Roast St Kilda robbed of home final

[Truetiger]

Would prefer Marvel, but the MCG is better than our last home final which was played in Queensland.

Still won your last home final in Qld. Should be a good game regardless of venue.

 

[Rusty Brookes]

Speaking completely out of self-interest, as an MCC member I'll be going (I go to every MCG final I can, it's how the membership pays for itself). I'm genuinely neutral here, as both are teams I would like to see go on a run this year. Looking forward to a really good game.

I'll be barracking for the winner of this game to win the whole thing. My son and myself both love Toby Greene so sort of going for GWS but would never begrudge the Saints fans a chance to see their team win a flag. And yes, we got good seats at a decent price.

 

[Osho]

Play anyone?
Play 'em anywhere?
Play 'em anytime?

Some Saints have forgotten the mantra.

 

[Orange crush]

Play anyone?
Play 'em anywhere?
Play 'em anytime?

Some Saints have forgotten the mantra.

The same mantra what got Steve Irwin?

 

[Osho]

The same mantra what got Steve Irwin?

ROAR!

 

[Taper]

$$
They know demand is there for a Swans final, hence when Stadium Australia was able to host AFL, Swans finals games were FIXtured at Stadium Australia.

They are probably aware that GWS doesnt have the interest in Sydney yet to warrant staging it at the SCG...so a case by case basis dependent on their opponent.


You are coming at it front the wrong perspective.

The AFL schedules finals at the venue that will maximise attendance.

Any Victorian final you will get 50k+ at the G, hence they are FIXtured at the G.

If the AFL think GWS will only attract a crowd of 15k for a final, they dont need to move it.

Finals aren't about fairness, they are about making $# for the league and getting as many punters at the game as possible.

Sydney complained for years about hosting finals at Stadium Australia.
Since the AFL started scheduling Sydney's home finals at the SCG and GWS home finals at Giants Stadium, it's opened a can of worms.
Why should NSW clubs play home finals at their home grounds while others have to play their home finals at opposition home grounds?
Kardinia Park holds more people than Giants Stadium.

 

[doppleganger]

Sydney complained for years about hosting finals at Stadium Australia.
Since the AFL started scheduling Sydney's home finals at the SCG and GWS home finals at Giants Stadium, it's opened a can of worms.
Why should NSW clubs play home finals at their home grounds while others have to play their home finals at opposition home grounds?
Kardinia Park holds more people than Giants Stadium.

Stadium Australia is not a viable option anymore.

NSW clubs are scheduled at the most appropriate stadium in NSW - it was SA, but now is SCG or Giants.

VIC clubs are scheduled at the most appropriate stadium in VIC - this is the MCG.

WA clubs are scheduled at the most appripriate stadium in WA - Optus.

Only time when a VIC final wont be at the MCG is if all 4 finals are due to be scheduled in VIC in week1. Then the game with least anticipated crowd demand will be shunted to a smaller stadium.

All a team is entitled to is having the AFL scheduled a game in your state.

 

[Jim Prideaux]

more than happy to play you at the MCG, same as when Pies hosted us Rnd1 Friday night 2022 at Marvel, would love to play at the MCG. you're having a winge over an H/A game.

we play 15 odd games a year at our home venue and are being forced to play a home final at a ground we play on at most twice a year, and Hawks would be squawking 10x louder than us if you were forced to play a home final and Marvel.

the level of hypocrisy in this thread is something else. Our choice was to play the Docklands

We’ve played two home finals at Marvel (relatively) recently. We also regularly have “home games” vs marvel tenants.

As a Saints fan would you prefer Marvel for the potential familiarity, or the G for the experience?

 

[Jim Prideaux]

Oh no you have to travel an extra 10-15 minutes up the road, the horror.

The G is closer to St Kilda

 

[emuboy]

As a hypothetical, say this is the 2024 top eight:

MELBOURNE
COLLINGWOOD
CARLTON
BRISBANE LIONS
HAWTHORN
RICHMOND
WESTERN BULLDOGS
GEELONG

All four teams that will host home finals (Demons, Magpies, Hawks & Tigers) are MCG tenants and these games will draw big crowds, so does that mean that as the lowest ranked of these that the Tigers vs. Bulldogs final will be played not at the MCG, but at the Docklands Stadium given the AFL's preferred fixture for the first week of the finals is a Thursday night, Friday night, Saturday afternoon and Saturday night game?

 

[GhostofJimJess]

As a hypothetical, say this is the 2024 top eight:

MELBOURNE
COLLINGWOOD
CARLTON
BRISBANE LIONS
HAWTHORN
RICHMOND
WESTERN BULLDOGS
GEELONG

All four teams that will host home finals (Demons, Magpies, Hawks & Tigers) are MCG tenants and these games will draw big crowds, so does that mean that as the lowest ranked of these that the Tigers vs. Bulldogs final will be played not at the MCG, but at the Docklands Stadium given the AFL's preferred fixture for the first week of the finals is a Thursday night, Friday night, Saturday afternoon and Saturday night game?

I'd imagine the least anticipated crowd demand would get shunted. Tough luck for the Dees and Lions, unless they play one of the four games on the Sunday (or Wednesday).

 

[Mat Mann]

We’ve played two home finals at Marvel (relatively) recently. We also regularly have “home games” vs marvel tenants.

As a Saints fan would you prefer Marvel for the potential familiarity, or the G for the experience?

for me, take the familiarity every day, no point in getting experience if it costs you a win
2nd to that point, 55k at the dome easily beats 65-70 at the MCG in atmosphere, esp if there are a lot of neutral spectators.

how did you feel about missing out on playing at the MCG in those fianls?

Once again feels largely unfair to those sole Docklands tenants to
a) be forced away from our home ground and denied to advantage like everyone else gets
b) be forced onto a ground we rarely play at

 

[doppleganger]

As a hypothetical, say this is the 2024 top eight:

MELBOURNE
COLLINGWOOD
CARLTON
BRISBANE LIONS
HAWTHORN
RICHMOND
WESTERN BULLDOGS
GEELONG

All four teams that will host home finals (Demons, Magpies, Hawks & Tigers) are MCG tenants and these games will draw big crowds, so does that mean that as the lowest ranked of these that the Tigers vs. Bulldogs final will be played not at the MCG, but at the Docklands Stadium given the AFL's preferred fixture for the first week of the finals is a Thursday night, Friday night, Saturday afternoon and Saturday night game?

Lowest capacity or the team with an alternate venue, if cant have 4 at the G.

Hawks v Geelong in Tassie

 

[Danw0w]

thats all well and good, but then they allow GWS to host at the showgrounds which holds 12 people, Suns will NEVER be forced to play at the Gabba, nor will Tasmania be moved because a sub 30k stadium is too small for an AFL final.

I think the answer to this is clear

 

[Danw0w]

As a hypothetical, say this is the 2024 top eight:

MELBOURNE
COLLINGWOOD
CARLTON
BRISBANE LIONS
HAWTHORN
RICHMOND
WESTERN BULLDOGS
GEELONG

All four teams that will host home finals (Demons, Magpies, Hawks & Tigers) are MCG tenants and these games will draw big crowds, so does that mean that as the lowest ranked of these that the Tigers vs. Bulldogs final will be played not at the MCG, but at the Docklands Stadium given the AFL's preferred fixture for the first week of the finals is a Thursday night, Friday night, Saturday afternoon and Saturday night game?

In 2013, the cats hosted freo at KP as they would have been the lowest drawing game at the G. I think the logic would be the same here and Dees vs Lions would be at Marvel.

 

[MinerBoy]

more than happy to play you at the MCG, same as when Pies hosted us Rnd1 Friday night 2022 at Marvel, would love to play at the MCG. you're having a winge over an H/A game.

we play 15 odd games a year at our home venue and are being forced to play a home final at a ground we play on at most twice a year, and Hawks would be squawking 10x louder than us if you were forced to play a home final and Marvel.

the level of hypocrisy in this thread is something else. Our choice was to play the Docklands

Wasn't whinging at all. Was being sarcastic

Hawks have played home finals at Marvel

 

[emuboy]

Dear God, please let there be a finals series in coming years where Richmond hosts a low crowd-drawing interstate team like Fremantle, Gold Coast or GWS in an Elimination Final that gets scheduled at the Docklands Stadium rather than the MCG, I promise I won't ask you for anything ever again.

 

[Jim Prideaux]

for me, take the familiarity every day, no point in getting experience if it costs you a win
2nd to that point, 55k at the dome easily beats 65-70 at the MCG in atmosphere, esp if there are a lot of neutral spectators.

how did you feel about missing out on playing at the MCG in those fianls?

Once again feels largely unfair to those sole Docklands tenants to
a) be forced away from our home ground and denied to advantage like everyone else gets
b) be forced onto a ground we rarely play at

For sure I wasn’t happy, but slightly different in that we had plenty of MCG experience.

As a neutral on the Saints, I’m 50/50 on the idea of familiarity vs experience - any finals win would be great for fans and be good for team confidence, but a win at the G might set you up better to go deeper.

Do you not expect to potentially get more bums on seats given how long it’s been? I reckon you might be surprised.

 

[#gosaintas]

For sure I wasn’t happy, but slightly different in that we had plenty of MCG experience.

As a neutral on the Saints, I’m 50/50 on the idea of familiarity vs experience - any finals win would be great for fans and be good for team confidence, but a win at the G might set you up better to go deeper.

Do you not expect to potentially get more bums on seats given how long it’s been? I reckon you might be surprised.

It's irrelevant if we get another 5000 Saints fans at the G and couldn't give a stuff about neutrals.
Anyway we'll be able to watch the game at the G in front of 50,000 on a cold, windy and rainy day according to the forcast.

 

[GhostofJimJess]

Dear God, please let there be a finals series in coming years where Richmond hosts a low crowd-drawing interstate team like Fremantle, Gold Coast or GWS in an Elimination Final that gets scheduled at the Docklands Stadium rather than the MCG, I promise I won't ask you for anything ever again.

As a Tiger supporter, I'd take that in a heartbeat.

 

[HarryBeef]

Because it's a cold, concrete and metal s**t hole, with shithouse viewing for spectators. Docklands in a thousand times better than the MCG. Capacity is the ONLY thing it has going for it.

Have you ever been to Docklands?

 

[Giant Pete]

We are happy to play them anywhere.

 

[Kings of Lygon]

It's always going to be a point of contention in the AFL where this stuff is concerned unfortunately.

If integrity is the goal, Geelong and all the Docklands based clubs should get a CHOICE of where they would like to play, given it is their earned home game.

If money is the goal, it will be played wherever the AFL think they will get more people and with whom they have contracts with, filling their coffers.

Don't see this ever changing, the AFL has shown time and time again that they really only care about the coin and ratings, damn everything else.

 

[Kings of Lygon]

Have you ever been to Docklands?

I don't get the beef people have with Docklands, I reckon it's a great stadium and experience.

You can get a good seat to actually view the game clearly, everywhere in the place.

It's far easier for most of Vic country folks to get to on PT (sorry Gippsland folk, just another couple of stops).

If it's raining, no worries. Roof closed.

Better seats, as in comfort wise.

The medallion club is wayyyyy better than the MCG too.

I'm a fan. We are very lucky in Victoria to have two great, different offerings IMO.

 

[Brezsa]

It is what it is but I think all VIC Teams should be hosting 3-4 games at the MCG every season if this is going to happen. We have played there TWICE this season, with one of those technically away. We have to be playing there more, if this is where we are playing home finals if we make it...

St Kilda has every right when your Docklands deal ends to attempt to do a deal to host games at the MCG.

However considering the higher break even cost of the MCG & the financial burden on the club if you don’t reach that, considering the current financial & debt issues at St Kilda, surely a better model is similar to this year, try and get 1 or matches moved to the MCG, against a larger Vic club (Collingwood, Essendon, Richmond or Carlton) so that you can get MCG exposure & maximise the finances.