Roast Has Opening Round been totally botched?

[The Educator]

You won't even remember it come round 18.

They won't even remember it by half way through round 1

 

[Wargreymon90]

People do realise that it’s impossible to guarantee a good game of football? On paper, last nights game was a good match up. The fact that it was a snoozefest was just bad luck.

It’s why having a permanent fixture (Carl v Rich) each year to open the season makes no sense whatsoever.

I agree that football at the SCG isn’t great. But if we must have it at the MCG, at least have some qualifying criteria. Ie. highest ranking VIC clubs from the previous year. That would still sell out the G and would have a higher chance of being a good game.

 

[btdg]

Melbourne and Essendon at home (the latter matches up well against us ) and Collingwood (unfurling their flag BTW) and Richmond at the G in the first 4 rounds is easy? Pfft I’d be happy with 2-2

The AFL fixture is full of loopholes and compromises, get over it.

The fixture is full of loopholes and compromises, fine. But usually the AFL is able to at least balance things in a sensible way.

This year, lets assume we start with two 'compromises':

• we want to start a week early, in northern states, with some high profile games that will also rate well in Melbourne to take advantage of rugby fixturing (not a bad decision, I guess)
• we are locked into Carlton vs Richmond on Thursday night (a bad past decision that is at least profitable)

How on earth do you look at those two parameters, and decide to play both Carlton and Richmond in Queensland, then have them return to play again on Thursday off a short week? Short pre-season + humidity + short rest = recipe for injury AND at bad start to the year for at least one of your 'Big 4' teams. And somehow they also land with Collingwood (6 day break) playing Sydney (8 day break) next Friday?

Even if you insist on doubling up big Melbourne clubs and going with a version of this that gives arguably better round 0 matches AND better round 1 games:

• Thursday = Sydney vs Melbourne
• Friday = Brisbane vs Collingwood - grand final rematch and a better neutral match than Carlton would be
• Saturday day = Gold Coast vs Hawthorn - better neutral game than a Richmond team resting Martin/Lynch
• Saturday night = GWS vs Essendon

Still big Melbourne teams, still the same northern states, but it now leads into:

• Thursday = Carlton vs Richmond (but without the travel/short week factor)
• Friday = Collingwood vs Sydney (but Collingwood get a full 7 day rest)
• Saturday day = Essendon vs Hawthorn (both have 7 days, Hawthorn able to get the earlier flight to compensate for the Qld factor)

This is based on about 5 minutes of starting at the fixture and it seems blindingly obvious.

So to get back to the thread title, this is totally botched.

 

[Underarm]

The fixture is full of loopholes and compromises, fine. But usually the AFL is able to at least balance things in a sensible way.

This year, lets assume we start with two 'compromises':

• we want to start a week early, in northern states, with some high profile games that will also rate well in Melbourne to take advantage of rugby fixturing (not a bad decision, I guess)
• we are locked into Carlton vs Richmond on Thursday night (a bad past decision that is at least profitable)

How on earth do you look at those two parameters, and decide to play both Carlton and Richmond in Queensland, then have them return to play again on Thursday off a short week? Short pre-season + humidity + short rest = recipe for injury AND at bad start to the year for at least one of your 'Big 4' teams. And somehow they also land with Collingwood (6 day break) playing Sydney (8 day break) next Friday?

Even if you insist on doubling up big Melbourne clubs and going with a version of this that gives arguably better round 0 matches AND better round 1 games:

• Thursday = Sydney vs Melbourne
• Friday = Brisbane vs Collingwood - grand final rematch and a better neutral match than Carlton would be
• Saturday day = Gold Coast vs Hawthorn - better neutral game than a Richmond team resting Martin/Lynch
• Saturday night = GWS vs Essendon

Still big Melbourne teams, still the same northern states, but it now leads into:

• Thursday = Carlton vs Richmond (but without the travel/short week factor)
• Friday = Collingwood vs Sydney (but Collingwood get a full 7 day rest)
• Saturday day = Essendon vs Hawthorn (both have 7 days, Hawthorn able to get the earlier flight to compensate for the Qld factor)

This is based on about 5 minutes of starting at the fixture and it seems blindingly obvious.

So to get back to the thread title, this is totally botched.

Gold coast v Hawthorn isn't selling out Metricon.

 

[STPer18]

I don’t see how last night was a sellout. There was empty seats everywhere all game. Unless there was 10k people in the stands at all points or a lot of people didn’t turn up, I don’t see how that was a sellout.

Last year's round 24 game at the SCG with the same two teams managed 41,753, yet last night 'only' managed 40,012, so for whatever reason the hype of the 'Opening Round' must've fallen a little flat in the eyes of our NSW residents.

 

[BStaff17]

Whats the crowd expected for the GWS v collingwood game as the league is playing at the same time in Parramatta and they have a full house of 30k.

Where most of the GWS fan base is supposedly from.

 

[Underarm]

Whats the crowd expected for the GWS v collingwood game as the league is playing at the same time in Parramatta and they have a full house of 30k.

Where most of the GWS fan base is supposedly from.

The giants Collingwood sold out earlier this week.

 

[Truckosaurus]

Somehow, its #VICBIAS.

Joke, I think the northern states are rightly annoyed SA bought home games for the second year running and want something similar. This is the AFLs botched reparations.

WA? Gets nothing.

That's OK, we don't need anything. Freo and West Coast are threatening for the flag, the WAFL is going great guns and the WA youth is the strongest it's ever been!

Judging by the money sent to the AFL anyway.

 

[Underarm]

Thursday 7 March 2024 | TV Tonight

National TV Reach 1. SEVEN'S AFL: THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL 2,145,000 2. SEVEN NEWS 2,048,000 3. 9NEWS 1,744,000 4. THURSDAY NIGHT NRL 1,331,000 5. THE CHASE 1,220,000

tvtonight.com.au

Over 2 million people reached last night, similar to last year.

Complete success.

 

[Cyclops]

Thursday 7 March 2024 | TV Tonight

National TV Reach 1. SEVEN'S AFL: THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL 2,145,000 2. SEVEN NEWS 2,048,000 3. 9NEWS 1,744,000 4. THURSDAY NIGHT NRL 1,331,000 5. THE CHASE 1,220,000

tvtonight.com.au

Over 2 million people reached last night, similar to last year.

Complete success.

Well similar success.

Stumbling start to the year? Check.

Weird mix of grouped and ungrounded byes? Check.

WA and SA utterly ignored? Check.

Some boardroom ****measuring vs the suits wrecking another code carried out? Check.

We have a great game, the flogs in charge find new and exciting ways to pump their bonuses and pad their CVs by pulling private school tier pranks on the public and reward themselves when it doesn't burn down.

Demetriou was in charge during the Essendon saga, walked out with all honours and multiple directorships: a few years out of the game and he was on the ropes before a Royal Commission.

Gillon was Vlad's protégé, and Dillon is Gillon's protégé (thank you autocőrrěct). They don't pick blokes who are better than them as insurance against being toppled so that's the calibre of leadership we have, two steps down from "not comfortably satisfied there was an offense at Windy Hill".

 

[Warsaw]

Just don’t get why they didn’t take advantage of the Monday public holiday in Melbourne. Could have ended the week with a Sunday night at the G and Labour Day game - which could’ve just been Carlton Richmond.

Bye weeks are vibe killers. Would much rather one weekend without football than have multiple rounds with split games. And now they’ve doubled down on that strategy. Just feels like a self own.

 

[BigFrizz36]

Just don’t get why they didn’t take advantage of the Monday public holiday in Melbourne. Could have ended the week with a Sunday night at the G and Labour Day game - which could’ve just been Carlton Richmond.

Bye weeks are vibe killers. Would much rather one weekend without football than have multiple rounds with split games. And now they’ve doubled down on that strategy. Just feels like a self own.

Was of the understanding that the MCG doesn't get handed over this weekend and Marvel is still recovering from pink concerts and games can't be played there this weekend. If so no games could be played in Melbourne.

 

[Spirit Level]

Completely unfair to the teams who have to play one of the opening round teams in round 2 with a game under their belt.

This competition is amateur

 

[Walshawk]

When's that? I believe it is a different date all over the country or nonexistent.

This current weekend. Vic and SA have the Monday off (Adelaide Cup). It means you can have a Sunday night and/or a Monday game in Vic/SA. Or, it is a great weekend to travel if they want to have mini gather rounds in NSW/QLD

 

[Corn Cobbers]

This current weekend. Vic and SA have the Monday off (Adelaide Cup). It means you can have a Sunday night and/or a Monday game in Vic/SA. Or, it is a great weekend to travel if they want to have mini gather rounds in NSW/QLD

Absolutely should have been a gather round

Could have had clinics and games in places like Newcastle, Southport, Lismore, Mt Isa...

Terrible start from Dillon and its not like he's got tough acts to follow

Zero out of 10

On SM-A225F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Walshawk]

Was of the understanding that the MCG doesn't get handed over this weekend and Marvel is still recovering from pink concerts and games can't be played there this weekend. If so no games could be played in Melbourne

They are playing @ MCG next Thursday. Could it be ready by this Monday? Sunday? Exactly how many days do they need?

 

[kreglze]

People First Stadium SOLD OUT for Opening Round

Opening Round at People First Stadium is officially a sell-out with the final general public tickets for Saturday’s fixture against Richmond exhausted.

www.goldcoastfc.com.au

Having a positive effect.

 

[Walshawk]

Absolutely should have been a gather round

Could have had clinics and games in places like Newcastle, Southport, Lismore, Mt Isa...

Terrible start from Dillon and its not like he's got tough acts to follow

Zero out of 10

On SM-A225F using BigFooty.com mobile app

There are no suitable grounds at any of those locations, but certainly could have gone:
Sydney x 2
Canberra
Coffs Harbour
Gold Coast
Brisbane
Cairns
Townsville
Darwin

 

[Iago]

People First Stadium SOLD OUT for Opening Round

Opening Round at People First Stadium is officially a sell-out with the final general public tickets for Saturday’s fixture against Richmond exhausted.

www.goldcoastfc.com.au

Having a positive effect.

Wait is that the new name of Gold Coast's home ground? Have they gotten rid of all corporate boxes?

And Yes, a Sunday night game in Adelaide would have worked well with the horse race public holiday.

 

[kreglze]

Wait is that the new name of Gold Coast's home ground? Have they gotten rid of all corporate boxes?

And Yes, a Sunday night game in Adelaide would have worked well with the horse race public holiday.

Yeah Heritage Bank merged with another bank and we got this...

 

[The Goon]

People do realise that it’s impossible to guarantee a good game of football? On paper, last nights game was a good match up. The fact that it was a snoozefest was just bad luck.

It’s why having a permanent fixture (Carl v Rich) each year to open the season makes no sense whatsoever.

I agree that football at the SCG isn’t great. But if we must have it at the MCG, at least have some qualifying criteria. Ie. highest ranking VIC clubs from the previous year. That would still sell out the G and would have a higher chance of being a good game.

Game last night was pretty good I thought, at least for a first round game where the skills are always a bit iffy. Granted the last quarter wasn't close but I'd have called it a par as far as entertainment value - not every match will be a banger.

On the above there is a bit of a logical contradiction in your first paragraph and your second. If you can't guarantee a good game anyway why not put in a feature game? Not saying Carlton / Tigers should be the go to, but at least they always draw a good crowd and atmosphere to kick things off.

 

[Cleavy]

Thursday 7 March 2024 | TV Tonight

National TV Reach 1. SEVEN'S AFL: THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL 2,145,000 2. SEVEN NEWS 2,048,000 3. 9NEWS 1,744,000 4. THURSDAY NIGHT NRL 1,331,000 5. THE CHASE 1,220,000

tvtonight.com.au

Over 2 million people reached last night, similar to last year.

Complete success.

Reach figures are bulldust under the new system.

• Total TV Overnight Top 30 and Consolidated 7 Top 30 National Total TV reach is calculated using cumulative unique audiences watching 1 min of broadcast TV and 15 sec of BVOD.
• Total TV National audience is calculated using the audience average for the program as time-coded by the Network across 5CM and all regional markets nationally watching on broadcast TV and BVOD.
• BVOD national audience is calculated using the total number of minutes watched (including co-viewing) divided by the length of the program

Seven’s AFL 2024 Opening Round Sydney v Melbourne Match recorded a total TV national reach of 2,145,000 and a total TV national audience of 702,000.

The first season opener ever played in Sydney peaked at 977,000 viewers nationally, with the match averaging 702,000 viewers, up 10% compared to the 2023 AFL season average.

 

[BigFrizz36]

They are playing @ MCG next Thursday. Could it be ready by this Monday? Sunday? Exactly how many days do they need?

It's not how many that they need - there's an official hand over date from cricket to football. Used to be April 1 but has been inching forward bit by bit.
Only quoting a T.V. pundit so please don't take as official.

 

[BigFrizz36]

This current weekend. Vic and SA have the Monday off (Adelaide Cup). It means you can have a Sunday night and/or a Monday game in Vic/SA. Or, it is a great weekend to travel if they want to have mini gather rounds in NSW/QLD

Once again the handover from cricket to football at Adelaide was February 20. Then the wickets get taken out and the new square goes in.
Not sure of the time frames they need to get the ground up to speed and whether it would have been available this weekend.

 

[The Educator]

Reach figures are bulldust under the new system.

• Total TV Overnight Top 30 and Consolidated 7 Top 30 National Total TV reach is calculated using cumulative unique audiences watching 1 min of broadcast TV and 15 sec of BVOD.
• Total TV National audience is calculated using the audience average for the program as time-coded by the Network across 5CM and all regional markets nationally watching on broadcast TV and BVOD.
• BVOD national audience is calculated using the total number of minutes watched (including co-viewing) divided by the length of the program

Seven’s AFL 2024 Opening Round Sydney v Melbourne Match recorded a total TV national reach of 2,145,000 and a total TV national audience of 702,000.

The first season opener ever played in Sydney peaked at 977,000 viewers nationally, with the match averaging 702,000 viewers, up 10% compared to the 2023 AFL season average.

How are reach figures "bullshit"?

They provide a specific data point.

More meaningful than an average that tells us the half hour news bulletin wins every night.