Year 2000 Draw overhauled as Optus games moved

[Bluey]

Thursday 20 January 2000


Draw overhauled as Optus games moved

By Chris Lines

The AFL has been forced into an 11th hour overhaul of the 2000 draw after striking a deal
to move non-Carlton home games away from Optus Oval. The Blues will receive an undisclosed
amount of compensation over the next seven years after killing off the controversial
agreement for 16 games to be played at Optus until the end of 2006.

Carlton will continue to play nine home games at Optus each year, but no longer will other
clubs be forced to host games at the unpopular 40,000 capacity stadium in Melbourne's inner
north. While those clubs will be happy at the removal of that obligation, they will be less
impressed with having to make last-minute changes to seasons ticket and membership
packages.

Those clubs - Collingwood, Hawthorn, Melbourne, Richmond, St Kilda and the Western Bulldogs
- will also have to help fund Carlton's large and lengthy compensation package. The bulk of
that compensation will be paid by Stadium Operations Group - the owners of the Colonial
Stadium which now has an expanded role - and the rest by the AFL.

The shift of the six non-Carlton games to Colonial in 2000 has had a domino effect, causing
16 fixtures to be changed, and further distorting the draw. Port Adelaide is the only club
to retain the same fixtures, times and venues. The more radical alterations include;

The Melbourne-Brisbane round 10 game now being played on a Monday night rather than Sunday
afternoon;

A Hawthorn-Fremantle round 12 clash becoming a Saturday night game;

A Collingwood-Geelong round 12 match being changed from Saturday to Sunday; and

The Western Bulldogs-Melbourne round 12 showdown moved to Saturday night rather than
Sunday.

Also the order of the two Western Bulldogs-Carlton games and two Brisbane-St Kilda clashes
have been swapped.

The draw revamp has triggered some unusual sequences in individual team draws.

The Western Bulldogs will now play five consecutive home games from rounds two to six and
five away from rounds 17 to 21.

St Kilda will have home games from rounds five to eight but will have three away games to
end the season, including interstate trips for the last two rounds.

Essendon has four straight away games from rounds six to nine. AFL chief executive Wayne
Jackson said consideration had been given to delaying changes until 2001 to prevent the
hasty changes now required.

But he said the Optus issue had been a running sore for many years and the AFL was not
prepared to risk a long-term deal for the sake of short-term convenience.

``What is driving this is ... the supporters of the other six clubs would prefer to be at
Colonial Stadium,'' Jackson said. But he added this would not sound the death knell for
Optus as an AFL venue.

``The future is totally assured. It's the home of the Carlton Football Club - certainly one
of the most powerful clubs in our competition,'' he said.

``They will certainly play their home games there for as far ahead as anyone can see.'' The
one Optus Oval fixture crying out to be changed is the Carlton-Collingwood round 18 game
but AFL football operations manager Ian Collins said that would not be moved despite the
obvious inability to handle the expected crowd. AAP

Revised AFL fixture for the 2000 season after today's decision to move non-Carlton home
games away from Optus Oval.

RD 1 Wednesday March 8 Richmond v Melbourne MCG (night) Thursday March 9 Essendon v Port
Adelaide Colonial Stadium (night) Friday March 10 Kangaroos v West Coast MCG (night)
Saturday March 11 Adelaide v Western Bulldogs Football Park Fremantle v Geelong Subiaco
(night) Sunday March 12 St Kilda v Sydney Colonial Stadium (night) Monday March 13 Carlton
v Brisbane Lions Optus Oval Hawthorn v Collingwood MCG




RD 2 Thursday March 16 Essendon v Richmond MCG (night) Friday March 17 Melbourne v
Kangaroos MCG (night) Saturday March 18 Geelong v St Kilda Shell Stadium Port Adelaide v
Fremantle Football Park (night) Sunday March 19 Carlton v Hawthorn Optus Oval Collingwood v
Adelaide MCG Western Bulldogs v Brisbane Lions Colonial Stadium West Coast v Sydney Subiaco
(night)

RD 3 Friday March 24 Richmond v Kangaroos MCG (night) Saturday March 25 Hawthorn v Brisbane
Lions MCG Adelaide v Geelong Football Park (night) St Kilda v West Coast Colonial Stadium
(night) Sunday March 26 Collingwood v Carlton MCG Western Bulldogs v Port Adelaide Colonial
Stadium Sydney v Melbourne SCG Fremantle v Essendon Subiaco (night)

RD 4 Friday March 31 Kangaroos v Geelong Colonial Stadium (night) Saturday April 1 Hawthorn
v Essendon MCG Western Bulldogs v Carlton Colonial Stadium Sydney v Collingwood SCG (night)
West Coast v Adelaide WACA (night) Sunday April 2 Port Adelaide v Brisbane Lions Football
Park Melbourne v St Kilda MCG Richmond v Fremantle Colonial Stadium

RD 5 Friday, April 7 Western Bulldogs v Collingwood Colonial Stadium (night) Saturday,
April 8 Essendon v Carlton MCG Brisbane Lions v Adelaide Gabba (night) Fremantle v
Melbourne WACA (night) Sunday April 9 Kangaroos v Sydney SCG (3.20pm) St Kilda v Richmond
Colonial Stadium Geelong v West Coast Shell Stadium (12.40pm) Port Adelaide v Hawthorn
Football Park (night)

RD 6 Friday April 14 Western Bulldogs v Essendon Colonial Stadium (night) Saturday April 15
Collingwood v Kangaroos MCG Carlton v Port Adelaide Optus Oval West Coast v Fremantle
Subiaco (night) St Kilda v Brisbane Lions Colonial Stadium (night) Sunday April 16 Adelaide
v Hawthorn Football Park Sydney v Richmond SCG Geelong v Melbourne Shell Stadium

RD 7 Saturday April 22 Hawthorn v Western Bulldogs MCG St Kilda v Kangaroos Colonial
Stadium (night) Sydney v Geelong SCG (night) Sunday April 23 Port Adelaide v Adelaide
Football Park Melbourne v West Coast Colonial Stadium Monday April 24 Richmond v Carlton
MCG Tuesday April 25 Collingwood v Essendon MCG Fremantle v Brisbane Lions Subiaco

RD 8 Friday April 28 Kangaroos v Hawthorn MCG (night) Saturday April 29 St Kilda v Adelaide
Colonial Stadium West Coast v Western Bulldogs WACA (night) Sunday April 30 Port Adelaide v
Melbourne Football Park Carlton v Sydney Optus Oval Geelong v Richmond Colonial Stadium
Monday May 1 Brisbane Lions v Essendon Gabba (night) Collingwood v Fremantle Colonial
Stadium (night)

RD 9 Friday May 5 Western Bulldogs v St Kilda Colonial Stadium (night) Saturday May 6
Hawthorn v Geelong MCG Adelaide v Kangaroos Football Park (night) Richmond v West Coast
Colonial Stadium (night) Sunday May 7 Brisbane Lions v Collingwood Gabba Fremantle v
Carlton Subiaco Sydney v Port Adelaide SCG Melbourne v Essendon MCG

RD 10 Friday May 12 West Coast v Hawthorn Subiaco (night) Saturday May 13 Richmond v
Collingwood MCG Port Adelaide v Geelong Football Park (night) St Kilda v Carlton Colonial
Stadium (night) Sunday May 14 Kangaroos v Fremantle MCG Western Bulldogs v Sydney SCG
Essendon v Adelaide Colonial Stadium Monday May 15 Melbourne v Brisbane Colonial Stadium
(night)

RD 11 Friday May 19 St Kilda v Port Adelaide Colonial Stadium (night) Saturday May 20
Carlton v Kangaroos Optus Oval Hawthorn v Richmond MCG Fremantle v Western Bulldogs Subiaco
(night) Geelong v Essendon Colonial Stadium (night) Sunday May 21 Adelaide v Melbourne
Football Park Collingwood v West Coast Colonial Stadium Sydney v Brisbane Lions SCG

RD 12 Friday May 26 Essendon v St Kilda MCG (night) Saturday May 27 Hawthorn v Fremantle
Colonial Stadium (night) Adelaide v Sydney Football Park (night) Brisbane Lions v Richmond
Gabba (night) () Collingwood v Geelong MCG Sunday May 28 Kangaroos v Port Adelaide SCG West
Coast v Carlton Subiaco Western Bulldogs v Melbourne Colonial Stadium

RD 13 Friday June 2 Richmond v Adelaide Colonial Stadium Saturday June 3 Melbourne v
Carlton MCG Brisbane Lions v West Coast Gabba (night) Essendon v Kangaroos Colonial Stadium
(night) Sunday June 4 Port Adelaide v Collingwood Football Park Fremantle v St Kilda
Subiaco Geelong v Western Bulldogs Colonial Stadium Sydney v Hawthorn SCG

RD 14 Friday June 9 Kangaroos v Brisbane Lions Colonial Stadium (night) Saturday June 10
Melbourne v Collingwood MCG West Coast v Port Adelaide Subiaco (night) St Kilda v Hawthorn
Colonial Stadium (night) Sunday June 11 Sydney v Essendon SCG Carlton v Geelong Optus Oval
Adelaide v Fremantle Football Park (night) Monday June 12 Richmond v Western Bulldogs MCG

RD 15 Friday June 16 Collingwood v St Kilda MCG (night) Saturday June 17 Carlton v Adelaide
Optus Oval Geelong v Brisbane Lions Shell Stadium Hawthorn v Melbourne MCG Essendon v West
Coast Colonial Stadium (night) Sunday June 18 Port Adelaide v Richmond Football Park
Fremantle v Sydney Subiaco Western Bulldogs v Kangaroos Colonial Stadium

RD 16 Friday, June 23 Collingwood v Hawthorn Colonial Stadium (night) Saturday June 24
Melbourne v Richmond MCG Geelong v Fremantle Shell Stadium Sydney v St Kilda SCG (night)
Port Adelaide v Essendon Football Park (night Sunday June 25 Brisbane Lions v Carlton Gabba
West Coast v Kangaroos Subiaco Western Bulldogs v Adelaide Colonial Stadium

RD 17 Friday June 30 St Kilda v Geelong Colonial Stadium (night) Saturday July 1 Richmond v
Essendon MCG Fremantle v Port Adelaide WACA Kangaroos v Melbourne Colonial Stadium (night)
Sunday July 2 Brisbane Lions v Western Bulldogs Gabba Sydney v West Coast SCG Hawthorn v
Carlton MCG Adelaide v Collingwood Football Park

RD 18 Friday July 7 Essendon v Fremantle Colonial Stadium (night) Saturday July 8 Geelong v
Adelaide Shell Stadium Melbourne v Sydney MCG Kangaroos v Richmond SCG (night) West Coast v
St Kilda WACA (night) Sunday July 9 Port Adelaide v Western Bulldogs Football Park Carlton
v Collingwood Optus Oval Brisbane Lions v Hawthorn Gabba

RD 19 Friday July 14 Geelong v Kangaroos Colonial Stadium (night) Adelaide v West Coast
Football Park (night) Saturday July 15 Carlton v Western Bulldogs Optus Oval Essendon v
Hawthorn Colonial Stadium (night) Sunday July 16 Brisbane Lions v Port Adelaide Gabba
Fremantle v Richmond WACA Collingwood v Sydney MCG St Kilda v Melbourne Colonial Stadium

RD 20 Friday, July 21 Carlton v Essendon MCG (night) Saturday July 22 Hawthorn v Port
Adelaide MCG West Coast v Geelong Subiaco (night) Sydney v Kangaroos SCG (night)
Collingwood v Western Bulldogs Colonial Stadium (night) Sunday, July 23 Adelaide v Brisbane
Lions Football Park Melbourne v Fremantle Colonial Stadium Richmond v St Kilda MCG

RD 21 Friday July 28 Essendon v Western Bulldogs Colonial Stadium (night) Saturday, July 29
Hawthorn v Adelaide MCG Brisbane v St Kilda Gabba (night) Richmond v Sydney Colonial
Stadium (night) Sunday, July 30 Port Adelaide v Carlton Football Park Fremantle v West
Coast Subiaco Melbourne v Geelong MCG Kangaroos v Collingwood Colonial Stadium

RD 22 Friday August 4 Western Bulldogs v Hawthorn Colonial Stadium (night) Saturday, August
5 Essendon v Collingwood MCG Geelong v Sydney Shell Stadium Brisbane Lions v Fremantle
Gabba (night) Kangaroos v St Kilda SCG (night) Sunday, August 6 Adelaide v Port Adelaide
Football Park West Coast v Melbourne Subiaco Carlton v Richmond MCG

According to the AFL under current licensing arrangements, newspapers are permitted to
reproduce the 2000 AFL Fixture in its entirety once only and to protect the AFL's copyright
ask that the following line be included when the fixture is printed. Reproduction of any of
these programs - whole or in part - is permitted only with the prior written approval of
the Australian Football League. Fixture is subject to change without notice. Copyright 1999
- Australian Football League.

 

[JoffaMan]

I didn't think they played games at Optus anymore

 

[Andyt30]

less grounds in victoria = More interstate Matches

 

[LongBomb]

Stop digging up ancient and irrelevant threads you tool.

 

[Hawkk]

What a financial masterpiece that was moving the Hawthorn Fremantle game to the Dump

If I remember correctly our president was discouraging people from attending to avoid paying compensation to Carlton or something.

 

[Father Jack]

this is from the year 2000 ... i didnt know that they had any internets back then.

 

[WhyAlwaysMe]

this is from the year 2000 ... i didnt know that they had any internets back then.

I think you're thinking of Collingwood supporters

 

[Nardz]

I think you're thinking of Collingwood supporters

Thank you but i've been online since around 1995.

And that is VERY rich coming from a south australian (?)

 

[m.diddy]

Thank you but i've been online since around 1995.

Medal or a mars bar??

 

[Nardz]

Medal or a mars bar??

how about a bit of both? one of those chocolate medallians

 

[Prince Imperial]

This article is a reminder of the financial disaster of this agreement for the AFL that still continues to this year that was engineered during the reign of Ross Oakley as CEO. In the 1980s Hawthorn entered in long term agreement with Carlton to play games at Princes Park which resulted in the construction of the Elliot Stand. The Hawks were unhappy with their financial arrangement and Oakley (a former Hawthorn director) engineered their move to Waverley in the early 90s. As compensation, Carlton was given the right to host 22 home games per year at their ground until 2006.

With the revenue from 22 games guaranteed, Carlton had no incentive to offer Fitzroy a reasonable financial deal at Princes Park (they lost over $1m there in their last year) and they had to move to the Western Oval where they were doomed. Without Fitzroy, the AFL was forced to pay compensation to the Blues and to force other Victorian clubs to play even more games that suffered from very poor crowds and financial returns. In 2001, as pointed out in this article, the agreement was further reduced to 9 games and even more financial compensation had to be paid to Carlton.

The existence of this agreement encouraged Elliot to build the Legends Stand which has been the main source of Carlton recent woes. For 15 years, the League has paid vast amounts in compensation to the Blues and for many years clubs were forced to play at a ground that affected them badly financially.

I know, hindsight is a wonderful thing and Oakley needs to be congratulated for other matters during this reign. No blame should be sheeted home to Carlton or Hawthorn who both benefited substantially; however, as CEO of the League at the time of the agreement, responsibility for this mess for the League itself and a number of other Victorian clubs must surely rest at his feet.

 

[Sir_Adrian84]

This article is a reminder of the financial disaster of this agreement for the AFL that still continues to this year that was engineered during the reign of Ross Oakley as CEO. In the 1980s Hawthorn entered in long term agreement with Carlton to play games at Princes Park which resulted in the construction of the Elliot Stand. The Hawks were unhappy with their financial arrangement and Oakley (a former Hawthorn director) engineered their move to Waverley in the early 90s. As compensation, Carlton was given the right to host 22 home games per year at their ground until 2006.

With the revenue from 22 games guaranteed, Carlton had no incentive to offer Fitzroy a reasonable financial deal at Princes Park (they lost over $1m there in their last year) and they had to move to the Western Oval where they were doomed. Without Fitzroy, the AFL was forced to pay compensation to the Blues and to force other Victorian clubs to play even more games that suffered from very poor crowds and financial returns. In 2001, as pointed out in this article, the agreement was further reduced to 9 games and even more financial compensation had to be paid to Carlton.

The existence of this agreement encouraged Elliot to build the Legends Stand which has been the main source of Carlton recent woes. For 15 years, the League has paid vast amounts in compensation to the Blues and for many years clubs were forced to play at a ground that affected them badly financially.

I know, hindsight is a wonderful thing and Oakley needs to be congratulated for other matters during this reign. No blame should be sheeted home to Carlton or Hawthorn who both benefited substantially; however, as CEO of the League at the time of the agreement, responsibility for this mess for the League itself and a number of other Victorian clubs must surely rest at his feet.

Teams didn't want to play there in 2000. Teams like the Saints and Melbourne who had agreements at the G and TD.

 

[Crosby87]

Phew. Thank God I dodged the Y2K bug, but what the hell am I gonna do with all this canned corn?

 

[blues4flag]

I didn't think they played games at Optus anymore

And exactly why did you bring this back up ?

 

[Angry Dragon]

I liked Bluey before he started calling himself Groves.

 

[johnnyhoward]

Why?