The MCG should always host the Grand Final post pandemic.

[WestCoast05]

How long have the interstate teams been part of the VFL now and yet most Vic fans still couldn't give a flying fu** about those teams.

Yeah, Vic fans so disinterested that the usual suspects always in our game day threads to whinge and moan...

And btw Gary Cryon and Ben Dixon didn't get the memo either

 

[WestCoast05]

Couldn’t give a sh*t so long as it’s on a decent ground and most of them are sh*t. New Perth Stadium is actually good so will be great there I reckon

To add to that - the AFL should set a minimum size of 80k if other states want to host the GF. Would be a great incentive for stadium size upgrades.

Even once there are a few 80k+ stadiums the MCG could hold it every 2nd year to recognise the history with it rotating between any other 80k venues on the alternate year.
Would be a great way of the game feeling even more 'national' and would certainly help NSW and QLD to view the game as 'just a Victorian thing'.

 

[sataris]

To add to that - the AFL should set a minimum size of 80k if other states want to host the GF. Would be a great incentive for stadium size upgrades.

Even once there are a few 80k+ stadiums the MCG could hold it every 2nd year to recognise the history with it rotating between any other 80k venues on the alternate year.
Would be a great way of the game feeling even more 'national' and would certainly help NSW and QLD to view the game as 'just a Victorian thing'.

Why is 80k so important and why are stadium size upgrades good?

 

[WestCoast05]

Why is 80k so important and why are stadium size upgrades good?

Aside from the obvious spectacle, atmosphere, sense of occasion and general epicness of the GF arguements...

Well there is the accessibility factor also.
The less seats available then a smaller amount of spectators get to attend.
Case in point - 200k just tried to purchase the remaining 10k tickets, let alone ppl like me who didn't even give it a crack who would love to go.

Why specifically 80k though? I suppose the fact the G is 100k sets that minimum bar pretty high.

And why are stadium upgrades good? Good Lord I'm not even sure why that is a question unless you're trying to be obtuse. I mean why build a high capacity stadium to begin with right?

 

[sataris]

Aside from the obvious spectacle, atmosphere, sense of occasion and general epicness of the GF arguements...

Well there is the accessibility factor also.
The less seats available then a smaller amount of spectators get to attend.
Case in point - 200k just tried to purchase the remaining 10k tickets, let alone ppl like me who didn't even give it a crack who would love to go.

Why specifically 80k though? I suppose the fact the G is 100k sets that minimum bar pretty high.

And why are stadium upgrades good? Good Lord I'm not even sure why that is a question unless you're trying to be obtuse. I mean why build a high capacity stadium to begin with right?

This is even dumber than the response I was expecting.

 

[melbournemartin]

Correct me if I' wrong, but members of each club each got 24k?

Was that number much more at the mcg?

That's a significant part of the argument for me. I want more club members there.

 

[eastfreo75]

Historically factual.

Facts don't care about your feelings.

Do you have historical evidence the game we know as Australian Rules didn't originate from Victoria? If so I'd love to see it please.

Every sport originates from somewhere.

What a stupid argument.

 

[WestCoast05]

This is even dumber than the response I was expecting.

If you're going to call out my response as 'dumber', can you pls point out which of the reasons I gave for a higher capacity GF being better is the dumb part:

1 Higher capacity equals better spectacle (on both tv and at the ground)?
2 Higher capacity equals better atmosphere?
3 Higher capacity equals a greater sense of occasion?
4 Higher capacity is warranted for an event as epic as the GF?
5 Or that the reason you would upgrade a stadiums size is probably for the same reasons a larger stadium would be built in the first place? (ie need)

 

[Grongey]

Optus stadium in Perth will host one heck of a GF next weekend, with also lots of WA music artists given a chance on a national stage.

To think its taken a virus pandemic to loosen the iron grip of the MCC/AFL.!

Why can't the GF of a national competition be in Perth or Adelaide? Or Brisbane.

 

[OnlyPowerForever]

Optus stadium in Perth will host one heck of a GF next weekend, with also lots of WA music artists given a chance on a national stage.

To think its taken a virus pandemic to loosen the iron grip of the MCC/AFL.!

Why can't the GF of a national competition be in Perth or Adelaide? Or Brisbane.

Contracts.
And which state owns the competition.

 

[eastfreo75]

Optus stadium in Perth will host one heck of a GF next weekend, with also lots of WA music artists given a chance on a national stage.

To think its taken a virus pandemic to loosen the iron grip of the MCC/AFL.!

Why can't the GF of a national competition be in Perth or Adelaide? Or Brisbane.

The reality is that Victorians don’t want to share.

Just wish the AFL looked for the national good.

 

[nineteen eighty]

This is even dumber than the response I was expecting.

That's one hell of an arrogant and rude response champ...even for BF standards.

Grow up!!

 

[sataris]

That's one hell of an arrogant and rude response champ...even for BF standards.

Grow up!!

Settle petal.

 

[Freofalcon]

I hate cricket, boring as fu**. Turns football ground centres into concrete when its dry and bogs when it's wet. sh*t game.

I cope fine however. I'm talking about football grounds and you're waffling on about players.

The MCG is the spiritual home of the VFL/AFL and long shall it be. None of the grounds from these lower tier competitions are even in the same conversation.

It is a Victorian game. It just so happened to be that popular it ended up in other states. You're welcome by the way.

It ended up being so popular in other states that your league almost went broke recruiting players from these "bush leagues".

These bush league teams tried to initiate a national comp but unfortunately, Vic ignorance vetoed every application until it became apparent it was your only viable way of staying alive.



You're welcome.

 

[Coolangatta]

Yeah, nah, to the 80k.

The NFL is a bigger sport, has 32 teams, and in a country of over 330m people: their minimum Superbowl capacity is 70k.

70k allows Adelaide Oval to upgrade, Optus can upgrade to at least 70k, QLD could change the new Gabba Olympic ground to 70k (but why would they because of these stubborn, archaic, greedy AFL *s). NSW could upgrade ANZ facilities and its infrastructure, including transport, or Sydney could build a new stadium by the 2030s.

How long would it take for Adelaide and Perth to increase capacity? Not long, surely. So, move it around Melbourne and those two until Brissy and Sydney have the crowd, facilities, and infrastructure set.

 

[Osho]

With Australia's vaccination rate lower than Cuba, Argentina, El Salvador, Sri Lanka, Panama, Malaysia, Mongolia, Chile, Uruguay, and a couple of dozen other countries, and with limited antibodies through natural immunity present in the population, it may be a tad premature talking about the end of the pandemic.

 

[Grongey]

Melbourne on GF day - max 13 deg, 80% chance of showers
Perth on GF day - sunny, max 27 deg, at kick off 25 deg.
Just saying

 

[Coolangatta]

What are the stadiums other than the MCG already ready to host a GF? Optus? ANZ? Anyone else? Adelaide Oval needs to increase capacity, and QLD won't be ready until they have their new stadium. I wouldn't bring those two into the equation yet, but unless there's a convincing argument why ANZ can't host, I'd be rotating between the MCG, ANZ, and Optus until Adelaide Oval and the new Gabba come into the fray.

 

[Goalski14]

Jury’s out on Saturday I reckon, being from Perth I think the Grand Final at the G is unrivalled as far as sporting experiences go. Went as a neutral in 2009, it was unreal. That said the 2018 prelim at Optus during the day felt a lot like a Grand Final. Similar atmosphere, jam packed crowd.

I think we’ll do the occasion justice, I just hope there’s a good spread of colour between the two teams amongst the neutrals/corporates. I really think we missed an opportunity to have a fans Grand Final like the 2010 replay which is quite unfortunate, the corporates always win though.

Until we see how the Grand Final stacks up here in comparison to the traditional home (and hell, the Gabba) then we can get a better gauge of whether we should rotate it.


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

 

[Coolangatta]

Call me a conspiracy theorist, but the AFL counter-terrorist network foiling the Perth grand final parade and the grand final being a night game will have an impact.

"Oh, that was a great grand final, but it just isn't quite the same as the MCG. So yeah, let's have it at the G for another 1000 years."

 

[Kwality]

In the last 15 seasons of AFL Football 12 premierships have been won by Victorian sides whilst a measly two (Sydney 2012, Eagles 2018) were won by Interstate rivals. Here's a recap of the victories since - which includes 3 dynasties.

Hawthorn - 2008, 2013, 2014, 2015
Richmond - 2017, 2019, 2020
Geelong - 2007, 2009, 2011
Collingwood - 2010
Western Bulldogs - 2016

Now the narrative on Big Footy for many years was simple. Supporters of interstate sides continuously moaned about the Grand Final being played at the MCG. Hawthorn's three peat victories against Fremantle, West Coast and Sydney sparked the fury - Richmond's dominate record breaking undefeated streak at the MCG made it constant dialogue.

In the 2020 season - something unpredictable happened, unprecedented- the Grand Final - the entire finals series was played outside Victoria. The Victorian sides played the majority of their season interstate, made the finals and under unbelievable living conditions, these milestone victories occurred in the finals.

- Collingwood knocked out West Coast in Perth, after being locked in quarantine Hubs for a one week and being publicity humiliated in WA newspapers. They defeated the Eagles by 1 point and knocked them out.

- Richmond defeated Port Adelaide in the Preliminary Final - in Adelaide, by 1 goal, in a dour low scoring affair - having slept in a homeless shelter the night before the game according to Dylan Grimes.

- Geelong demolished a pathetic Brisbane at the Gabba - having spent over 100 days living away from their families.

Now in season 2021, after the Bulldogs remarkable victory. Here we are again, the finals series is down to four teams, no Victorian finals, Victorian teams like Melbourne playing their well earned home final in Adelaide - were down to four - three of them?

Melbourne, Footscray and Geelong.

Can we squash the conversation that Interstate teams are disadvantaged with the current system set up? Can we stop hearing pathetic complaints about the Grand Final being moved away from the MCG in the future? The Interstate teams transitioned into the old VFL, not vice versa.

The MCG is the biggest stadium in the country, 40,000 more people can see the game live.

This thread should honestly be placed atop the BF threads board every finals series.

Interstate sides - its not the MCG that stopped your premiership chances, the best team wins no matter where or when. The GF should always be played where it belongs, at the biggest, most historical stadium in the country.

No one argues with the best team has won & it will happen in Perth.

The nonsensical arguments to keep the GF in Melbourne ignore the fans outside Victoria & its blatantly obvious that it is simple entitlement at play.

The ludicrous preference given to the members of a cricket club over the members of the competing clubs is justified by Melburnians, who knows why? Yes, we all know its the management deal that entrenches the arrangement, its how the Parliament accept the status quo is staggering. More cricket club members than either of the competing clubs.
Then there are AFL members who join the Members club in preference yo their footy club.

 

[Tzatziki_Man]

No one argues with the best team has won & it will happen in Perth.

The nonsensical arguments to keep the GF in Melbourne ignore the fans outside Victoria & its blatantly obvious that it is simple entitlement at play.

The ludicrous preference given to the members of a cricket club over the members of the competing clubs is justified by Melburnians, who knows why? Yes, we all know its the management deal that entrenches the arrangement, its how the Parliament accept the status quo is staggering. More cricket club members than either of the competing clubs.
Then there are AFL members who join the Members club in preference yo their footy club.

Nonsensical argument ?

You mean reality for the next 75 years lol.

Melbourne fans think it's nonsensical for this event to be anywhere except the MCG!!

 

[Duskfire]

It should be on a rotation. No reason not to be except money.

 

[Coolangatta]

ANZ 2022, Adelaide Oval 2023 (with extension to 70k), MCG 2024, Optus 2025, repeat until Gabba 2032 or 33 (dunno if they'd host the Olympics and the Grand Final in the same year). F**k the VAFL.

 

[HPKS]

ANZ 2022, Adelaide Oval 2023 (with extension to 70k), MCG 2024, Optus 2025, repeat until Gabba 2032 or 33 (dunno if they'd host the Olympics and the Grand Final in the same year). F**k the VAFL.

It’ll probably need this type of thinking to bring the money into the game over the next decade. That rust bucket economy in Victoria will do sfa for the game. The concession card will be working overtime for vicco memberships