Fixture 2025 Fixture Discussion

[Libbaaaa]

Another 'home' game in Adelaide against a strong team for Gather-round.

I quite like the Gather-round concept, but they need to be more even handed with the matchups.

We have been treated to tough fixtures each year, and our close losses in the last two seasons both proved costly. Giving up home advantage against the reigning premier, is a significant price to pay, especially after giving up home advantage against Geelong last year.

If you aren't an Adelaide team the only thing that makes it a 'home' game is the guernsey and shorts you wear.

It is interesting that in the 3 years (including this year) of Gather Round the two Adelaide teams have only played Victorian teams.

All about the crowds.

 

[Turtleman3]

All about the crowds.

But the Adelaide teams should be able to draw crowds whoever they play, surely, like they do during the regular season.

 

[Libbaaaa]

But the Adelaide teams should be able to draw crowds whoever they play, surely, like they do during the regular season.

Crows/Power rarely push 40k against non Vic sides.

 

[Proffessor]

I'm against the concept myself (mainly because the AFL couldn't organise a chook raffle), but we haven't given up anything. This is an additional game, we haven't lost a home game. The first year we were disadvantaged playing an SA team, any non-SA opponent is just another game.

It's comparative, some teams get to play away games against non-SA teams in Adelaide that they would greatly prefer playing at a neutral venue rather than the oppositions actual home ground, where they might be a significant home-advantage.

We play 2 games against Brisbane, one at the Gabba, and one in Adelaide. I'm sure Brisbane are happier with that arrangement than they would be with fixtures at Marvel and Adelaide.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

It's comparative, some teams get to play away games against non-SA teams in Adelaide that they would greatly prefer playing at a neutral venue rather than the oppositions actual home ground, where they might be a significant home-advantage.

But Gather Round adds the match to the existing 11 home 11 away games.

If you were to play the Gather Round matchup at the opposition's home ground, and not have gather round at all, you'd be having 12 away and only 10 home games, which makes no sense.

We play 2 games against Brisbane, one at the Gabba, and one in Adelaide. I'm sure Brisbane are happier with that arrangement than they would be with fixtures at Marvel and Adelaide.

But we have 11 home and 10 away games in our other 21 fixtures, we have a small overall net home ground advantage. Other than those games, Brisbane still have 10 home and 11 away games, too, so you can't ignore that when looking at the overall "arrangement".

On the margins yes it means that we're more likely to have a higher proportion of our home games be against Melbourne-based away teams where we enjoy a smaller home-ground advantage on the margins, but it's so small to not be worthwhile discussing, and besides, it means that of our 9 Melbourne home games, 6 are against other teams from Melbourne, which is very helpful financially, even if it means we're screwed over a handful of points on the season for HGA.

 

[Iamspock]

I might see you there! I love Darwin.

I might be going to be there as well. We go up to see our son play cricket up there, and this year, it might fall at the same time the Dogs play. For those that have been there before, can we just rock up on the night and just pay general admission?

 

[BulldogMuscle]

Does anyone have 1 (even 2) Gather Round' tickets for the Dogs game? Turns out ill be in Adelaide that weekend.

 

[Proffessor]

But Gather Round adds the match to the existing 11 home 11 away games.

If you were to play the Gather Round matchup at the opposition's home ground, and not have gather round at all, you'd be having 12 away and only 10 home games, which makes no sense.


But we have 11 home and 10 away games in our other 21 fixtures, we have a small overall net home ground advantage. Other than those games, Brisbane still have 10 home and 11 away games, too, so you can't ignore that when looking at the overall "arrangement".

On the margins yes it means that we're more likely to have a higher proportion of our home games be against Melbourne-based away teams where we enjoy a smaller home-ground advantage on the margins, but it's so small to not be worthwhile discussing, and besides, it means that of our 9 Melbourne home games, 6 are against other teams from Melbourne, which is very helpful financially, even if it means we're screwed over a handful of points on the season for HGA.

As I said it is a comparative advantage. It helps a direct competitor, assuming we still have high aspirations this year.

Playing a home fixture and a neutral fixture against us gave Geelong an advantage over us last year, and Brisbane benefits similarly this year.

We really don't have much of a home ground advantage which hurts us a lot overall, it could be argued that the only games where we have a significant home advantage is against the interstate sides.

I agree that having more home games against Melbourne based teams help is financially preferable in the short term, although we also need as much on field success as possible to help us financially in the long term.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

As I said it is a comparative advantage. It helps a direct competitor, assuming we still have high aspirations this year.

Playing a home fixture and a neutral fixture against us gave Geelong an advantage over us last year, and Brisbane benefits similarly this year.

We really don't have much of a home ground advantage which hurts us a lot overall, it could be argued that the only games where we have a significant home advantage is against the interstate sides.

I agree that having more home games against Melbourne based teams help is financially preferable in the short term, although we also need as much on field success as possible to help us financially in the long term.

But your point makes no sense mathematically. Last year Geelong got an advantage over us specifically but a disadvantage against the 21 other games they played as they played one more away game. You have to look at the net impact on the whole season.

 

[Proffessor]

But your point makes no sense mathematically. Last year Geelong got an advantage over us specifically but a disadvantage against the 21 other games they played as they played one more away game. You have to look at the net impact on the whole season.

I disagree.
If we are scheduled to play a home game against a team like Brisbane or Geelong in gather round, it precludes the opportunity of playing them at our home ground, and guarantees that any second match-up will be played at their home, as has been the case the last two years.

The extra away game they play is in Adelaide, a neutral venue.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

I disagree.
If we are scheduled to play a home game against a team like Brisbane or Geelong in gather round, it precludes the opportunity of playing them at our home ground, and guarantees that any second match-up will be played at their home, as has been the case the last two years.

The extra away game they play is in Adelaide, a neutral venue.

But it means among our 11 home and 10 away games, we are far more likely, among the teams we only play once in a season, for that to be our home game.

Yes sure we play Brisbane and Geelong at their home ground.

But we also get to play Port, Adelaide and West Coast for example only in Victoria this season, avoiding their rabid home crowds. The fact that we have one fewer away game (11 home and 10 away all other teams) results in the fact that we get to only play Hawthorn at Docklands and not the MCG in an away game.

 

[Sentinel]

I disagree.
If we are scheduled to play a home game against a team like Brisbane or Geelong in gather round, it precludes the opportunity of playing them at our home ground, and guarantees that any second match-up will be played at their home, as has been the case the last two years.

The extra away game they play is in Adelaide, a neutral venue.

It doesn't work like this. The designated home/away team in Gather Round doesn't affect the venue of any double-up match.

In 2023 Richmond was the home side against Sydney in Gather Round and then hosted them at the MCG during the season. The same occured for GWS being the 'home' team to Hawthorn twice that year.

(designated home team shown on top):

 

[geoffjennings79]

But it means among our 11 home and 10 away games, we are far more likely, among the teams we only play once in a season, for that to be our home game.

Yes sure we play Brisbane and Geelong at their home ground.

But we also get to play Port, Adelaide and West Coast for example only in Victoria this season, avoiding their rabid home crowds. The fact that we have one fewer away game (11 home and 10 away all other teams) results in the fact that we get to only play Hawthorn at Docklands and not the MCG in an away game.

There's been 23 games since gather round started, yet you've referred multiple times to 11+10 games apart from our gather round match?

 

[threenewpadlocks]

There's been 23 games since gather round started, yet you've referred multiple times to 11+10 games apart from our gather round match?

No, I'm refuting the original point that we're at a disadvantage because the team that we play in gather round, we play a second time, away (ie the two times that we play them, together, we have a overall home ground disadvantage).

I'm saying that's the incorrect way of looking at it, because we have 11 home 10 away other games. Absent a double up fixture (e.g. we travel to and host Freo so that averages out to zero advantage), we travel interstate to play an opposition for the only time in the season only twice (Sydney and Gold Coast), but host three teams from interstate that we don't have to travel to (West Coast, Adelaide and Port Adelaide). That 3/2 split is only made possible by the fact that we otherwise have 11 home, 10 away other than the Brisbane travel game, and therefore added, nets out to 3/3.

The best way of measuring fixture advantage/disadvantage is to look at the matchups we missed out on in a 34 match fixture.

It's an advantage to not have to travel to Adelaide, twice, among the 11 games that we would have otherwise played in an entirely fair 34 game fixture, among other matchups (e.g. "travelling" to play Hawks at the MCG, etc.)

The chance that we didn't have to travel to Adelaide, twice, was far increased because of the fact that we only have 10 away games, given that you're taking one of the 11 away to play Brisbane away.

Of course we also have to consider Geelong's unique home ground advantages that we always get stuck with an away game there but that's an entirely separate argument.

 

[geoffjennings79]

No, I'm refuting the original point that we're at a disadvantage because the team that we play in gather round, we play a second time, away (ie the two times that we play them, together, we have a overall home ground disadvantage).

I'm saying that's the incorrect way of looking at it, because we have 11 home 10 away other games. Absent a double up fixture (e.g. we travel to and host Freo so that averages out to zero advantage), we travel interstate to play an opposition for the only time in the season only twice (Sydney and Gold Coast), but host three teams from interstate that we don't have to travel to (West Coast, Adelaide and Port Adelaide). That 3/2 split is only made possible by the fact that we otherwise have 11 home, 10 away other than the Brisbane travel game, and therefore added, nets out to 3/3.

The best way of measuring fixture advantage/disadvantage is to look at the matchups we missed out on in a 34 match fixture.

It's an advantage to not have to travel to Adelaide, twice, among the 11 games that we would have otherwise played in an entirely fair 34 game fixture, among other matchups (e.g. "travelling" to play Hawks at the MCG, etc.)

The chance that we didn't have to travel to Adelaide, twice, was far increased because of the fact that we only have 10 away games, given that you're taking one of the 11 away to play Brisbane away.

Of course we also have to consider Geelong's unique home ground advantages that we always get stuck with an away game there but that's an entirely separate argument.

So the answer to my question is simply that you're counting the 21 games other than the two games v Brisbane in Gather Round and at the Gabba?

 

[threenewpadlocks]

So the answer to my question is simply that you're counting the 21 games other than the two games v Brisbane in Gather Round and at the Gabba?

Yes because this is the post I initially referred to.

It's comparative, some teams get to play away games against non-SA teams in Adelaide that they would greatly prefer playing at a neutral venue rather than the oppositions actual home ground, where they might be a significant home-advantage.

We play 2 games against Brisbane, one at the Gabba, and one in Adelaide. I'm sure Brisbane are happier with that arrangement than they would be with fixtures at Marvel and Adelaide.

"Brisbane are happier with that arrangement than with fixtures at Marvel and Adelaide" makes no sense to me because playing us at Brisbane gives them 11 away and 10 other home games. If they were to play us at Marvel and Adelaide instead, by their other 21 games would be 10 away and 11 at home. While they might prefer the arrangement that our two games against us are neutral and home, they would not prefer to play 1 additional away games in all their other games - they would be happier to play 11 home and 10 other away games outside of the Dogs games (obviously)

My point being, is that whatever arrangement Brisbane have with where they play us, it nets out to a roughly similar home ground advantage on the season anyway.