Rally the Troops

[FD2646]

There is persistant talk about North Melbourne playing WCE as a Roos "home game" next year. Quite simply we know the AFL fixturing is a joke and this would be the straw that breaks the camels back. I cannot comprehend how the other mob up the road could get essentially an extra home game. How could the AFL allow 1 West Aussie team to be so blatantly favored over the other.....actually I do know - it will ensure the survival of the Roos so it is bound (no pun intended) to go ahead.

I implore all Freo fans and members in particular to send the AFL a message. This could be done by writing to Freo to take up our grievances direct to the AFL and further I propose a day of action at our last home game. I am not sure what we could do but am interested in hearing from others to guage both interest and any ideas - looking fwd to hearing from fellow purple horde devotees.

 

[Forrest Gimp]

There is persistant talk about North Melbourne playing WCE as a Roos "home game" next year. Quite simply we know the AFL fixturing is a joke and this would be the straw that breaks the camels back. I cannot comprehend how the other mob up the road could get essentially an extra home game. How could the AFL allow 1 West Aussie team to be so blatantly favored over the other.....actually I do know - it will ensure the survival of the Roos so it is bound (no pun intended) to go ahead.

I implore all Freo fans and members in particular to send the AFL a message. This could be done by writing to Freo to take up our grievances direct to the AFL and further I propose a day of action at our last home game. I am not sure what we could do but am interested in hearing from others to guage both interest and any ideas - looking fwd to hearing from fellow purple horde devotees.

Why don't you try and sell a game to North or the Demon's yourself? Then both teams can gain an advantage, and the AFL wouldn't have any right to deny you it after they allowed the Eagles and Roos to do it.

Also, would you screaming injustice if it was Freo who had organised this with North?

 

[Reveler]

if they managed to pull it off then all power to them.

 

[longsuffreosupp]

I wonder why they'd choose the Weags first. They have an alright record against us here.

 

[MadMac]

I don't have the problem with it. It's none of our business and frankly, if we could do the same it would be good.

 

[Rob]

Why don't you try and sell a game to North or the Demon's yourself? Then both teams can gain an advantage, and the AFL wouldn't have any right to deny you it after they allowed the Eagles and Roos to do it.

Also, would you screaming injustice if it was Freo who had organised this with North?

Speaking personally, I wouldn't be screaming injustice, and I think Freo would be stupid not to pursuing it.

But I would still be opposed to the idea. Selling home games to other clubs is about as ridiculous you can get in a professional league. I don't blame the Weags for getting involved, I blame the AFL for allowing it in the past.

 

[Outshined]

Why do we care? It's not a guaranteed win for them, especially if they face a full strength North outfit who generally play well here. There's hardly a need to "rally the troops". It seems a lot of people of this board get riled up at almost any supposed injustice done to the Freo footy club without even considering opening the other eye.

 

[FD2646]

Why don't you try and sell a game to North or the Demon's yourself? Then both teams can gain an advantage, and the AFL wouldn't have any right to deny you it after they allowed the Eagles and Roos to do it.

Also, would you screaming injustice if it was Freo who had organised this with North?

I will be honest here - if the shoe was on the other foot I would not be screaming injustice. This is of course because I HATE WCE . Your point of approaching other financially struggling Vic clubs to play Freo over here does however have merit.

MadMac, how is this none of our business - every way I look at it we lose, especially when it comes to them travelling less, having a better chance at 4 points, having their supporters attend an extra home game, no doubt attracting further media interest etc. Imagine playing WCE in a Freo home derby after they had just played a home game followed by this "away" game at Subi. To top it all off they would then play their next game at Subi giving them a 1 month no travel period. I know that is a worst case scenario but I would not put it past the AFL and WCE.

 

[Mundy]

I will be honest here - if the shoe was on the other foot I would not be screaming injustice. This is of course because I HATE WCE . Your point of approaching other financially struggling Vic clubs to play Freo over here does however have merit.

MadMac, how is this none of our business - every way I look at it we lose, especially when it comes to them travelling less, having a better chance at 4 points, having their supporters attend an extra home game, no doubt attracting further media interest etc. Imagine playing WCE in a Freo home derby after they had just played a home game followed by this "away" game at Subi. To top it all off they would then play their next game at Subi giving them a 1 month no travel period. I know that is a worst case scenario but I would not put it past the AFL and WCE.

What's your problem?

It's not as though we couldnt put in a bid. More power to West Coast.

We should look at selling a game to North or Melb, bid and be rewarded.

Quite simply, North would take more from the gate by selling the game to the Eags.

 

[Jackey J]

I would rather Freo work on getting a similiar deal rather than have a go at the AFL/WCE about the unfairness of it all. Full credit to WCE if it comes off, no harm done if it doesnt.

 

[FD2646]

Why do we care? It's not a guaranteed win for them, especially if they face a full strength North outfit who generally play well here. There's hardly a need to "rally the troops". It seems a lot of people of this board get riled up at almost any supposed injustice done to the Freo footy club without even considering opening the other eye.

Outshined, apathy on these types of issues I believe will just lead to Freo being considered irrelevant - it seems it already is viewed as such by the majority of the AFL. Oh well, why start worrying now?

 

[Eski3]

Also, would you screaming injustice if it was Freo who had organised this with North?

I would be hoping that you guys would be the ones screaming it.

Nobody should be blaming West Coast for doing this - we should be blaming FFC for not objecting to it though - assuming it does go through.

Maybe a nice trade off would be West Coast selling their home derby to us - we get 12 home games but they play at Subi 13 times. This North game is basically going to be another West Coast home game anyway. I can't imagine West Coast going for that though.

 

[Outshined]

Outshined, apathy on these types of issues I believe will just lead to Freo being considered irrelevant - it seems it already is viewed as such by the majority of the AFL. Oh well, why start worrying now?

As a club I agree we are probably not taken too seriously by the other AFL teams, the media or pretty much anyone involved in the game. I still think though that it is hardly apathetic to allow the Eagles without protest to let North play a home game at Subi as a one off. If however they push for 2,3 even 4 away games to be played at home as a means of supporting struggling Victorian clubs, then by all means the club should do everything to stop the obviously unfair advantage that would give West Coast.

Fremantle needs to build a strong and feared list that other teams hate to come up against. Only then will we get any sort of respect regardless of the actions of the mob up the road. Mate, if we had a team that was currently 18-0 none of us would care that the Weags were getting an extra home game

 

[silverscope]

Good on them for getting the deal.

Would be more than happy for us to sell a game to the Demons or even Carlton who are in the business of selling themselves.

 

[Marlin01]

Short-sighted doesn't seem to capture the lack of foresight and imagination the OP has managed to convey.

I would have thought Fremantle would be very keen to see this precedent made.

 

[rgauci]

Geez i don't understand the big uproar. It sets a great precedent for us.

If North suddenly make a fortune selling their game to West Coast i can see other Melbourne clubs looking for a similar option.

Obivously we would be next in line.

I hope it goes ahead.

 

[Sman-21]

no big deal at all other clubs will see it and how much money they made form it.
So more will be wanting to sell their games to play here and since we are always given little respect they would probably think we are easier to beat so they would prefer to sell their games to us than the scum down the road.

I thought the AFL had already said they didnt like the idea though because they only sell the games to be played in areas where they are trying to promote the game an gain a bigger following eg tas,GC, darwin etc

 

[PapaJ]

Geez i don't understand the big uproar. It sets a great precedent for us.

If North suddenly make a fortune selling their game to West Coast i can see other Melbourne clubs looking for a similar option.

Obivously we would be next in line.

I hope it goes ahead.

I don't think it's that obvious at all ... see below

no big deal at all other clubs will see it and how much money they made form it.
So more will be wanting to sell their games to play here and since we are always given little respect they would probably think we are easier to beat so they would prefer to sell their games to us than the scum down the road.

Easier to beat has got little to do with it, though I think Nth want to put some money in the bank via plaing WC now while they are down in the dumps, the issue isn't about winable games, its a money exercise and (as somemone indicated earlier) WC are far more likely to return a higher gate than us and that is simply all they are after. If another club comes along and wants to sell a game, they will also be enticed to Eagles as they will be the more attractive financial option. Could be wrong on that as the I'm not sure if the some authority could get invovled and limit WC to one bonus home game ... but you get the point.

 

[PapaJ]

I thought the AFL had already said they didnt like the idea though because they only sell the games to be played in areas where they are trying to promote the game an gain a bigger following eg tas,GC, darwin etc

They did, which is why I can't see this happening too many times again (if it goes through).

In a sense I've got no major problems with it because the fixture as a general rule is a hopelessly uneven setup, so what's one more anomaly. It no doubt gives WC a substantial bonus, but no more than clubs like Colliwobles and Essendon have had for years. Good luck to them and if we can get on the rort ourselves (unlikely), well even better.

 

[The Night Shift]

I couldn't give a toss what the blue n yella flogs do... If they can swing a business deal like that with North Melbourne then a spin on effect maybe more poor arsed melbourne clubs may consider "selling" home games, and they may consider Fremantle as well because we can get large crowds through the gates....
Clubs like Carlolton and the Hawks have large supporer bases in Perth...

 

[Stronzo]

I wonder why they'd choose the Weags first. They have an alright record against us here.

I was thinking the same, perhaps it's a $$$ thing.

 

[patsmith]

If we do it and it succeeds, Freo would be mad not too. FFC has strong financial and membership figures, surely the support would be there to make it profitable for the Melbourne team and obviously advantageous for you guys. It would be good for WA footy.

Also, it's this small but vocal segment of your supporter base with the massive chips on their shoulder (like the OP) that adds to your perceived irrelevence. Stop looking up the highway.

 

[SupersonicDocker]

This is a joke and those of you saying they hope it is a success because it means we will get the opportunity too are obviously morons. If it is a success the Eagles will be front-running for it to happen again. We need to develop an animal instinct at our club. Sitting back and letting the eagles get a financial boost is madness

You make other clubs uncomfortable on and off the football field. You do not sit back and let the Eagles act as if they own Subiaco and can use it as they please. We kick up a fuss and we make them hate us more.

If you think West Coast would sit back and let us stroll into subi for an extra home game and a wad of cash you are all mistaken. Its dog eat dog so we should act that way with all aspects of the football world.

 

[SupersonicDocker]

If we do it and it succeeds, Freo would be mad not too. FFC has strong financial and membership figures, surely the support would be there to make it profitable for the Melbourne team and obviously advantageous for you guys. It would be good for WA footy.

Also, it's this small but vocal segment of your supporter base with the massive chips on their shoulder (like the OP) that adds to your perceived irrelevence. Stop looking up the highway.

Irrelevance is a perception of those who fear it.

We will always be looking up the highway because in this part of the land the majority see you as the title holders. We are looking up the highway because we are coming for that title

 

[patsmith]

Irrelevance is a perception of those who fear it.

We will always be looking up the highway because in this part of the land the majority see you as the title holders. We are looking up the highway because we are coming for that title

Well you aren't really, and it's that sort of attitude that will hold you back.

This is something that could be very beneficial for both WA teams, but I doubt anyone will listen to any protestations from Freo anyway. The AFL will decide on this issue, and if Freo kick up a fuss it will just mean they won't get a slice of the delicious extra-home-game pie should it be allowed.

I hope the stakeholders at FFC don't have that almighty chip on their shoulders too.