2011 Official AFL Fixture

[Jaeger]

This coming from a club last year who had to only travel 3 times. Last year we had a difficult one and this year we got a easy one. Last year you got a easy one and this year you got a stock standard one.
Take the goggles off mate

We have to travel 13 times next year, one less than the interstate clubs. And we only play Collingwood once, which is usually a win. Understandable why the AFL would want to avoid that.

explain how?

I'd say we have a better draw than 2010, however a tougher run home.

Definitely a better draw than you got this year.

You don't travel until Rd 14, and that's against Sydney who you always beat.

The run home wont be tough if a top 4 spot is sealed up halfway through the year. And you will probably be in great form after gaining confidence from such an easy start.

At the end of the day, you play good football, attract big crowds and all of that, but it just looks like you'll cruise through to the finals in 2011. And I think that is what the AFL are banking on.

 

[Tas]

You will be in Tassie by then so don't need to worry about that.

That is pretty rich coming from a supporter of a club who is selling games to the scrap yards we rejected. You guys have to sell games to get by as a top 4 club, it is only downhill from there.

 

[cfx_1]

explain how?

I'd say we have a better draw than 2010, however a tougher run home.

The AFL addressed every whinging anti-collingwood supporter by making the road home tough instead of the road in. Then we have the cats, saints are carlton twice, which *should* be the top 4 next year. We travel the same or more than most melbourne clubs except for saints and bombers, but to be honest they fly to easy beat city...

What everyone is whinging about is the fact that we won the cup in 2010 and were the best Home and Away team with the bullshit draw we got last year and now it looks easier because we are better and will continue to be better and it doesn't look like we will be stopped.

 

[Jaeger]

Didn't include Hawthorn as they are not flogging games per se. They've effectively part-relocated.

Not really.

We just sell games that wouldn't attract a good crowd in Melbourne and make a fortune out of it.

Aren't you guys looking into it?

 

[paulige]

What a draw! I doubt anyone was gifted a draw as soft as brisbanes. Loving that extra gabba game- thanks GC.

6 games in melbourne, 3 of them at the G, and no skilled trip. Couldn't ask for much more.

Sounds like north got stitched up pretty bad..

 

[DaVe86]

We have to travel 13 times next year, one less than the interstate clubs. And we only play Collingwood once, which is usually a win. Understandable why the AFL would want to avoid that.



Definitely a better draw than you got this year.

You don't travel until Rd 14, and that's against Sydney who you always beat.

The run home wont be tough if a top 4 spot is sealed up halfway through the year. And you will probably be in great form after gaining confidence from such an easy start.

At the end of the day, you play good football, attract big crowds and all of that, but it just looks like you'll cruise through to the finals in 2011. And I think that is what the AFL are banking on.

can't argue with that.

Realistically, if Collingwood is on top of the ladder by the mid-way mark, we are going to be hard to stop regardless of the tougher run home.

Our start to the year is very good. It's a dream start really. If a few sides don't knock us off, we'll go into cruise control 2nd half and be peaking for finals.


However, we are traditionally average starters....and we will have a later start to the year than most....so if we are in the pack by the mid-way mark...we might struggle to cement the top 2 spot.

 

[docks]

Jesus over sensitive much?

What the hell did I say? I can't really see what I said there to apparently cause you so much angst.

lmao, Geelong are a bit sensitive atm, this guy took the lead from Bomber and Gazza

 

[Jaeger]

The AFL addressed every winging anti-collingwood supporter by making the road home tough instead of the road in.

As we saw with Hawthorn this year, a good start is crucial.

After starting so terribly this season, we had to win 11 of the last 14 games to sneak into the finals.

A good start is everything, IMO, and the AFL have done their best to ensure Collingwood have a great one in 2011.

 

[manicmagpie]

I seriously think the Herald Sun prepares this story in advance every year and then just runs it no matter what the facts are:

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/a...am-2011-afl-draw/story-e6frf9io-1225945032119

"Collingwood given dream 2011 AFL draw"

The Pies this year powered to a premiership despite playing all of the previous season's top-three teams twice.

Next year, their draw is enticing, with 18 of their 22 games in Melbourne, and no travel until Round 14.

Note how they now claim we had a tough draw last year - at the time the fixture was released they again claimed it was a "dream draw".

This was mostly based on a run of Melbourne games at the end of the season. Of course, this year our travel is weighted towards the last few weeks, including Perth in the secound last round but surprise, surprise this is now an advantage.

Even their two byes are perfectly placed, with Malthouse's charges given the opportunity to rest up in Rounds 7 and 13.

Really? Ever since the AFL announced the structure of the season, the talk has been it's a big advantage to get the bye in the last few weeks of the year to allow you to freshen up for the finals, with the AFL even floating the idea of giving the last byes to the teams who finished in the bottom 3 of this season to lessen the chances of an unfair advatage. Now all of a sudden it seems everyone was hankering after Rounds 7 & 13, because that's what Collingwood got.

Their interstate encounters are far from challenging - they play Sydney, the Gold Coast, Port Adelaide and Fremantle in their four trips spaced over the last ten weeks.

Wow, our interstate encounters are far from challenging! We play the top 3 interstate teams from last year plus the unknown quantity in the Gold Coast. Of the 3 teams we don't play none of them finished higher than 11th including 2 of them in the bottom 4 and who are expected to stay there next year. But apparently if we played them that would be more challenging.

Our draw isn't a dream or a nightmare, it's an average one. We play a mixture of top teams and bottom teams twice (teams ranked 2, 3, 8, 10, 12 & 14 last year - not forgetting that we can't play the no. 1 team). We have 4 away interstate games, less than some for sure but not the lowest. We get plenty of games at our home ground but most are either our home games or games against fellow tenants. There are only two instances of teams that don't have the G as their home ground playing their home game against us there and in both cases they specifically request to do so (Essendon & Geelong).

Is it too much to ask for some measured opinions about Collingwood's draw? Surely Melbourne has a far easier one this year but I don't see any headlines about that.

 

[DaVe86]

You just have to feel for North.

 

[Spluff]

Manuka for the dogs, TIO stadium for Melbourne, Richmond at TIO as well.
Port have to play in Darwin twice

It's Port that made the majority of the deal. They play 2 games in Darwin every year against one of Melbourne, Richmond or the Dogs.

 

[brjafi]

collingwoods got the easiest fixture....tough run home supporters say!!! yeah right, collingwood get the easiest start and finish to there fixture. what the hell??

 

[DaVe86]

easy start yes...but playing Saints, Dockers (in perth) and Geelong is no easy finish.

Theres a few others with equally good draws i reckon.

 

[cfx_1]

As we saw with Hawthorn this year, a good start is crucial.

After starting so terribly this season, we had to win 11 of the last 14 games to sneak into the finals.

A good start is everything, IMO, and the AFL have done their best to ensure Collingwood have a great one in 2011.

I understand what your saying shepp, but here in lies the fail, not necessarily by you but thousands of other whinging opposition supporters. The reality is that this year we could not have had a worse draw and yet still the nit picking of the games at the G towards the end of the season.

You could quite literally pick apart any single team in the AFL and say "well you have an advantage cause of blah blah blah....."

The AFL addressed this problem that was apparently the "sole" reason for us winning and now its all about the easy start!

Its just a knowledge fail by people who know nothing about fixturing.

 

[TheLastCall]

easy start yes...but playing Saints, Dockers (in perth) and Geelong is no easy finish.

Theres a few others with equally good draws i reckon.

The games people play vs teams coming off a bye will be tough matches, look who get no teams coming off a bye.

HOW OFTEN YOUR TEAM PLAYS OPPONENTS COMING OFF THE BYE
(not including Essendon's bye in round 24)

4 - Fremantle, Geelong, Sydney
3 - Essendon, Melbourne, West Coast
2 - Adelaide, Carlton, North Melbourne, Port Adelaide, St Kilda
1 - Brisbane, Richmond
0 - Collingwood, Gold Coast, Hawthorn, Western Bulldogs

I'm surprised three finalists got no teams coming off of the byes.

 

[Primetime Pricey]

We have to travel 13 times next year, one less than the interstate clubs. And we only play Collingwood once, which is usually a win. Understandable why the AFL would want to avoid that.

Are you counting your Tasmania games as Interstate ones?
You cant claim your games in Tassie which you wanted there as a away game FFS.
Last year we played you twice.. wonder why the AFL didnt try to avoid that

 

[Dangas]

As I said earlier, I was talking ladder position not head-to-head.

Suits me playing you guys twice too. It guarantees a Carlton game in Sydney. I know it's not a happy hunting ground for us but I live just down the road so it's nice to go to a game by bus, rather than plane.

Saturday night at the SCG too. When was the last time that happened in Sydney? We played a night game at Homebush a few years back but I can't remember playing a night game at the SCG in a long while.

Friday you mean?

 

[Cthublhu]

Friday you mean?

Yeah, that's what I meant to write.

 

[The Falcon Strike]

The games people play vs teams coming off a bye will be tough matches, look who get no teams coming off a bye.

HOW OFTEN YOUR TEAM PLAYS OPPONENTS COMING OFF THE BYE
(not including Essendon's bye in round 24)

4 - Fremantle, Geelong, Sydney
3 - Essendon, Melbourne, West Coast
2 - Adelaide, Carlton, North Melbourne, Port Adelaide, St Kilda
1 - Brisbane, Richmond
0 - Collingwood, Gold Coast, Hawthorn, Western Bulldogs

I'm surprised three finalists got no teams coming off of the byes.

West Coast have 3 off a bye as you point out - but in 1 of those games - we have just had the bye ourselves.

in the other 2 - we come off 8 day breaks -.

Overall - it is a stunning draw for WC IMO

 

[cfx_1]

The games people play vs teams coming off a bye will be tough matches, look who get no teams coming off a bye.

HOW OFTEN YOUR TEAM PLAYS OPPONENTS COMING OFF THE BYE
(not including Essendon's bye in round 24)

4 - Fremantle, Geelong, Sydney
3 - Essendon, Melbourne, West Coast
2 - Adelaide, Carlton, North Melbourne, Port Adelaide, St Kilda
1 - Brisbane, Richmond
0 - Collingwood, Gold Coast, Hawthorn, Western Bulldogs

I'm surprised three finalists got no teams coming off of the byes.

I think this would be the hardest thing to fixture, especially when you take into account all the pre-scheduled games (anzac day, queens bday, anz stadium clash etc) it would just throw everything out. Out of interest do you know which of them are home games?

 

[footy_noob]

happy with adelaide's draw.
poor north, not writing them off though.

 

[Thermo]

Yet another dream draw for Geelong, no surprises there

Haha that must have been a joke, right?

 

[George Washington]

I don't think playing teams coming off the bye is necessarily as bad as it's being made out. Isn't the trend after the split round that teams usually struggle for the first half after their week off against teams who had the break in the first week?

 

[strategy]

North got done over for the last half of the season .

 

[jimmy35]

I don't think playing teams coming off the bye is necessarily as bad as it's being made out. Isn't the trend after the split round that teams usually struggle for the first half after their week off against teams who had the break in the first week?

I'd agree. Wouldn't have thought it to be a huge concern.

Apart from Pies the Dees would be happy enough with the draw and North not quite so.