Any chance we could make the season opener not the same teams every year?

[Professor Knowall]

... Call me crazy but I reckon Collingwood or Melbourne vs Richmond would generate a lot more hype than Carlton. But hey they got a massive crowd last year and no doubt millions watched it on TV (as opposed to all the other games of footy on offer) so why would they change?

Yes ... and that's the point. Coll v Rich (while both are flying) would get that crowd and ratings at any time during the season, including the depths of Winter - so why waste such a top drawing game to open the season with. On the other hand, Carlton can only draw a massive crowd on round 1 - and that's it for them.

So it all makes sense. Don't waste top games on round 1, save them for later, and give Carlton it's one and only chance at a really high drawing game (until they eventually come good at some stage in the hopefully distant future)

 

[Jibroni]

Collingwood v Geelong or Crows v Hawks should have been tonight.

 

[WhyAlwaysMe]

Just play the reigning premier against a good team from the year before. Have a huge ceremony with the flag unfurling, bring out the cup with some club legends or whatever and make a real show it of. If you do that you're going to get a big crowd no matter where it is or who they're playing.

This Carlton Richmond opening game isn't tradition. It's something the AFL fabricated a decade ago.

 

[DrEvil_]

Let's face it, Carlton are still major players in this league

Let's face it, they are not.

 

[Tbone McGraw]

Prob been said, but it should be gf replay at the premiers home ground, so they can unveil the flag as, well.

 

[Rich01]

Prob been said, but it should be gf replay at the premiers home ground, so they can unveil the flag as, well.

Great idea.
Rich vs Carl even as a Rich supporter is hard to justify as the season opener year after year. Would actually be happy if the focus wasn’t on our club in the first standalone game.

GF rematch would garner much more attention.

 

[nahnah]

It makes too much sense for the AFL to have the GF rematch the opening game so they'll probably lock in Blues Suns for the next few years

 

[JohnnyFontane90]

It makes too much sense for the AFL to have the GF rematch the opening game so they'll probably lock in Blues Suns for the next few years

maybe if collingwood had drawn a decent crowd when they had the last season opener the AFL might have stuck with them.

 

[JohnnyFontane90]

Don't worry, soon we will be told to "look for glimpses of hope" for Carlton. Like I give a shit. Put on a competitive match to open the season. The suggestion of premiers featuring in the season opener seemed pretty popular and unfurling the flag at home..

the day the crows get within 33 points of richmond at the G i'm sure you'll enjoy seeing those glimpses of hope as well

 

[JohnnyFontane90]

The AFL's arrogance in the belief they can do whatever they want and people will just accept it is beyond belief. They want Carlton/Richmond as an opener and they don't care how bad a spectacle it is.

I assure you if people didn't accept this opener (ie didn't watch it) the afl would change it very quickly.

in fact this game was closer than any opener not involving carlton in the last decade

 

[HTT]

Not a GF rematch. Needs to wait a few weeks so both teams blow the rust out. R3 or 4 seems about right for that I reckon.
Wouldn’t mind a fiery finals rematch though. This year it’d be Richmond v Collingwood, year before it might’ve been Port v WC.
But I doubt it’ll change while the game keeps drawing 70-90k.

 

[StevenwellerHFC]

17th vs. 18th would be better.

 

[DrEvil_]

17th vs. 18th would be better.

Could still be the case this year.

 

[Ocha905]

Just play the reigning premier against a good team from the year before. Have a huge ceremony with the flag unfurling, bring out the cup with some club legends or whatever and make a real show it of. If you do that you're going to get a big crowd no matter where it is or who they're playing.

This Carlton Richmond opening game isn't tradition. It's something the AFL fabricated a decade ago.

West Coast v Richmond would've been incredible.

 

[Art Corvelay]

maybe if collingwood had drawn a decent crowd when they had the last season opener the AFL might have stuck with them.

Nothing to do with it.

 

[King Elvis]

It's tradition for me to tune in and tune out before half time every year. Pumped for this one.

Same again, I guess.




Should be a GF rematch.

 

[juss]

I'm in the GF rematch camp but this has been done to death.
While the game continues to pull massive crowds (84k on a Thursday tonight) and audiences and media attention, the AFL is happy to have it.
It becomes even more likely to stay as Carlton improve.

 

[Resigned]

Only reason the AFL has persisted with this fixture for so long is that it gets 50000 more through the gate than if it were later in the season.

 

[BBC1967]

Anzac Day -???????

 

[AndyLucimitis]

You miserable twats better let the media know it was a terrible night. They are under the mis-apprehension that last night's game was a pretty good spectacle with lots of stories to come out of it (good and bad) !!

 

[mick500]

Yes ... and that's the point. Coll v Rich (while both are flying) would get that crowd and ratings at any time during the season, including the depths of Winter - so why waste such a top drawing game to open the season with. On the other hand, Carlton can only draw a massive crowd on round 1 - and that's it for them.

So it all makes sense. Don't waste top games on round 1, save them for later, and give Carlton it's one and only chance at a really high drawing game (until they eventually come good at some stage in the hopefully distant future)

It's such a cynical and shit way to run the afl though and a lot of us can see through why it's being done and it's at the cost of our entertainment at the season launch. Just to prop up a club that is failing on and off field financially.

You like like it or lump it Sunshine, the privilege is strong, real and it feels absolutely fantastic.

WE ARE THE NAVY BLUES, WE ALWAYS KICK OFF THE SEASON IN STYLE, WE'RE THE ONLY TEAM MOST AUSSIES WANNA WATCH !

The delusion is real.

And no one suggested a Freo vs fold cost season opener. Most think it should be the reigning premiers opening the season against probably a top 4 side from the year before being played at the reigning premiers home ground, unfurling the flag and letting off some fire works and getting the season under way in style.

 

[Gotta_Bea_Hero]

You miserable twats better let the media know it was a terrible night. They are under the mis-apprehension that last night's game was a pretty good spectacle with lots of stories to come out of it (good and bad) !!

You know, most footy fans were looking so forward to the start of the season, and all we really wanted was a good game of footy to watch on TV. The ratings were always going to be high, you are always going to get a good crowd, the standard of the game was poor from both sides. Carlton just had shocking skill errors, and Richmond did well in the first qtr, and just played with them for the rest of the game. It was a crap game, it's the same script each year. You just can't have a top 4 team play a bottom 2 team to kick the season off, year after year.

 

[Carringbush2010]

Will change pretty quickly once they start winning though. You just dislike richmond more atm so its totally understandable.

Me however remember what Carlton supporters are really like. I have a long memory.

**** Carlton

Oh yes I remember Carlton supporters being self righteous flogs when I was in primary school in the 70's expecially after that flog Harmes cheated us out of our 14th. Boy they rubbed the salt in, just like your mob the next year.

So I still have equally fierce rivalry with all the other 3, right now as much as I hate to admit it but the comp would be more combative if the bloose were up and about like us other 3.

 

[Carringbush2010]

Seems 84k justifies the opener, don't know what the tv ratings are but I'd imagine the numbers would be high.

Could it be bettered with the premier or a GF replay at the premiers home ground? Maybe but I'd have my doubts if the suns were premiers and gws were runners up - certainly would be impossible to match the attendance figures of last night at least.

Not to mention changing the opener each year would well change it every year. Right now we have a game that is becoming if not already a marquee game.

 

[AndyLucimitis]

Will change pretty quickly once they start winning though. You just dislike richmond more atm so its totally understandable.

Me however remember what Carlton supporters are really like. I have a long memory.

**** Carlton

Maybe my memory is longer - I remember Richmond supporters during the early-mid 70's (73/74 flags) - you were no shrinking violets yourselves !!


I'm still scarred by the female old bat next door yelling from her kitchen at us after the '73 Grand Final "Good on yer Roycey baby !!"

Edit: I still hate Essendon more though.