and boycott

There is a big difference between being made to play on a Tuesday after having played on the weekend, and being scheduled to play a fierce rival in the first game of the pre-season.

The "we are taking our bat and ball and going home" approach loses its effectiveness pretty quickly, and always has unwanted repercussions. Freo would be better of choosing our battles, and this one is hardly life or death.

Having said that, if the Weags wanna boycott then go ahead. You guys will just be saving yourselves another flogging anyway.

Yes it's not Life or Death, however you realise they are using us for money making. Whilst normally I will get into a slime fan Roundhouse in our sanctuary, and I get into trouble for it as well usually, I have to admit, maybe a united approach is needed for this preseason over use of our unique derby. The AFL know we front up any time and face each other down, will go hard at each other, bring the crowds and money (which they're after) to help fund their stupid pre season show. Why should we underwrite poor crowds over east for their mataches. We should really have a full and proper home & away season, but thats for another thread.
I too feel it takes away from the actual real Derbies to play too many of them in one year. We should really save it for H&A and finals if we're ever lucky and both good enough to play each other in one.
I'm not sure we could ever get a high level of cooperation with WCE, but if we both sent in juniors and fringe players then at least we'd be sending a message to Eyebrows not to overuse and abuse what is uniquely West Australian, or at least we do not appreciate the over fixturing of our clubs.
Heck - they want ra big match with crowds involving the Western Australian teams, fixture us against the Saints, or maybe West Coast against the Swans or something like that.
I know they have their rivalries over east and the south australians have a good one, but ours is by far the best iMHO. Let's preserve that by not fritting it away and devaluing it by these continual pre season matches. Let both clubs play someone else for once.....

How funny is that ...a Swan Districts seconds team flogging the Pies in Melbourne on a Tuesday back in the day.......

 

[PapaJ]

If they aren't already, they should send Carlton up there. Gees it's the AFLs stupid 'tank your way to the top' system that has gotten Carlton all these perks this draft/trade period, the least they can do is pay back the AFL and do the trip to Darwin or any other hell hole they want them to go.

 

[Dyslexic Emo]

What irks me is that Collingwood are always trumpeting the 'We get big crowd' around to gain favourable fixtures and what not, yet when we/slime have the same thing we get NO concesions what so ever. Purely on this alone unless we get some concessions ANYWHERE ie: not travelling to Tasmania (just plain wrong) Darwin, Gabba or Sydney (ok these I just threw in as we don't play well over there) but really then we shouldn't sit back and take it year after year.

 

[Roundhouse]

Yes it's not Life or Death, however you realise they are using us for money making. Whilst normally I will get into a slime fan Roundhouse in our sanctuary, and I get into trouble for it as well usually, I have to admit, maybe a united approach is needed for this preseason over use of our unique derby. The AFL know we front up any time and face each other down, will go hard at each other, bring the crowds and money (which they're after) to help fund their stupid pre season show. Why should we underwrite poor crowds over east for their mataches. We should really have a full and proper home & away season, but thats for another thread.
I too feel it takes away from the actual real Derbies to play too many of them in one year. We should really save it for H&A and finals if we're ever lucky and both good enough to play each other in one.
I'm not sure we could ever get a high level of cooperation with WCE, but if we both sent in juniors and fringe players then at least we'd be sending a message to Eyebrows not to overuse and abuse what is uniquely West Australian, or at least we do not appreciate the over fixturing of our clubs.
Heck - they want ra big match with crowds involving the Western Australian teams, fixture us against the Saints, or maybe West Coast against the Swans or something like that.
I know they have their rivalries over east and the south australians have a good one, but ours is by far the best iMHO. Let's preserve that by not fritting it away and devaluing it by these continual pre season matches. Let both clubs play someone else for once.....

How funny is that ...a Swan Districts seconds team flogging the Pies in Melbourne on a Tuesday back in the day.......

Sending our fringe players/rookies is not an option I am arguing against.
Whether we send our best team or not is besides the point. People will still turn up in droves and the same fixturing will take place again next year anyway. We are under no pressure from the AFL to send our best team on the park, it's just a matter of what the club decides is best for it's preparation

I'm just saying it would be counterproductive to boycott the fixture completely, which some have suggested.