Opinion Selling Home Games

[bh90210fan]

In a normal year, selling a home game should not be allowed for the obvious reason that it provides an unfair advantage to a rich club. But this is not a normal year, and West Coast will not be getting a disproportionate share of home games - this would have been a 7th game at Optus, less than ladder leading Port Adelaide will get. If integrity and fairness are to be the yardsticks from now on, lets look at all the inequities - in my view the AFL regularly seeks to maximize revenue at the expense of fairness, so not sure why the line was drawn here....

It’s fear

 

[HairyO]

Only 6 home games at your home ground this year? The horror.
We got one.
We get a home game against Adelaide in Adelaide.
We got a home game against North at Docklands

It's a shitty year all round

Our final game against GCS is a home game and you can be sure it will be at Metricon or Spotless.

 

[RobbieGray17]

Rather large difference

You are basically paying to get an away game turned into a home game.

They'll win anyway. It's more about recovery.

 

[Scotland]

'Home' games don't mean much to Victorian and NSW teams in 2020.

GWS managed to get 6/8 in at Giants Stadium, Sydney 4/8 at the SCG. From Rd 9 onward NSW games got canned so they will end up 6-11 and 4-13 respectively.

Hawks fans complain but it's not like every other Victorian team got 11 games in Victoria this year. The Dees have played even fewer games in Victoria.

The AFL dropped the ball with their Qld hard on. Brisbane will likely end up playing 14 games in Qld for the year, Gold Coast 13. Adelaide will play 9 in SA, Port 6. WC 7 in WA, Freo 6. With the exception of one derby, none of Freo, WC and Port will play a credited 'away' game at home. Hub or otherwise, there is not a chance in hell the AFL would give Adelaide, Port, WC or Freo 13 or 14 games in their home state.

 

[Kappa]

another decision using fairness determined by Viccentric logic

if it WA was suffering through a 2nd wave, both WA teams would be playing every Vic team in Victoria...guaranteed

Can you give me one example of a Vic team being allowed to buy a home game from an interstate opposition?

 

[PowerForGood]

Maybe on top of any financial cost, the team bidding for a home game should lose 1-2% of the following years salary cap, and give it to the team selling the game.

More equalization Gil. Make it happen.

 

[PowerForGood]

Can you give me one example of a Vic team being allowed to buy a home game from an interstate opposition?

I was shouted down for suggesting one big game in particular as an irrelevant argument.
So correct, not one.

But they've asked to sell one, which means they agree they should be bought, right?

 

[Tasmanian saint]

The AFL have no problem with selling games to China, NT, Q, ACT & Tas, not WA or SA though.

Integrity/the AFL, pull the other leg,

That’s completely different selling a home game to a neutral ground as opposed to wa or sa where the local club are effectively buying a extra home game that should never be allowed!

 

[Tasmanian saint]

i dont get the issue
The AFL is happy to give Hawthorn a home game vs Adelaide this week

Yet North would get better compensation from the Eagles wouldnt they than playing in Queensland?

Yes north would be getting better compensated on the other hand the eagles would be gaining a unfair advantage

 

[The_Reaper]

Geelong sell home games to the big Melbourne clubs all the time.

 

[Power Raid]

When ever a transaction like this occurs, the AFL should consider the reason for the request and the integrity of the league

It is an interesting one though given the neutral venue requests like China, Darwin etc vs shifting an away game home just before the finals.

That said I dare say WCE would collect the 4 points be it home or away. So the only advantage is less travel and more rest.

 

[bh90210fan]

It’s an integrity issue when it affects the Victorian clubs. We couldn’t even train in groups of ten to kick off the season I don’t know why anyone thought we’d get this through

 

[Sterge]

It’s an integrity issue when it affects the Victorian clubs. We couldn’t even train in groups of ten to kick off the season I don’t know why anyone thought we’d get this through

Do you remember when for a brief period Vic clubs could train as a whole group but SA/WA was still limited to groups of 10 so Vics were also limited to groups of 10.

Because that did happen, not everyone is out to get you.

 

[Obzerva]

There's a number of reasons this shouldn't happen, and can't see a convincing reason why it should:

Competition imbalance:
Rich clubs can buy a game off a poor club because they know that the poorer club needs the $

Competition integrity:
If you can afford to buy an extra game to your home venue, then you get the advantage of an extra win during the season, which pushes you one step closer to the finals, which in turn means more likely success/income
If you are selling a home game for the $ to an opponent's home ground, you are essentially adding an extra likely loss to your season, which makes it harder to make finals, entrenching your lack of success. eg Melbourne selling home games to Brisbane

Your supporters:
The great thing the AFL does vs the NRL is it fixtures most of the season in advance, it allows interstate supporters to know a long time in advance where games are, and can make travel plans accordingly, selling games mid season is a sure fire way to piss off your fan base (I realise not a factor this year, but just saying)

Tanking:
By increasing your chances of a loss, pushes you further down the ladder, so not only do you get the sweet dollars for whoring out your home game, you increase your odds of better draft picks.

If you're going to be the team that creates the reputation of needing to sell yourself for the purposes of making ends meet and a lack of success, what are you telling your supporters?
No new potential supporter will jump onboard that bandwagon, your supporter base of the future is only going to be the children of your existing fans, with no growth.

 

[owen87]

Not a fan of it occurring in-season.

Say WCE needs 1 extra win to secure a Top 4 spot ahead of Richmond, they drop $700k to buy a home game that takes them from a 50:50 chance to a 80:20 win chance and the bonus of staying at home for an extra week potentially giving them an advantage in the following game.

It's one thing to sell off home games in the pre-fixture period that people can work around, it's another to effectively buy them mid-late season when it's relevant for finals chances, and sets up a precedent for doing so long term.

Would WCE want to buy a home game if they were sitting in the bottom 4?

 

[bh90210fan]

Do you remember when for a brief period Vic clubs could train as a whole group but SA/WA was still limited to groups of 10 so Vics were also limited to groups of 10.

Because that did happen, not everyone is out to get you.

How incredibly pathetic would it look if the Victorian clubs weren’t held to the same rules that were applied to us. Do you honestly think if the situation were reversed and Victorian clubs could train in groups of ten while West Australia was in lockdown that the AFL would’ve acted the same? Of course not. Integrity is a very thin veil worn at afl house, same as profits, spectacle, tradition, attendance or any other excuse thrown out of Victoria. One of benefits of this season is that now everyone can see the AFL for what it is

 

[Sterge]

How incredibly pathetic would it look if the Victorian clubs weren’t held to the same rules that were applied to us. Do you honestly think if the situation were reversed and Victorian clubs could train in groups of ten while West Australia was in lockdown that the AFL would’ve acted the same? Of course not. Integrity is a very thin veil worn at afl house, same as profits, spectacle, tradition, attendance or any other excuse thrown out of Victoria. One of benefits of this season is that now everyone can see the AFL for what it is

But the situation was reversed and everyone was treated equally, you can deal in what ifs all you want but you are just looking for things to get offended over at that point.

 

[owen87]

How incredibly pathetic would it look if the Victorian clubs weren’t held to the same rules that were applied to us. Do you honestly think if the situation were reversed and Victorian clubs could train in groups of ten while West Australia was in lockdown that the AFL would’ve acted the same? Of course not. Integrity is a very thin veil worn at afl house, same as profits, spectacle, tradition, attendance or any other excuse thrown out of Victoria. One of benefits of this season is that now everyone can see the AFL for what it is

So let me get this right;

Because VIC clubs were restricted to training in groups of 10, because WA / SA based teams could only train in groups of 10, that's evidence that the AFL would have allowed VIC clubs to train in big groups while WA was in lockdown?

Makes perfect sense.

 

[PAFC_1870]

The AFL dropped the ball with their Qld hard on. Brisbane will likely end up playing 14 games in Qld for the year, Gold Coast 13. Adelaide will play 9 in SA, Port 6. WC 7 in WA, Freo 6. With the exception of one derby, none of Freo, WC and Port will play a credited 'away' game at home.

I'd love to know how they managed to fk this up so bad.

Ironic WC and Port get shafted more than others, sit at the top of the ladder and people still bitch here.

 

[footyfan1978]

Yes I don't think rich clubs should be able to buy additional home games during the season to change the fixture after its released

Fairly straight forward you would think.
i'm almost surprised in a good way, some things can still be sacred, almost...

 

[footyfan1978]

I remember sometime in late 80's maybe, John Elliott, then Carlton president tried to sell some idea with Swans looking in big trouble and maybe going, he was talking Carlton can play 11 home games at home and our 11 away games all at SCG. Thankfully the league did not take it seriously and same with this bullshit now that was tried on. Next we would have clubs wanting to borrow champ players from other sides for their finals campaign because the other club cannot make it.

 

[stormskye]

How many games will Port have in Adelaide this year ?
How many games will Brisbane and GC have at home ?

West Coast will play 6 / 17 games at Optus. It would have been 7. Hardly injust.

Richmond played their final 10 games at MCG last year - then played a team in the GF that had hardly been there all year.

In year were money is just about non-existent, it's a pretty poor decision, and North should be rightfully annoyed by it.

You only support it because it’s eagles, facts are if it was another team you’d be against it. Should not happen, and can never happen, it’s a dangerous precedent and takes out ALL integrity of the draw.

If you are objective, you would be against it.

I can’t believe it was even raised.

 

[Kwality]

Then you set a precedent.

Want to sell home games? Do it before the season is fixtured.

Allowing a team to bribe a team into an extra home game that could affect finals positions isn't the smartest thing the AFL could do.

2020 sets a precedent, ?

A commercial arrangement is a bribe when it doesnt equal gain for your club, e.g the GF.

 

[VicBased]

Gee they must be really desperate to get back to Perth. Must feel very insecure to even try shifting a game they should win. Can't wait for the mighty bombers to smack em around tomorrow.

Still snarky about 2018 are we?

 

[Power Raid]

How many games will Port have in Adelaide this year ?
How many games will Brisbane and GC have at home ?

West Coast will play 6 / 17 games at Optus. It would have been 7. Hardly injust.

Richmond played their final 10 games at MCG last year - then played a team in the GF that had hardly been there all year.

In year were money is just about non-existent, it's a pretty poor decision, and North should be rightfully annoyed by it.

fair point

but I don't blame the AFL for outcomes like this. but it does seem strange given Queensland has a bigger covid issue than SA and WA.

perhaps WA's and SA's govt were just too hard to deal with?

 

[Kwality]

takes out ALL integrity of the draw.

How long since it was a draw, its a FIXture to deliver things like the WA clubs travelling fortnightly, Anzac Day, the Queens Birthday, Richmond Carlton as the first game, blockbusters, low drawing games at Docklands, games in China, the NT, NQ, the ACT & Tasmania. We went to NZ for an extra $1.50 until they didnt want us.
Integrity HELLO !!!
Its a very lopsided FIXture ....