Did anybody else catch undertones of "no more blockbusters at the G"?

[ok.crows]

I thought I heard one of the club presidents mention it in "reaction" on today's news soundbites, and the ABC in Adelaide seemed to suggest it was on the cards, making note of Demetrious attitude to the MCC & draw for next season about to be released.

 

[windyhill]

Just as The M.C.G needs football, football needs The M.C.G, all very predictable talk, will not happen.

 

[ok.crows]

Originally posted by windyhill
Just as The M.C.G needs football, football needs The M.C.G, all very predictable talk, will not happen.

Not from the look on Demetriou's face as the question was posed. Only caught a glimpse, so could be mistaken.

The AFL needs credibility to survive as a national competition, and by threatening the MCC with a set of 41 poor games at the MCG next season, the AFL has a chance to bring pressure to bear. Who would buy MCG memberships with a load of poor games on offer?

The pressure could be made to bear on the MCC for a long time before next season actually began & the AFL had to bear any consequence.

 

[M29]

Originally posted by ok.crows
Not from the look on Demetriou's face as the question was posed. Only caught a glimpse, so could be mistaken.

The AFL needs credibility to survive as a national competition, and by threatening the MCC with a set of 41 poor games at the MCG next season, the AFL has a chance to bring pressure to bear. Who would buy MCG memberships with a load of poor games on offer?

The pressure could be made to bear on the MCC for a long time before next season actually began & the AFL had to bear any consequence.

Ha! And where are they going to hold the rest? At colonial?Please, that hole can't handle 1 game a weekend with 50,000 let alone 2 or 3.

 

[The Scarecrow]

I would be interested to know where the rest of the games are going to be held. Because Telstra Dome cannot support the amount of supports from a game like Collingwood/Essendon, because half the supporters would still be outside at Half time, so unless Telstra Dome gets more ticket offices there will no chance of that ground holding any "blockbuster" games.

 

[Adrian Shelton]

Maybe the clubs should get together to tell the MCC where to go, 50000 at an empty ground while the teams are happily playing each other interstate somewhere would soon send the MCC a message, the leauge too.

 

[ok.crows]

Originally posted by M29
Ha! And where are they going to hold the rest? At colonial?Please, that hole can't handle 1 game a weekend with 50,000 let alone 2 or 3.

Say what ?

The MCG is entitled to host 41 minor round games per year.

There is no suggestion that next year is any different in quantity of games, only quality.

"All poor games at the G" doesn't say "heaps more games at Telstra Dome".

Lots of "Freo v Melbourne" games or "Crows v Bulldogs" games and precious few "Pies v Richmond" games at the G next year.

 

[ok.crows]

Originally posted by The Scarecrow
I would be interested to know where the rest of the games are going to be held. Because Telstra Dome cannot support the amount of supports from a game like Collingwood/Essendon, because half the supporters would still be outside at Half time, so unless Telstra Dome gets more ticket offices there will no chance of that ground holding any "blockbuster" games.

Beautiful. Melbourne fans locked out, public furor. About time some Melbourne fans wore some grief from this farce.

However - be clear. The tactic is not for this to happen. The tactic is to bring pressure to bear on the MCC, so they give up their once-in-every-few-years final. If they give that up & aceed to common sense & fair play, then they get the blockbusters back & everybody in the whole country is happy.

 

[Dave]

John, M29, don't bother presenting logic, it doesn't compute.

Oh, you MCG apologist b@stards you.

 

[Dave]

Originally posted by ok.crows
Beautiful. Melbourne fans locked out, public furor.

True colors shining through. Public ****ed off, ok as long as it's victorians. Well done ozman.

 

[ok.crows]

Originally posted by Dave
True colors shining through. Public ****ed off, ok as long as it's victorians. Well done ozman.

No, the public furor would be good only because it would increase the pressure to bear on the MCC. It is not good because some people could end up being disadvantaged, just as it is not good that some people are disadvantaged now.

However - again be clear -no-one wants for it to come about. Everyone just wants the MCC to see sense.

Hey Dave, re the current situation, I take it that according to you it is OK to have the "Public ****ed off, ok as long as it's non-victorians".

Finally, once again that word. Who or what is an ozman?

PS: final note - public furor only seems to create any action by AFL if it happens to come from Victorians.

 

[Bomber Spirit]

I can't see the AFL tampering with Essendon v Collingwood on Anzac Day at the MCG. But that's 1 game out of 41, they could do whatever they want with the rest.
If, for example, the AFL schedules the Collingwood v Carlton game at Docklands rather than the MCG, there's no problem. That game only pulled 51,894 to the MCG this year; so once you take the MCC members out, the crowd remaining would easily fit into Docklands. That could be swapped with, say, the Collingwood v West Coast game being played at the MCG instead of Docklands like it was this year.

Would they do it? Who knows - we'll find out in October when next year's draw comes out. But don't forget it was only 3 years ago that Carlton played Collingwood at Princes Park and they didn't fill it, so there are precedents.

 

[Dave]

Originally posted by ok.crows
No, the public furor would be good only because it would increase the pressure to bear on the MCC.

No, it would lead to a backlash against the AFL.

t is not good because some people could end up being disadvantaged, just as it is not good that some people are disadvantaged now.

I have never claimed it is.

However - again be clear -no-one wants for it to come about. Everyone just wants the MCC to see sense.
Hey Dave, re the current situation, I take it that according to you it is OK to have the "Public ****ed off, ok as long as it's non-victorians".

No, it isn't. I've never said it was. I do not however believe that a solution to the problem involves ****ing even more of your clientele off. Apparently that makes me an apolagist. The AFL is spinning this better than federal pollies. The MCC will agree to a variation on the contract if enough money is thrown at them despite the AFL's bluster. The AFL thought they could blackmail the MCC and now that they've discovered they're wrong they're throwing as much mud as they can.

Finally, once again that word. Who or what is an ozman?

You really don't know Mark?

 

[sportsfan7]

Originally posted by M29
Ha! And where are they going to hold the rest? At colonial?Please, that hole can't handle 1 game a weekend with 50,000 let alone 2 or 3.

There is an excellent facility seating 80,000 significantly under-utilised only 800km to the North

 

[scmods]

ABC News in Perth tonight also suggested these very undertones...

 

[ok.crows]

Originally posted by Dave
No, it would lead to a backlash against the AFL.

Possibly it would, but how is that any worse for the AFL than the backlash they already face?

The AFL claim they have offered compensation. The MCC are continually seen as not budging. The AFL have an "ace in the hole" in terms of public opinion in the "we have already given the MCG heaps and heaps more than the contract". Even if that is completely irelevant in contractual terms, it surely is not in "moral high ground" terms.

The AFL are on a winner IMO if they go the route that appears left to them. In their own words the AFL say they have only given up "for now". That means they think the ball is in their court.

The AFL seem to think they have already gone the "fair compensation offer" route.

OK that only leaves the "take everything away from MCG not guaranteed to it, then talk turkey" route.

And all I say is that it would appear it has occurred to others, including the AFL themselves.

BTW, you still didn't throw any light on the "ozman" reference.

Finally, I think you might be voicing arguement against this idea only because you think it may actually work.

 

[ok.crows]

Originally posted by scmods
ABC News in Perth tonight also suggested these very undertones...

Yep. Distinct hints of it on the ABC.

 

[Dave]

Originally posted by ok.crows
Possibly it would, but how is that any worse for the AFL than the backlash they already face?

How is it worse to **** off 10 teams than 6? I wonder.

The AFL are on a winner IMO if they go the route that appears left to them. In their own words the AFL say they have only given up "for now". That means they think the ball is in their court.

No, it means that they'll keep trying as they believe they are right. I wouldn't expect them to give up, neither would the 6 non-vic clubs.

The AFL seem to think they have already gone the "fair compensation offer" route.

"Seem to think" being the key words.

OK that only leaves the "take everything away from MCG not guaranteed to it, then talk turkey" route.

However you've already admitted you have no idea what's guaranteed to them.

And all I say is that it would appear it has occurred to others, including the AFL themselves.

Didn't sound like it from their press conference.

BTW, you still didn't throw any light on the "ozman" reference.

That's because you already know what it refers to.

Finally, I think you might be voicing arguement against this idea only because you think it may actually work.

I'm voicing an argument against it because I do not believe that two wrongs make a right. I doubt very much after listeneing to the press conference where WJ repeatedly talked about fair outcomes and good faith negoatiations that the AFL will resort to blackmail.

 

[MarkT]

So Collingwood can't use their home ground?
Not likely.

 

[ok.crows]

Originally posted by Dave
How is it worse to **** off 10 teams than 6? I wonder.

Why would it pi$$ off 10 teams? There are only about 4 that get blockbuster games.

No, it means that they'll keep trying as they believe they are right. I wouldn't expect them to give up, neither would the 6 non-vic clubs.

Agreed. Also I observe the "deny good games to MCG" seems to be out there now, where before today I heard no whisper of it at all.

"Seem to think" being the key words.

Yep. And that IS what they seem to think.

However you've already admitted you have no idea what's guaranteed to them.

Not at all. I say that I am not privvy to every exact detail, but I do know the AFL have scope to take a lot of "goodness" out of the roster of games given to the MCG in the minor round.

Didn't sound like it from their press conference.

Didn't sound like it to you being the operative observation.

That's because you already know what it refers to.

What are you on about?

I'm voicing an argument against it because I do not believe that two wrongs make a right. I doubt very much after listeneing to the press conference where WJ repeatedly talked about fair outcomes and good faith negoatiations that the AFL will resort to blackmail.

That too, hey ?

If you doubt the AFL will do it, why worry arguing against the idea?

 

[Bomber Spirit]

I don't think anyone's suggesting no Collingwood home games at the MCG. But possibly some could be switched - in the example I gave before, in 2003 they played their home game against West Coast at Docklands and against Carlton at the MCG; if the AFL wanted to play hardball they could switch those over. Collingwood wouldn't lose an MCG home game.

 

[ok.crows]

Originally posted by MarkT
So Collingwood can't use their home ground?

Sure they can use their home ground.

Against Freo, Bulldogs, Saints, West Coast, Melbourne & Power.

But hey - once again, it shouldn't come to that.

Th MCC should prefer to give up its odd (once every few years) final rather than see that happen.

 

[gocats]

Stupid AFL, what will it prove?

 

[ok.crows]

Originally posted by gocats
Stupid AFL, what will it prove?

It is not meant to prove anything.

It is meant to get the MCC to the negotiating table with a desire to get it fixed.

 

[MGREG]

No

Demtriou was on White Line Fever tonight and said they would not move "blockbuster" games from the MCG as they "care for the fans too much" to try to hurt them.

It would be cutting off their nose to spite their face.