The Grand Final should be hosted at a neutral venue

[HairyO]

If it was held at the new 65,000 seat stadium in Perth, I suspect more West Australians would see it than if it was held at the 100,000 seat stadium in Melbourne. I think this is an equity issue that is rarely considered.

Depends on how many seats the AFL would be giving up. Surprisingly few supporters from the 2 clubs in the GF even at the G which holds 100k.

Plus, would you be okay with your government paying tens of millions to host the GF and neither WC or Freo making it? I suspect there would be 20k to 30k at most going.

I dont see it working like the Superbowl because we dont have 300 million people, and its not our only winter sport.

 

[radiojake]

I feel like I am one of the biggest advocates for recognising South Australian and Western Australian football history, especially living here in Melbourne where I meet lots of footy fans with little knowledge of the football histories of these states (which is fair enough when they grew up in Victoria) - However, even I cringe at the idea of the GF being played anywhere else besides the MCG -

The thing that I genuinely worry about is the potential for Sydney to become the first city other than Melbourne to one day host it... That would be a travesty.

 

[JackFlash]

I think the T20 Cricket attendance last night reminded people just exactly where the AFL Grand Final should be played!

 

[doppleganger]

I feel like I am one of the biggest advocates for recognising South Australian and Western Australian football history, especially living here in Melbourne where I meet lots of footy fans with little knowledge of the football histories of these states (which is fair enough when they grew up in Victoria) - However, even I cringe at the idea of the GF being played anywhere else besides the MCG -

The thing that I genuinely worry about is the potential for Sydney to become the first city other than Melbourne to one day host it... That would be a travesty.

Why would Sydney be a travesty?

Sydney was the first non-vic team to have a team in the comp.

Sydney is the biggest city in Australia l, so would have the infrastructure in place with hotels etc. to accommodate the fans.

Winning over Sydney is the AFLs main reason strategic play, what better way then hosting the big dance there?

If the GF is to move from the G, Sydney would be the best choice.

 

[JackFlash]

Why would Sydney be a travesty?

Sydney was the first non-vic team to have a team in the comp.

Sydney is the biggest city in Australia l, so would have the infrastructure in place with hotels etc. to accommodate the fans.

Winning over Sydney is the AFLs main reason strategic play, what better way then hosting the big dance there?

If the GF is to move from the G, Sydney would be the best choice.

At The SCG?

 

[Boxhead_31]

I think the T20 Cricket attendance last night reminded people just exactly where the AFL Grand Final should be played!

At an oval without a ridiculous chain link fence around it?

 

[Jack_the_Ninja]

Nah just keep gifting the Victorians Flag year after year, I swear our 3 Flags are worth 15...my proof is Freo in 20 years they haven't won one yet.

 

[Mad_Hatter]

Nah just keep gifting the Victorians Flag year after year, I swear our 3 Flags are worth 15...my proof is Freo in 20 years they haven't won one yet.

 

[Jack_the_Ninja]

All seriousness aside, how can this comp claim to be legit when the GF is played at the same venue that benefits a few teams ? how many world sports do this ? there is your answer. Lets play the next GF at Subi then ? yeah thought... so you scared.

 

[Mad_Hatter]

All seriousness aside, how can this comp claim to be legit when the GF is played at the same venue that benefits a few teams ? how many world sports do this ? there is your answer. Lets play the next GF at Subi then ? yeah thought... so you scared.

Pretty bloody obvious why to those with logical sense champ.
Does subi hold 100k?
Does it have the ability to have so many corporates? Catering?
What about gate access/parking/public transport to support 100-120k people all converging then dispersing the same place?

Now what about the Gabba?
Adelaide oval?
SCG?
Spotless?

No? Then there's your answer.

 

[marty36]

Pretty bloody obvious why to those with logical sense champ.
Does subi hold 100k?
Does it have the ability to have so many corporates? Catering?
What about gate access/parking/public transport to support 100-120k people all converging then dispersing the same place?

Now what about the Gabba?
Adelaide oval?
SCG?
Spotless?

No? Then there's your answer.

Your answer is the AFL need the eastern States Sydney especially to grow the sport or simply stay stagnant. Sydney will no doubt will get the first GF outside of Melbourne that's when the flood gates open.

 

[Jack_the_Ninja]

Pretty bloody obvious why to those with logical sense champ.
Does subi hold 100k?
Does it have the ability to have so many corporates? Catering?
What about gate access/parking/public transport to support 100-120k people all converging then dispersing the same place?

Now what about the Gabba?
Adelaide oval?
SCG?
Spotless?

No? Then there's your answer.

This appears to be this issue with Aussies ( I'm 5th generation ) its all about the crowds and nothing more..it must of been a good game we had 80k there. Gee that cricket game yesterday set records..must of been great, or wow the WACA has 22k last night must of been a good game. Lets play all the games at the freaking MCG then ? useless to play any games anywhere else eh ? may as well close all the venues in Australia and play everything at the G.

There you have it close everything and play it all at the G to get 100k, I think any game from now on played outside the G is pointless.

 

[smeltitdeltit]

This appears to be this issue with Aussies ( I'm 5th generation ) its all about the crowds and nothing more..it must of been a good game we had 80k there. Gee that cricket game yesterday set records..must of been great, or wow the WACA has 22k last night must of been a good game. Lets play all the games at the freaking MCG then ? useless to play any games anywhere else eh ? may as well close all the venues in Australia and play everything at the G.

There you have it close everything and play it all at the G to get 100k, I think any game from now on played outside the G is pointless.

Somehow you missed his most basic of points.

 

[Jack_the_Ninja]

Somehow you missed his most basic of points.

Ok I will take that onboard, but riddle me this then...does West Coast have an advantage playing @ Subi ? what would our chances be playing any team there ? Do you think that the highest placed team in the home and away season should get the home advantage ? I remember a time when west coast had to play an away final due to some deal the AFL had with the MCG bet you'd be happy to play us at Subi if you finished higher on the ladder in a final.

 

[QPower]

Based on finals, the problem is we know the Weagles were a fair bit better than the Hawks in Perth and the Hawks were a fair bit better than the Weagles in Melbourne.

What we don't know is which side was actually the better side.

 

[Rob]

If it was held at the new 65,000 seat stadium in Perth, I suspect more West Australians would see it than if it was held at the 100,000 seat stadium in Melbourne. I think this is an equity issue that is rarely considered.

I reckon the stadium would have been 80k+ capacity in a heartbeat if it meant hosting a grand final every few years.

But the problem is contracts. Long term ones.

 

[Boxhead_31]

Why would Sydney be a travesty?

Sydney was the first non-vic team to have a team in the comp.

Sydney is the biggest city in Australia l, so would have the infrastructure in place with hotels etc. to accommodate the fans.

Winning over Sydney is the AFLs main reason strategic play, what better way then hosting the big dance there?

If the GF is to move from the G, Sydney would be the best choice.

Think the travesty is in that the only ground in Sydney with the size to host the game is the shithole that is the former Olympic stadium

 

[smeltitdeltit]

Ok I will take that onboard, but riddle me this then...does West Coast have an advantage playing @ Subi ? what would our chances be playing any team there ? Do you think that the highest placed team in the home and away season should get the home advantage ? I remember a time when west coast had to play an away final due to some deal the AFL had with the MCG bet you'd be happy to play us at Subi if you finished higher on the ladder in a final.

West coast wouldnt have even made the top 4 let alone the GF without the massive home ground advantage subi provides that the mcg doesnt to its multiple tennants, likewise etihad.
You want fair?
Build us our own home ground each in which we can act all feral, boo every opposition touch and make visiting fans feel so insecure that they second guess going to the game, IF they were lucky enough to manage to get a ticket in the first place.

 

[Back One Out]

WCE beat Hawthorn at Domain 3 weeks prior to the grand final, easily too. It's pretty clear to any observer that Hawthorn got a big advantage by the game being played at the MCG. 3 years in a row Hawthorn beat an interstate team at their home ground. Only once they "deserved" home ground advantage. Would they have still won 3 grand finals if the other 2 were played at the SCG and Domain? Maybe, but their record interstate in big games would say otherwise.

Or you could argue that if we play the Grand Final at a "neutral" venue, we must also play every other final at a neutral venue. Then we would remove the massive advantage West Coast enjoyed in qualifying for the Grand Final with two home games against teams who play in WA just once a year. It's total hypocrisy for WA fans to complain about MCG GFs while they enjoy an unrivalled home ground advantage for every other final.

You didn't really "deserve" home finals anyway. West Coast finished 9th in 2014 and received an easier draw than Hawthorn for 2015. We both won 16 games in 2015. West Coast received an extra 2 points from a lucky draw vs Gold Coast, but the Hawks had an extra 10 percentage points over the season.

West Coast played the 2014 Grand Finalists just once in 2015 - both those games at home. Plus only one game vs North, Port and Richmond. Nice fixture getting drawn to play just once against five of the best teams from the previous year. The Hawks played West Coast twice before the GF - both times at your home ground.

As for the "big advantage" Hawthorn received in Grand Finals, I was there for every recent GF and the crowd was split 50/50 each time. They are the most neutral finals we have. Nothing like the advantage WA and SA teams receive from playing home finals in a smaller stadium filled with 45,000 of their own fans.

 

[HairyO]

Pretty bloody obvious why to those with logical sense champ.
Does subi hold 100k?
Does it have the ability to have so many corporates? Catering?
What about gate access/parking/public transport to support 100-120k people all converging then dispersing the same place?

Now what about the Gabba?
Adelaide oval?
SCG?
Spotless?

No? Then there's your answer.

Olympic Park in Sydney can handle 1 million people.

85k capacity.

Plenty for the corporates.

But most people hate the ground. Personally I prefer it to the SCG.

 

[marty36]

Or you could argue that if we play the Grand Final at a "neutral" venue, we must also play every other final at a neutral venue. Then we would remove the massive advantage West Coast enjoyed in qualifying for the Grand Final with two home games against teams who play in WA just once a year. It's total hypocrisy for WA fans to complain about MCG GFs while they enjoy an unrivalled home ground advantage for every other final.

You didn't really "deserve" home finals anyway. West Coast finished 9th in 2014 and received an easier draw than Hawthorn for 2015. We both won 16 games in 2015. West Coast received an extra 2 points from a lucky draw vs Gold Coast, but the Hawks had an extra 10 percentage points over the season.

West Coast played the 2014 Grand Finalists just once in 2015 - both those games at home. Plus only one game vs North, Port and Richmond. Nice fixture getting drawn to play just once against five of the best teams from the previous year. The Hawks played West Coast twice before the GF - both times at your home ground.

As for the "big advantage" Hawthorn received in Grand Finals, I was there for every recent GF and the crowd was split 50/50 each time. They are the most neutral finals we have. Nothing like the advantage WA and SA teams receive from playing home finals in a smaller stadium filled with 45,000 of their own fans.

To try and argue that Vuctorian teams have no advantage at the MCG or SA teams at Adelaide oval is downright ridiculous it's a pretty simple fact they would have.

The GF will be moved eventually to accommodate the growing market share the AFL is after, it's not about making it fair for the teams, the Vic clubs hold that advantage ATM but the wheel will turn.

The afl may look to how other sports don't give such an advantage to any team though in the most important game of the year

 

[threesixpio]

Based on finals, the problem is we know the Weagles were a fair bit better than the Hawks in Perth and the Hawks were a fair bit better than the Weagles in Melbourne.

What we don't know is which side was actually the better side.

Rubbish. The Hawks slaughtered the Eagles. You'd be on the money maybe if it was a close game and the Hawks hadn't won at Domain against them earlier in the year but how anyone can say we were not the better team is ridiculous.

 

[smeltitdeltit]

To try and argue that Vuctorian teams have no advantage at the MCG or SA teams at Adelaide oval is downright ridiculous it's a pretty simple fact they would have.

The GF will be moved eventually to accommodate the growing market share the AFL is after, it's not about making it fair for the teams, the Vic clubs hold that advantage ATM but the wheel will turn.

The afl may look to how other sports don't give such an advantage to any team though in the most important game of the year

To argue that the advantage isn't diluted with the number of teams sharing the ground is ridiculous.
Heck, when I look at the fixture and see the game is vs an MCG tenant at the G, my only thought is if I need to pay for entry or if I can use my membership, not "rad, home game vs Collingwod, we've got this!!" Same two teams in Tasmania? Completely different, a 50/50 becomes 80/20

If every team shared the 1 ground would the advantage be eliminated? Yes
If every team had their own home ground, would that maximise their "home ground advantage" ? Yes
Where we are at at the moment falls somewhere in between.

 

[The_Wookie]

To try and argue that Vuctorian teams have no advantage at the MCG or SA teams at Adelaide oval is downright ridiculous it's a pretty simple fact they would have.

The GF will be moved eventually to accommodate the growing market share the AFL is after, it's not about making it fair for the teams, the Vic clubs hold that advantage ATM but the wheel will turn.

The afl may look to how other sports don't give such an advantage to any team though in the most important game of the year

On the other hand the AFL does many things other competitions dont do, not the least of which is having nine teams in one city. This may well never change. Victoria is already the fastest growing state and by the time the contract at the MCG is up around 2040, Victoria is projected to have the same or greater population than New South Wales.

 

[threesixpio]

On the other hand the AFL does many things other competitions dont do, not the least of which is having nine teams in one city. This may well never change. Victoria is already the fastest growing state and by the time the contract at the MCG is up around 2040, Victoria is projected to have the same or greater population than New South Wales.

Bring back Fitzroy and University