Oppo Camp Non Geelong football (AFL) discussion 2025, Part 2

[CatToTheFuture]

Ooof they're not off to a great start

 

[And_ROOS]

Can't get fresh injuries in 2026 if all your players get injured in November 2025

 

[goyoucatters]

I dont get it, why so much dislike of this?

It means more games for fans to watch. Especially for teams that are in good form and have something to play for. THere have been a couple of years in the past where Geelong were in great form and just missed the finals, but could have given it a great shake.

I would watch the knockout games. And yes, so what if the AFL make money from the games. It goes back to benefit the league, whether grassroots or new markets like Tasmania or even TPP for clubs. More money increases professionalism. It means we have great stadiums, good services in those stadiums etc.

For me, it's just confected content that is only there to increase revenue. No team that can't crawl into the top eight after 23 games is anywhere near the standard required to be in true contention during a finals series. In the end, then, I think the balance between what the AFL is doing in running an objectively competitive league and simply existing to make more money has swung much too far towards simply chasing more and more dollars.

So I get that it will happen. Doesn't change the fact that I believe it's nonsensical to call these games 'finals' and that I will not be watching a second. Just my opinion, each to their own.

 

[Play it Sam]

For me, it's just confected content that is only there to increase revenue. No team that can't crawl into the top eight after 23 games is anywhere near the standard required to be in true contention during a finals series. In the end, then, I think the balance between what the AFL is doing in running an objectively competitive league and simply existing to make more money has swung much too far towards simply chasing more and more dollars.

So I get that it will happen. Doesn't change the fact that I believe it's nonsensical to call these games 'finals' and that I will not be watching a second. Just my opinion, each to their own.

I'm with you. It's a pre cursor to a 20 team competition, when they can say half makes finals, or with their mindset , split into two divisions.
As for monetary gain making the AFL and it's participants stronger and more entertaining, how much do you want?

None of that profit (0ver 45 million pocketed from a take of over one billion in 2024) provides financial relief in membership fees to the the everyday punter and his family. Rather they are sucking the supporters bones dry with an unrealistic charade that loser Clubs, with a dismal finish outside the eight, (and some like STK operating close to a loss) have a chance at success. What a money grubbing circus, thinking we'll accept this in time, like we did the revamped eight. Just greedy mind fukcers.

 

[jim boy]

Ooof they're not off to a great start

They moved to the hangar in 2013, and since then they seem to have a bad run of injuries every year. It may well be coincidence, but I do wonder if it is the variation of the indoor surface and its strong grip and the outdoor natural grass with a more natural give.

 

[jim boy]

For me, it's just confected content that is only there to increase revenue. No team that can't crawl into the top eight after 23 games is anywhere near the standard required to be in true contention during a finals series. In the end, then, I think the balance between what the AFL is doing in running an objectively competitive league and simply existing to make more money has swung much too far towards simply chasing more and more dollars.

So I get that it will happen. Doesn't change the fact that I believe it's nonsensical to call these games 'finals' and that I will not be watching a second. Just my opinion, each to their own.

I just think back to 2015 - we would have made the finals! We would have been lucky to make it through the first week. FWIW that last match in 2015, when we knew we couldn't make the finals, was one of more enjoyable "last match of the year" games we've had - being able to send off some champs in style. The only downside was PFD missing a set-shot at goal (even though he was playing for Adelaide). We would have lost that experience under the new system.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Herald Sun Top 50 under 23.

50. Jagga Smith – CARLTON
49. Finn O’Sullivan – NORTH MELBOURNE
48. Mitch Owens – ST KILDA
47. Marcus Windhager – ST KILDA
46. Lawson Humphries – GEELONG
45. Judd McVee – FREMANTLE
44. Ned Long – COLLINGWOOD
43. Max Michalanney – ADELAIDE
42. Connor O’Sullivan – GEELONG
41. Massimo D’Ambrosio – HAWTHORN

40. Seth Campbell – RICHMOND
39. Sam Lalor – RICHMOND
38. George Wardlaw – NORTH MELBOURNE
37. Jye Amiss – FREMANTLE
36. Josh Ward – HAWTHORN
35. Bodhi Uwland – GOLD COAST
34. Calsher Dear – HAWTHORN
33. Connor Macdonald – HAWTHORN
32. Archie Roberts – ESSENDON
31. Kai Lohmann – BRISBANE LIONS

30. Nate Caddy – ESSENDON
29. Josh Rachele – ADELAIDE
28. Reuben Ginbey – WEST COAST
27. Patrick Voss – FREMANTLE
26. Harvey Langford – MELBOURNE
25. Levi Ashcroft – BRISBANE LIONS
24. Jake Soligo – ADELAIDE
23. Mac Andrew – GOLD COAST
22. Jack Ginnivan – HAWTHORN
21. Dan Curtin – ADELAIDE

20. Colby McKercher – NORTH MELBOURNE
19. Murphy Reid – FREMANTLE
18. Joel Freijah – WESTERN BULLDOGS
17. Aaron Cadman – GWS GIANTS
16. Josh Weddle – HAWTHORN
15. Paul Curtis – NORTH MELBOURNE
14. Nick Watson – HAWTHORN
13. Bailey Humphrey – GOLD COAST
12. Harley Reid – WEST COAST
11. Logan Morris – BRISBANE LIONS

10. Ollie Dempsey – GEELONG
9. Jason Horne-Francis – PORT ADELAIDE
8. Jaspa Fletcher – BRISBANE LIONS
7. Darcy Wilmot – BRISBANE LIONS
6. Finn Callaghan – GWS GIANTS
5. Harry Sheezel – NORTH MELBOURNE
4. Will Ashcroft – BRISBANE LIONS
3. Sam Darcy – WESTERN BULLDOGS
2. Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera – ST KILDA
1. Nick Daicos – COLLINGWOOD

STIFF TO MISS​

Ollie Hollands, Isaac Kako, Ethan Read, Mattaes Phillipou, Taj Hotton, Caleb Windsor, Matt Roberts, Ryley Sanders, Brady Hough, Sam Banks, Sam Marshall, Ty Gallop, Sid Draper, Tom Brown, Matt Carroll, Xavier Lindsay

 

[Hamingja]

For me, it's just confected content that is only there to increase revenue. No team that can't crawl into the top eight after 23 games is anywhere near the standard required to be in true contention during a finals series. In the end, then, I think the balance between what the AFL is doing in running an objectively competitive league and simply existing to make more money has swung much too far towards simply chasing more and more dollars.

So I get that it will happen. Doesn't change the fact that I believe it's nonsensical to call these games 'finals' and that I will not be watching a second. Just my opinion, each to their own.

I don't like the concept and most years 9th or 10th are not going to be competitive but there will be years where teams are behind the eight ball due to injuries and the fixture and they will be able to mount a finals run.

The way the fixture is done it can have a +3 or -3 wins swing year to year just by itself.

We have potentially copped about a -3 win swing heading into next year off the fixture.

What usually happens if a team starts slowly is that they put absolutely everything into trying to recover and make the eight and they blow themselves up just trying to get there.

Under the new system they can just cruise to 10th and put everything into the finals campaign instead. A Victorian team could finish 10th and get lucky and not even have to travel for finals in the right circumstances.

 

[goyoucatters]

I don't like the concept and most years 9th or 10th are not going to be competitive but there will be years where teams are behind the eight ball due to injuries and the fixture and they will be able to mount a finals run.

The way the fixture is done it can have a +3 or -3 wins swing year to year just by itself.

We have potentially copped about a -3 win swing heading into next year off the fixture.

What usually happens if a team starts slowly is that they put absolutely everything into trying to recover and make the eight and they blow themselves up just trying to get there.

Under the new system they can just cruise to 10th and put everything into the finals campaign instead. A Victorian team could finish 10th and get lucky and not even have to travel for finals in the right circumstances.

In the end, you just know it's a pretty ordinary idea when the justifications for it aren't 'Well, obviously...' Instead, they must degenerate to 'Yeah, but...'

In an era where many elite sporting organisations have become almost entirely craven and greedy, this decision really does signal the end of anything other than the bottom line driving high-level decision-making at the AFL.

Entirely predictable? Of course.

Nevertheless, utterly contemptible? Absolutely.

 

[goyoucatters]

Herald Sun Top 50 under 23.

50. Jagga Smith – CARLTON
49. Finn O’Sullivan – NORTH MELBOURNE
48. Mitch Owens – ST KILDA
47. Marcus Windhager – ST KILDA
46. Lawson Humphries – GEELONG
45. Judd McVee – FREMANTLE
44. Ned Long – COLLINGWOOD
43. Max Michalanney – ADELAIDE
42. Connor O’Sullivan – GEELONG
41. Massimo D’Ambrosio – HAWTHORN

When the bloke listed at 50 has never even played a game, you know you're really scraping the barrel for content.

 

[NonRollingStoneScribe]

If you're not good enough to make the finals using the pre-2026 rules, you're probably not good enough to win a final and thus shouldn't be there. Banking wins early is important! Not losing to sides that you're better than is important!

Of course there's exceptions - the Western Bulldogs this year would still be dirty about missing the 8 - but Wildcard Weekend (I hate that phrase already) has been done mostly if not entirely to generate more revenue instead of improving the quality of the game itself.

 

[goyoucatters]

Of course there's exceptions - the Western Bulldogs this year would still be dirty about missing the 8

I think it's hilarious that people raise the case of the Western Bulldogs from 2025 as their reason for embracing this farcical wildcard concept. The Doggies played 11 games against teams that made the eight this year. They won two, beating the Giants twice (yes, I know, don't get me started).

So having gone 2-9 in the H&A against the teams that ultimately played finals, we're somehow supposed to believe that they were robbed of an opportunity to show what they could do in September against the best teams of this season.

Offer moi an incantation...

 

[Art Vandelay_]

I think it's hilarious that people raise the case of the Western Bulldogs from 2025 as their reason for embracing this farcical wildcard concept. The Doggies played 11 games against teams that made the eight this year. They won two, beating the Giants twice (yes, I know, don't get me started).

Noth bothered by the wildcard round. It was inevitable with Tassie coming in as team 20.
All they've done is extend finals to 10 teams a couple of seasons early.

 

[cats_09]

 

[cats_09]

 

[Hamingja]

 

[winty]

Christmas has come early!

 

[winty]

This reply wins the internet for today....

 

[winty]

Glad I was sitting down when I saw this.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Glad I was sitting down when I saw this.

Who in their right mind would buy anything from him?

 

[cats_09]

Who in their right mind would buy anything from him?

Hopefully no one now

 

[MisterMarcus]

"When you depart from a television network, and when I say 'depart' I mean....you were previously at an organisation that specialises in television broadcasts, and then you are no longer there.....then you can say there might be a reason for that, and by 'reason' I mean....an event has happened and it cannot just be because it happened out of the blue, somebody somewhere must have caused this even to happen.....and so the commentator ends up leaving the television network.....and then does the television network hire someone else?....I mean you can't just go in a man down, 'man down' meaning that you had a certain specific number of people engaged in an endeavour, and now one of them is no longer there, well it is not a good suggestion to ignore that and go in with one less person, it makes sense for the television network to find a new person to come in and replace the person who has left....because where would the television network be if they lost a person and did not replace them.....so when you depart from a television network, and when I say 'depart' I mean....."

 

[cats_09]

The Tasmanian state government's upper house has voted in favour of building the $1b Macquarie Point stadium in Hobart.

The project needed a majority vote from MPs to approve the project, with independents Tania Rattray, Bec Thomas and Casey Hiscutt the deciding affirmative votes.

This means the state will get its AFL licence and the Tassie Devils team will come to be in 2028.

Tassie stadium fate decided in historic moment

It's happening

www.nine.com.au

 

[CatToTheFuture]

The Tasmanian state government's upper house has voted in favour of building the $1b Macquarie Point stadium in Hobart.

The project needed a majority vote from MPs to approve the project, with independents Tania Rattray, Bec Thomas and Casey Hiscutt the deciding affirmative votes.

This means the state will get its AFL licence and the Tassie Devils team will come to be in 2028.

Tassie stadium fate decided in historic moment

It's happening

www.nine.com.au

I did not expect them to pass it.

 

[cats_09]

I did not expect them to pass it.

Maybe the support march the other day swayed things