AFL Discrimination against North Melbourne, St Kilda & The Western Bulldogs

[Atomboy]

They all get to play Collingwood at least once a year.

Blockbusters don't have to be fixtured. If you have a proper rival blockbusters occur naturally.
The teams mentioned have no rivals because they're historically shit and pittied, not hated. People feeling sorry for you doesn't draw a crowd.

St Kilda are doing the right thing with the winning, scandals, baker and even the Luke ball saga.

I actualy felt quite sorry for Collingwood for 15+ years before you won the flag though, so how does that work ?

 

[Brilliant]

You were the only person in Australia though. Everyone else was rocking up to games to love us or hate us.

If you actually had an attractive style of footy mixed with the GF appearances, sex scandals, stoner coach etc you would be getting new fans. Your game plan is boring and kills that though. Still, you're building rivalries and forcing attention on yourselves, good job

 

[Torpedo12]

You were the only person in Australia though. Everyone else was rocking up to games to love us or hate us.

If you actually had an attractive style of footy mixed with the GF appearances, sex scandals, stoner coach etc you would be getting new fans. Your game plan is boring and kills that though. Still, you're building rivalries and forcing attention on yourselves, good job

Which is why we hit 40,000 + members last year, please i just ask for bigfooty posters to please use some brains and think before they post sh*t

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

StKilda are not in the same category as North Melbourne and the Bulldogs and its nonsense to imply they cant draw a crowd or rate on tv.

 

[forwardflanker]

StKilda are not in the same category as North Melbourne and the Bulldogs and its nonsense to imply they cant draw a crowd or rate on tv.

If you were going to implement a major and minor league concept then St Kilda along with Hawthorn would be the minor league powerhouses - not really important enough to make it with big boys, but to strong to be relegated to the vfl.

 

[forwardflanker]

StKilda are not in the same category as North Melbourne and the Bulldogs and its nonsense to imply they cant draw a crowd or rate on tv.

1 premiership in their history says they have Nth Melbourne more than covered on the ladder of mediocrity

 

[Hump 17]

1 premiership in their history says they have Nth Melbourne more than covered on the ladder of mediocrity

Congratulations for choosing a team that had more flags than StKilda. You must feel so proud of your efforts in choosing that side.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

1 premiership in their history says they have Nth Melbourne more than covered on the ladder of mediocrity

True but the thread isnt about premierships.

 

[jacko57]

It's not only about the money these games would bring in, but the exposure of a regular blockbuster for North Melbourne would be priceless. Would change the publics perception of the club, and would also help grow membership/supporter numbers. It would be a massive step forward if the NMFC could secure a regular Blockbuster.

True. There's also the advantage that, if a team makes the finals and plays in front of a big crowd, it's not a new ecxperience for players who are used to playing in the 'blockbuster' games, where it IS a new experience for players at other clubs.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

True. There's also the advantage that, if a team makes the finals and plays in front of a big crowd, it's not a new ecxperience for players who are used to playing in the 'blockbuster' games, where it IS a new experience for players at other clubs.

North need to earn blockbuster status by having their fans turn up every week.

This "give us a big game and we promise we'll watch it" mentality is nauseating.

 

[Hump 17]

What I don't understand is why supporters of the so called power clubs get joy out of seeing the possible demise of a less powerful club. It happens at local levels as well then everyone pisses and moans when these clubs collapse and fold. The stronger all teams are the better the football which is better for all.

 

[Hump 17]

North need to earn blockbuster status by having their fans turn up every week.

This "give us a big game and we promise we'll watch it" mentality is nauseating.

Is it the which comes first chicken or the egg question though? Having crap games at crap times doesn't help encourage fans. The AFL may have to bite the bullet and share quality time slots with lesser drawing clubs and promote hard to encourage a stronger supporter base.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

Is it the which comes first chicken or the egg question though? Having crap games at crap times doesn't help encourage fans. The AFL may have to bite the bullet and share quality time slots with lesser drawing clubs and promote hard to encourage a stronger supporter base.

Collingwood was drawing big crowds long before they were given the Anzac Day clash. North was drawing crap crowds long before they became journeymen and travelled from Canberra to Brisbane to Hobart, tyre kicking Ballarat along the way, trying to find somebody who would embrace them.

Its not a chicken and egg situation. Never has been. Its obvious what came first.

The AFL's way of sharing is to put the big clubs in the big money timeslots, and maximising tv revenue which then it shares back equally to all clubs. And the same concept applies to gate redistribution.

 

[Ron The Bear]

Is it the which comes first chicken or the egg question though? Having crap games at crap times doesn't help encourage fans. The AFL may have to bite the bullet and share quality time slots with lesser drawing clubs and promote hard to encourage a stronger supporter base.

Not gonna happen while head office bonuses are dependent on attendances, revenues etc.

 

[wedgetail]

Is it the which comes first chicken or the egg question though? Having crap games at crap times doesn't help encourage fans. The AFL may have to bite the bullet and share quality time slots with lesser drawing clubs and promote hard to encourage a stronger supporter base.

You mean the AFL should shoot itself in the foot (and the wallet) simply to prove a point that the bottom 4 clubs in melbourne plain dont rate... and never will?

Its a good idea actually. If this gets a run, do you promise to sink or swim on the outcome? 2 absolute non negotiable outcomes after a fixed period to consolidate the results (say the 5 year length of this TV deal)

option a) congratulations, we were wrong. enjoy your newfound success
option b) firing squad. Back to the VFL for your club and you choose another club to support.

What say ye all on the even spread of 'blockbusters'?

 

[Teffy]

North need to earn blockbuster status by having their fans turn up every week.

This "give us a big game and we promise we'll watch it" mentality is nauseating.

You are absolutely and completely dedicated to talking over everyone in this thread that doesn't share your view, aren't you?

I think you're more concerned with attendences than the actual sport.

 

[RooHooDoo]

It would be interesting to know just how much a continuous lack of FTA exposure and terrible fixturing affects a clubs ability to grow.

Even though the AFL maximises its revenue in the short term, surely a healthy even competition is what draws the most interest from the average fan. Good games every week played by a number of teams should be the aim.

Of course as pointed out, self interest for certain fat cats in head office serves to stop any advances in this area.

 

[DCS OO7]

All this is doing is encouraging an even more inept fixture with less integrity that it already has.

The way things are going you may not play some sides even once in a season.

And how on earth can any club own a fixture? If this competition had any professionalism at all you would get a fixture at the beginning of the year and just play when you play.

Remember that stupid system that worked every year for 100 years and still operates in every other sport in the world except the highest level of Aussie Rules. Still works in every other league in the country.

And the worst part is it seems you guys want it to continue and make the comp even less professional with less integrity.

FFS guys if it is all about money then strip the salary cap, make it open season. Suits us a plenty over here in the west.

No one wants that yet you want set fixturing to advantage income??

This comp badly needs a rolling draw, that just goes in cirlcles forever until it is possible to play each side twice.
Where your fixture comes out it comes out. Who falls anzac day falls anzac day.

We are such an amateur comp in almost every sense of the word.

This is exactly spot on how it should be

 

[Rob]

Is it the which comes first chicken or the egg question though? Having crap games at crap times doesn't help encourage fans. The AFL may have to bite the bullet and share quality time slots with lesser drawing clubs and promote hard to encourage a stronger supporter base.

I think part of the problem is that each club's supporters don't want a fair draw. They want a blatantly biased draw in favour of their club. Why? Because that's what Collingwood gets.

If the AFL scheduled the draw evenly amongst all teams, each team would get:

1 friday night home game + 1 away game (and an extra one if you're lucky)
11 FTA slots
Home games against 2 of the big 4, 3 if they're lucky

These are all things that most years, all Victorian clubs receive. Yet we still see threads like this. Supporters want 8 Friday night games a year plus guaranteed blockbusters on public holidays, and they won't be happy until they get it.

 

[clobba]

I'd certainly have no particular interest in any games vs the Dog's even if the AFL tried to trump up some Frankensteinish type of "Blockbuster" involving them, now if we had a shot at the Cats in some sort of whoop'de'doo round it might grab my interest

 

[Thommo 42]

There are plenty of public holidays, they should get together at create one.

Then again, Blockbusters are mostly blockbusters due to who is contesting them - not when they're played. (with Anzac Day the obvious exception)

 

[clobba]

St Kilda has had many blockbusters recently and the rivalry is unequalled in the league. Just the other week I'm sure I heard that they vowed never to be beaten by a St Kilda school girl ever again.

wow I think we were just whipped with a limp noodle...poor bastards wife cops the same every night

 

[SA1NTER]

Anybody who watched the Saints vs Dogs last Friday night will understand why that should not be a 'marquee' match up!!

You realise the Collingwood vs Melbourne match was just as boring right?? Well it was FYI.

 

[Lord Nicholson]

You realise the Collingwood vs Melbourne match was just as boring right?? Well it was FYI.

Not quite. While Collingwood weren't clean, they were demonstrative, with a few patches of excitement here and there.

The Friday night match was irredeemably horrendous. With maybe Goddard's goal being an exception.

 

[HyperAgressiveDonk]

It would be interesting to know just how much a continuous lack of FTA exposure and terrible fixturing affects a clubs ability to grow.

Massively, I have no doubt. Anyone clubs that get regular FTA games, Friday night games and better timeslots are at such a huge advantage over the clubs that don't. We're talking about a clubs "brand" being exposed to potentially hundreds of thousands of people more that week. Add that up over a long preiod of time, and it adds up to tens of thousands of supporters & millions of dollars long term.

North Melbourne need more exposure, they need regular FTA & Friday night games. There is no reason, why a club like Carlton should get the season opener, 6 Friday night games, and be loaded up with blockbusters, when a side like North Melbourne get 1 Friday night game, and poor fixturing & timeslots.

If you only give Carlton one Friday night game, no season opener, and a bunch of crappy timeslots. It would make the world of difference. They have been struggling for members ( compared to the other Big Four clubs ) as it is, even with the all the assistance they recieve via the Fixture from the AFL. Take away the perks they get with the fixturing, and you would be looking at a club in serious trouble, considering they still owe a lot of money, and have been struggling for members recently.

The fact the AFL have intentionally shafted North Melbourne time and time again, and given a leg up to other clubs is nothing short of corruption. It's a disgrace.