Who will play a colonial final ?

[Pessimistic]

I was just perusing the likely outcomes and make-up of the eight.

Due to a 'soft' draw brisbane will win 2 more games and make positions 5 or 6, getting a home final in the first week, most likely against the winner of Bulldogs v Hawks (Drat, Another interstate final !) The other three finals will be in melbourne. One will be Essendon v somebody, Carlton v North and another game which will probably include Richmond. Geelong or Melbourne will probably play against Essendon or Richmond

So, with three finals which each include Essendon, Carlton and Richmond would Logically all be played at the MCG. But due to contracts one will have to be played at colonial.

But which one ? For me it is Essendon as none of the other final 'hosts' has Colonial as a home ground. Could Carlton, Geelong or Melbourne be expected to play a game there ? some reward for 'achievement'.

For Essendon it would be a 'double-edged sword'. They would grab most of the seats for their fans so have a 'home ground' game against a Victorian team, but a good proporion of thir fans would miss out

Don't dismiss my prediction as it is highly likely. What do you bomber fans think. My guess is the howls of protest will start in a couple of weeks time.

PS if the Hawks can qualify and have to go to Brisbane, we can beat them. I'd like to be next to Mike Sheehan when that happens.

Even least night he said the swans were more likely to make the finals than Hawthorn. Pure fantasy.

 

[Bernie]

This idea of a soft draw - the Lions did play these teams away. I don't think you could accuse the Lions of benefiting from easy draws, esp. those based at the MCG, where a number of 'away' games are held in familiar surroundings. When the Lions play away , they have to get into a plane !

Anyway, the point about finals at CS. AGAIN, the issue about dudding the fans. Again comparing it with the MCG, well... there's no comparison ( witness last Friday ).

Imagine Bomber fans locked out of a triumphant final. Very nasty ! I guess the AFL hope that the Lions get thru' as , for example ,Tigers supporters would be coming out of the woodwork - try telling them to come back later.

 

[Pessimistic]

The 'soft' draw for some teams has come about by accident because of the strength of bombers, blues and weakness of St Kilda (this year)Its excacerbated because the teams from 3rd to 10th are travelling roughtly similar but some are in 3rd/4th spot and some are in 9th/10th because of the way the draw worked this year. I believe the finals results will reflect this so don't expect 3rd/4th to automatically beat the other teams in the eight.
A melbourne team v Brisbane final would be perfect for colonial but I expect Brisbane to win two more and be 5th or 6th

 

[Jolly Longjohn]

Pitty, It would be nice to see them cry about playing in Melbourne.

 

[gocatsgo]

Let's say the finals end up like this:

Essendon, Carlton, North, Geelong, Melbourne, Brisbane, Bulldogs, Richmond.

Essendon v Geelong - Crowd Expectancy, 70-80,000 - MCG

Carlton v North - 50-60,000 - Colonial

Melbourne v Richmond - 60-70,000 - MCG

Brisbane v Bulldogs - 40,000 - Gabba

Based on that, it should be Carlton and North at Colonial - That ought to please Jack.

Ideally, I think the league would love the Bulldogs to play Brisbane at Colonial and would hope that the Doggies finish 6th and the Lions finish 7th.

***Change a couple around***

ie - Melbourne 4th, Geelong 5th and you'd probably expect 60-70,000 for a Geelong, Richmond Final and 70-80,000 for an Essendon, Melbourne final - Both should be at the MCG.

 

[Pessimistic]

Whichever way you look at it, the 'home' team which gets colonial will not be happy

More evidence to those arguing that the stadium should have been 60,000 plus

Essendon - Supporters will be locked out

Carlton - Don't regard Colonial as a 'home' ground

Melbourne or Geelong - Also don't regard colonial as a home ground

You did get the finishing order quite close

Essendon, Carlton, North - will finish in that order

Geelong and Melbourne will get 4th and 5th
(Geelong to beat Sydney, Melbourne to beat WCE)
Brisbane will beat Saints and Freo to come 6th (if they lose either they don't deserve to be there)

The winner of Bulldogs v Hawthorn will be 7th
(Bulldogs lose to Essendon, Hawks to beat Crows)
Richmond will be 8th (unless they lose to sydney as well as carlton - unlikely but would let loser Bulldogs v Hawks in) but poor percentage cannot get them higher than eigth unless they beat carlton.

 

[Dave]

Which contract? I don't recall one saying a final had to be played at Colonial. The only one I know of is the one with the MCC.

I don't think you're correct in either prediction or reasoning. Tenancy has not decided finals venues for a long time, and wont this time. Schedule Essendon (or Carlton or Richmond for that matter) at Colonial? How much money do you think the AFL would lose? Not to mention all the AFL members they'd piss off!

If three finals are played in Melbourne between Melbourne based teams they'll all be at the 'G.

 

[Hirdhasbigears]

Definetely Carlton vs. North Melbourne will be played at Colonial, because North have next to no supporters. It'll be on the Friday night. I say a night game at Colonial is unfair because Carlton have played only two night games, and two games a Colonial, and will almost certainly finish above North, therefore claiming final rights.North have played lots of night games and lots at Colonial. You couldn't expect a Essendon vs. Melbourne clash to be held there. There would be an uproar from supporters like never before.

 

[Dan26]

I don't think this contract is set in stone.

It's not like the "one final a week at the MCG" contract.

I mean, what if 3 interstate team (in theory) qualified for home finals, and there was only one Victorian Final. This final would be at the MCG leaving no Colonial games.

Logically speaking, unless there are 4 Vic games (meaning there will have to be one at Colonial),I think you will find that Essendon will play at the MCG. Especially if they are playing Melbourne, whose MCC members boost the MCG crowd by another 15,000.

Common-sense will prevail in this case. I'd expect Carlton, Richmond and Essendon to all be playing at the MCG (unless the latter visits the Gabba)

 

[Dave]

Pess - is there a contract, you've got me curious? Or don't you speak to me any more?

 

[Pessimistic]

Sorry folks, I'm not sure of the details but there is a contact to play 41 gamesplus at least one final at colonic

I only assumed it would be in the first week. Perhaps the contact relies on the MCG final being filled.

We'll get to know about it when the venerable media guys move onto this one

I'd be upset if the Hawks were sent to colonial and there was a shortage of seats (like last against the bombers) but it would be preferable to the Gabba, where we will play (if we qualify)

 

[Dave]

Thanks Pess - btw when the Ess v Hawks game was announced as a sellout I see they conveniently forgot another of their pre-season pledges - to sell any unoccupied corporate seats to the genereal public. There were heaps of empty seats on level two.