Fixture 2025 Fixture Discussion

[Libbaaaa]

Other than it seems a given that the Dogs are always fixtured to play in Geelong; to me it would make much more sense that if it is going to be built up as Bailey Smith against his old team then this game should be played at Marvel. There would be more Bulldog supporters in attendance and therefore more crowd involvement and atmosphere.

So silly isn’t it. The whole week will be built up as Sniff v. the Dogs but it’s at his home ground so a complete own goal by the AFL. We’ll belt them anyway.

At least for the first time in many years they're not playing the final round at Shithole Stadium.

Though they get to play us at home on a Thursday night and they'll lock most of us out

They rarely sell out at Alphabet Park though the prices are very stiff compared to Marvel.

 

[X_box_X]

Did the AFL miss an opportunity not scheduling NM, Hawthorn and WB to play each other twice?

Of those three, only one match is played twice (WB v NM).

100 year celebration for all three clubs, bizarre really.

Haw v WB especially should have been played twice given this year's EF.

 

[lachy]

On overall balance not a bad draw.

Great to get a Home game at the G, shame it is at the expense of a Marvel game further devaluing premium seat holders in particular with their Marvel seats.

Good idea to have both Ballarat games in the middle of the season. Last year showed the folly of playing games their in "better weather".

May have got 1 or 2 thousand more at the games there but meant the vast Majority of Members did not get a home game to round 3 and could not get to our last game playing for a place in the finals.

The fixture is not too easy or hard but we get to control our own destiny

On SM-S926B using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Libbaaaa]

Did the AFL miss an opportunity not scheduling NM, Hawthorn and WB to play each other twice?

Of those three, only one match is played twice (WB v NM).

100 year celebration for all three clubs, bizarre really.

Haw v WB especially should have been played twice given this year's EF.

Hawks belted us and no real venom or controversy coming out of the game, so can’t see the demand for a double up. Plus we would have played them in Tassie anyway.

 

[LondonBulldog]

On overall balance not a bad draw.

Great to get a Home game at the G, shame it is at the expense of a Marvel game further devaluing premium seat holders in particular with their Marvel seats.

Good idea to have both Ballarat games in the middle of the season. Last year showed the folly of playing games their in "better weather".

May have got 1 or 2 thousand more at the games there but meant the vast Majority of Members did not get a home game to round 3 and could not get to our last game playing for a place in the finals.

The fixture is not too easy or hard but we get to control our own destiny

On SM-S926B using BigFooty.com mobile app

I'm hoping as reserve seat holders we get equivalent allocated seat at the MCG. Other clubs do it.

 

[Doggy]

Still get our standard 2 games at the MCG. Yet 1 less game at Marvel

 

[Libbaaaa]

Still get our standard 2 games at the MCG. Yet 1 less game at Marvel

North gets 3 at the MCG which is hilarious.

 

[Dale4captain]

North gets 3 at the MCG which is hilarious.

Not sure it’s as big a deal now that Whitten oval is redeveloped. We have space to mimic the dimensions of MCG now. I know it’s not the same but helps a lot with game plan etc.

 

[Dogs 13]

Did the AFL miss an opportunity not scheduling NM, Hawthorn and WB to play each other twice?

Of those three, only one match is played twice (WB v NM).

100 year celebration for all three clubs, bizarre really.

Haw v WB especially should have been played twice given this year's EF.

And 1961 Grand Final

 

[geoffjennings79]

I hope there's another salute to John Schultz, even in passing, somewhere in our coming promos for 2025. We never really gave him the send off he deserved in elim final week.

I was thinking the 14th minute of our r14 match, but it's an away game at Marvel v Saints. Maybe 14th minute of round 1 his smiling face is flashed up on the screens at Marvel.

Just a thought.

 

[Bulldog Brent]

Not sure where we discuss ticketing etc but hope everyone had success with tickets for Gather Round.

Looks like it’s sold out? Got 3 today though.

 

[Doggy]

Not sure where we discuss ticketing etc but hope everyone had success with tickets for Gather Round.

Looks like it’s sold out? Got 3 today though.

Yeah looks like all GA. Got a few

 

[MrChristo]

I hate that ground at Vladivostok, those narrow wings and square pockets.

Gotta be real careful to keep the corporate box windows shut too.

 

[geoffjennings79]

Gotta be real careful to keep the corporate box windows shut too.

Reminds me of a funny story. In the 90s, when I dallied in the corporate world and worked for a top 20 company, a group of us younger guys used to regularly get offered the company corporate box at the G (for the sh1tty fixtures senior mgmt couldn't be bothered entertaining at).

The box was drunk dry several times, and on one of those occasions, with the front sliding window open for some atmosphere from the sounds of fans in the terrace seats below, one of my colleagues - having had more than a skinfull, staggered down the steps trying to re-take his seat. He tripped, fell forward, and briefly half hung on the window track/sill, a split second from going over and dropping metres to the concrete concourse metres below. Luckily another well-built colleague (not quite as maggoted fortunately) grabbed his belt and yanked the tripee back inside. After that close call, we only opened windows a few inches wide (plus everything that happened in the box without senior mgmt in attendance "stayed in the box"! )

 

[Turtleman3]

Fixture for World Cup

This discussion on the cricket World Cup could easily be about the AFL and its fixturing.

 

[Libbaaaa]

Andrew Dillon giving interviews a few weeks back saying the unequal fixture is not a big issue tells you everything you need to know about how cooked it is.

 

[_Cerberus_]

Andrew Dillon giving interviews a few weeks back saying the unequal fixture is not a big issue tells you everything you need to know about how cooked it is.

There is no real solution though. You cannot play everyone twice as it is too many games. Playing each other once, means that the season is shorter than the cricket and NRL seasons. F that, I like my footy. The sooner we get to 20 teams, where there will likely only be 3-4 double ups. Is the closest we will get to a balanced fixture. The biggest unfairness of the fixture to me is not who plays who, but the financial side of it. Who plays where and when.

I still think AFL fans are just the worlds biggest sooks when it comes to the fixture. Soccer fans froth at the idea of being drawn Real Madrid in the Champions League. The NFLs fixture can see some teams play opponents from the weakest two divisions, and some get the hardest. The NRL has the same issues as AFL, but I don't hear their fans complain about double ups. If you're good enough to win and make finals, you should not need to worry about who players Tigers, North and Eagles twice.

Marque exposure. Prime time slots exposure. Which can affect membership growth, income at the gates, etc. And some teams never having to plays the Cats in Geelong etc. Are bigger issues. Teams like Blues can be s**t for so long. I remember them still getting like a dozen prime time games when they were down the very bottom at one point. The AFL only care about maximizing the money for themselves, even at the expense of smaller clubs, and closing the gap between all teams. The "clubs last big and relevant in the 1970s", still get kissed on the D all the time by the league.

 

[dogwatch]

There is no real solution though. You cannot play everyone twice as it is too many games. Playing each other once, means that the season is shorter than the cricket and NRL seasons. F that, I like my footy. The sooner we get to 20 teams, where there will likely only be 3-4 double ups. Is the closest we will get to a balanced fixture. The biggest unfairness of the fixture to me is not who plays who, but the financial side of it. Who plays where and when.

I still think AFL fans are just the worlds biggest sooks when it comes to the fixture. Soccer fans froth at the idea of being drawn Real Madrid in the Champions League. The NFLs fixture can see some teams play opponents from the weakest two divisions, and some get the hardest. The NRL has the same issues as AFL, but I don't hear their fans complain about double ups. If you're good enough to win and make finals, you should not need to worry about who players Tigers, North and Eagles twice.

Marque exposure. Prime time slots exposure. Which can affect membership growth, income at the gates, etc. And some teams never having to plays the Cats in Geelong etc. Are bigger issues. Teams like Blues can be s**t for so long. I remember them still getting like a dozen prime time games when they were down the very bottom at one point. The AFL only care about maximizing the money for themselves, even at the expense of smaller clubs, and closing the gap between all teams. The "clubs last big and relevant in the 1970s", still get kissed on the D all the time by the league.

There are plenty of solutions but the AFL is not giving priority to solving the issue.
It's giving priority to maximising revenue. Can't see that changing any time soon.

 

[Hoges64]

I still think AFL fans are just the worlds biggest sooks when it comes to the fixture. Soccer fans froth at the idea of being drawn Real Madrid in the Champions League.

What???

No they don't.

No fan in the world ever wants to see their side get drawn against Real. 80% of the time that's a death sentence. Who in their right mind would EVER want to INCREASE their chances of going out of the CL early when there's so much money involved?

 

[Pugz89]

Essendon fans whinging about having to play in Geelong for only the second time in more than 20 years. lol

 

[Hoges64]

Essendon fans whinging about having to play in Geelong for only the second time in more than 20 years. lol

Absolutely mind-boggling, isn't it...

Privileged campaigners.

 

[hutchy31]

Absolutely mind-boggling, isn't it...

Privileged campaigners.

It is one of the most frustrating things in the calendar