Hawks and Cats shunted because of the Big Four?

[JUBJUB]

Too many clubs in Victoria.

No,too many shithouse clubs outside Victoria

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

I would be ropeable if Hawthorn finished top 2 and were forced to play at Etihad Stadium for the first round of the finals. I don't give a shit who finished below, top 2 teams deserve a home final.

It's not going to affect Hawthorn. If four Melbourne finals are required in the first week, I'm willing to bet that Geelong will be the team playing at Etihad. The MCG is no more their home ground than Etihad is (unlike Hawthorn, Richmond and Collingwood - the three other teams likely to have earned home finals) and they wouldn't get much more than 50k against Sydney at the MCG (with probably about 15k MCC members anyway. Sucks for me as an MCC member, but in the grand scheme of things, on the 'getting shafted by the finals fixture' scale, it's at the low end. I'll take Etihad over Sydney or Subiaco, if we're good enough to finish top two.

 

[mcgarnacle]

Cats to play their final at Kardinia. Everyone happy (except Etihad)

Cats will make about $2m. If this is all about the almighty dollar how can the AFL not allow it?

I thought the AFL take it all in finals. Games are neutral.

GEE make nothing.

 

[pacman]

Poor Pussies and Hawks. What it fails to mention in that erudite Victorian way, is that Sydney and Freo will have to travel, even though they finished above all those clubs that it mentions.
Tough t***ies to Geelong & Hawthorn.

Dumbarse you will get a second chance after the cats give you a touch up.

 

[QuietB]

I thought the AFL take it all in finals. Games are neutral.

GEE make nothing.

Probably. I have no idea. I assume there is some sort of contractual arrangement with docklands as well which prevents it.

But, it is the perfect solution. Hawks get to play at home. Richmond get to play at home. Collingwood get to play at home. Geelong get to play at home. It would be massive in Geelong. The publicans will pay the Etihad bill.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

In all fairness to Geelong, a finals match at Simonds would probably raise as much revenue as one at the MCG, when you take into account the freebie entry for MCC and AFL members. 44k last year at the G would have had what, 30k full tickets sold?

That ignores MCC members who are also Geelong members (as I am), as well as MCC members who bring visitors along (up to four visitors per member for a game like Gee v Freo and about $80 a pop IIRC from last year) but it's pretty much how I see it. I also imagine that having the final at Simonds might keep a reasonable percentage of the travelling Freo supporters away, so I think the stadium would come pretty close to holding the supporters who would go.

As I understand it though, SS isn't even an option with the deals in place, so Etihad it would be. We're very likely to have to go interstate if we don't win our last two games, so hopefully our players are a bit more concerned about that at the moment.

 

[dazbroncos]

I don't understand - why is it the 'right' thing for Hawthorn or Geelong to get a game at Etihad? No matter what, they'll have a game in their home state against at team travelling from interstate, which is a huge advantage. Those games (say, Hawthorn-Sydney and Geelong-Fremantle) will draw roughly 50,000 people, which fits Etihad nicely.

On the other hand, Collingwood-Essendon and Richmond-Carlton are likely to draw 70,000 plus, so they fit better at the MCG. IT doesn't really fit as a 'big 4' thing either. If by some miracle you swapped Hawthorn and Carlton (giving 1-Carlton vs 4-Sydney and 5-Richmond vs 8-Hawthorn) I'd expect the Carlton game to be at Etihad and the match between 2 Victorian teams at the MCG.

If Rich, Pies, Carl all finished 1 or 2 and got bumped to Shithead stadium there would be a riot of epic proportions and Etihad is YOUR home ground. The AFL decree we cant play at out home ground and will still have to drive 90 minutes to our home game.

We should at least have the choice as should Hawks, or better still whoever gets pos 1 and 2.

Go Catters

 

[randyzany]

I thought the AFL take it all in finals. Games are neutral.

GEE make nothing.

Hence why dimwit would be against rewarding clubs for what they have earnt throughout the year. It probably even doesn't cross his mind once.

 

[pacman]

But times are a changing, its been 30 years since Collingwood, Carlton, Essendon and Richmond have all featured in finals. This is different, its massive, beyond what the Hawks and Cats can deliver.

maybe in numbers not on quality of football.

 

[Wizard]

You would think it will be something like this:

Sydney v Hawks / Cats - MCG
Fremantle v Hawks / Cats - ES
Pies v whoever - MCG
Richmond v whoever - MCG

So in conclusion if that scenario is that all four games are in Melbourne, you'd think the team that gets Freo gets Etihad.

 

[Wizard]

Fine then, we'll play it at the ground where we play 7 home games a year.

Yes cos the cats get to make that decision. Build a stadium in the shithole town that holds 45+ and you will get a final..... til then.

 

[RoK]

Poor Pussies and Hawks. What it fails to mention in that erudite Victorian way, is that Sydney and Freo will have to travel, even though they finished above all those clubs that it mentions.
Tough t***ies to Geelong & Hawthorn.

You are not very smart are you.

 

[randyzany]

If Rich, Pies, Carl all finished 1 or 2 and got bumped to Shithead stadium there would be a riot of epic proportions and Etihad is YOUR home ground. The AFL decree we cant play at out home ground and will still have to drive 90 minutes to our home game.

We should at least have the choice as should Hawks, or better still whoever gets pos 1 and 2.

Go Catters

To clarify Jihad is not a 'homeground' designated by Geelong in any shape or form, it is a forceful allocation of said venue. The PTB at Geelong request to play 3 games at the 'G every year and the rest (8 games) at KP. The dimwit running the AFL ignores that and schedules Geelong to play games at Jihad not because it suits Geelong but obviously suits the AFL's bottom line. So in other words Jihad is not a Geelong 'homeground' by choice unlike Hawthorn and Richmond who sell their games to play in other cities.

The games at the 'G are requested given that Melbourne is within 50 miles of Geelong a large bulk of the supporter base (.i.e. moi) live in this great Australian city who happen to barrack for Geelong and can't make many KP games. Even though 3 'G home games are requested usually only 1 game is granted. And for that Melbourne based Geelong fans are thankful. So please spare the trollish inflammatory crap that Geelong has '3' homegrounds.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

You would think it will be something like this:

Sydney v Hawks / Cats - MCG
Fremantle v Hawks / Cats - ES
Pies v whoever - MCG
Richmond v whoever - MCG

So in conclusion if that scenario is that all four games are in Melbourne, you'd think the team that gets Freo gets Etihad.

I would be less accepting of that. If 'whoever' is Port, I think that elimination final should be at Etihad. Wouldn't bet on it happening though.

 

[The King!]

Fine then, we'll play it at the ground where we play 7 home games a year.

Why not though in all seriousness?

 

[Wizard]

I would be less accepting of that. If 'whoever' is Port, I think that elimination final should be at Etihad. Wouldn't bet on it happening though.

I think the fact that needs to be clarified is that Ports opponent will be either Collingwood, Essendon or Richmond which i'd think guarantees them a 60+ crowd.
Freo v Geelong twice now from memory hasn't eclipsed 45k yer.

 

[dazbroncos]

But times are a changing, its been 30 years since Collingwood, Carlton, Essendon and Richmond have all featured in finals. This is different, its massive, beyond what the Hawks and Cats can deliver.

Massive in what way? Because you have all been shit for 10 years now you are special and this makes you massive?
Cant be in the quality of the games - Cats Hawks have been some of the best games of the last 5 years. Do you mean members or people that will go to the games?

Go Catters

 

[FootyJunkie]

No,too many shithouse clubs outside Victoria

Disband the AFL, we all go back to just WAFL, SANFL, VFL

 

[The Blue Baggers]

the team playing fremantle first week of the finals should play @ the docklands... its that simply

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

I think the fact that needs to be clarified is that Ports opponent will be either Collingwood, Essendon or Richmond which i'd think guarantees them a 60+ crowd.
Freo v Geelong twice now from memory hasn't eclipsed 45k yer.

I don't think that's enough of a difference in supporters to warrant what is being suggested. And I'd also expect more Fremantle fans to make the trip to Melbourne (if they finish third or fourth) this year, simply because they are a serious premiership contender in 2013 and they weren't in 2012.

On reflection, I guess one issue is that Collingwood plays on Sunday in Round 23, so they probably have to get the Sunday elimination final (which would obviously be at the MCG). But Richmond plays against Essendon on Saturday night in Round 23, so a Saturday home elimination final for either of them (regardless of how unlikely that looks for Essendon at this stage) is definitely in play. It's hard to say how either team would draw against an interstate side, without a traditional Melbourne support base, simply because there is no recent history of it happening.

 

[dean33]

If things were fair we would get to play at KP for all our finals given we earned a "home" advantage by possibly finishing top 2. Alas this never happens so getting reamed by the AFL is par for the course when it comes to how they treat Geelong. Should be no surprise to anyone that this AFL administration doesn't give a dam about the game itself and what is good for the clubs competing, but rather their bottom line.

And this will sound petty but i dont care. The idea of a "big 4" needs to be abolished from our vocabulary. Geelong and Hawthorn have been massive over the last 10 years and brought this game some of the best on field moments we have ever seen. All the apparent "big 4" have done is nothing but bring the game into disrepute.

you are the only club in victoria to have their own home ground for the majority of the season... don't think for a minute that 2 of the big 4 will have to play at etihad while the g is half empty with a geelong freo or syd hawks. I would even argue that they play pies port or tiges port at the g over hawks/cats v syd/freo.

Its home state advantage not home ground. The ground is decided by max attendences.

 

[Wizard]

I don't think that's enough of a difference in supporters to warrant what is being suggested. And I'd also expect more Fremantle fans to make the trip to Melbourne (if they finish third or fourth) this year, simply because they are a serious premiership contender in 2013 and they weren't in 2012.

I don't particularly think its fair but i would be pretty confident in saying thats how its going to be.

I really don't think the Port or Freo thing makes a huge difference, but i think you will see all of Essendon, Richmond and Collingwood take priority over the Cats or Hawks if it comes down to it as their crowd will be higher.

Is that fair? No, absolutely not. But i don't see us living in a fair World particularly when theres big $$ at stake.

 

[strobe00]

Its home state advantage not home ground. The ground is decided by max attendences.

Is the bolded fair?

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

you are the only club in victoria to have their own home ground for the majority of the season... don't think for a minute that 2 of the big 4 will have to play at etihad while the g is half empty with a geelong freo or syd hawks. I would even argue that they play pies port or tiges port at the g over hawks/cats v syd/freo.

Its home state advantage not home ground. The ground is decided by max attendences.

Can we start to phase out this 'big four' nonsense, now that Richmond doesn't actually need membership of that imaginary group to remain relevant? 'The big four' are the teams that finish 1-4 on the ladder.

And I admire your sense of entitlement (that post came off as if it was written by Richmond's answer to Eddie McGuire), but please tell me how you would argue that Richmond v Port Adelaide 'deserves' to be at the MCG more than Hawthorn v any of the other top four teams? Remembering for a moment, that Hawthorn and Sydney are playing on Friday night the week before and if they play again in the qualifying final, there is no way known that it won't happen on Friday at the MCG.

 

[Rob]

I think the fact that needs to be clarified is that Ports opponent will be either Collingwood, Essendon or Richmond which i'd think guarantees them a 60+ crowd.
Freo v Geelong twice now from memory hasn't eclipsed 45k yer.

Collingwood or Essendon v Port at Etihad will not sell out. Richmond v Port might, but I reckon its unlikely.