Hawthorn v West Coast at Etihad - Strange venue choice

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If this game was on a Saturday afternoon, and the MCG was already being used by a Collingwood or Richmond game on the Saturday night then I dont think there would be as much as an uproar.

As it is, the question is why Etihad when the MCG is just sitting there. Seems a bit pointless.

If Hawthorn have to play a "home" game at Etihad, why not make it the game vs Gold Coast a few weeks ago which was always going to be a worse draw then this game.
 
And we're forced to write off cheques as a result. All I'm saying is that a few games given to other clubs isn't going to hurt.

Our game's on Friday, it could still be at the G. Etihad has some sort of 'blockbuster games' requirement, which is why I believe we're playing there.

It will hurt us financially. Last year against West Coast at the MCG the crowd was over 50,000. I don't think we'll get 40,000 on Friday.

I thought given our 4 home games in Tassie would stop us from ever having to play a home game at Etihad.

We only have 6 home games at the MCG this year.
 

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Sill don't understand the angst for the dome.

Barring an 80k plus crowd, it is a better venue to watch footy.

The whole mythology of the MCG is a bit overdone IMO, why someone wouldn't rock up to the dome, but they would to the MCG is beyond me(mcc members aside).

As has pointed out, this could be played in a cow paddock and we will still get pantsed
 
I thought given our 4 home games in Tassie would stop us from ever having to play a home game at Etihad.

While I agree that this game should be at the "G", if there is actually a rule in place that all MCGs tenants must give one home game to Etihad, then Hawthorn shouldn't be exempted because they are already playing games in Tasmania, or Richmond because they are playing Gold Coast in Cairns etc...
 
Tie me kangaroo down, sport

Tie me kangaroo down


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Live chat from afl.com.au with the person responsible for the fixture on the day of it's release.

Comment From ET
What was the rationale behind giving Hawthorn a home game at Etihad Stadium?

Simon Lethlean:
Richmond, Melbourne and Hawthorn are playing one home game at Etihad Stadium in order to meet the AFL's minimum match obligations of 48 games at the venue. This minimum number of games is two more than in 2012 because we didn't play a final at Etihad Stadium this year. Furthermore, North Melbourne has taken two games away from the venue to play them in Tasmania and St Kilda has taken another one to New Zealand.
 
If this game was on a Saturday afternoon, and the MCG was already being used by a Collingwood or Richmond game on the Saturday night then I dont think there would be as much as an uproar.

As it is, the question is why Etihad when the MCG is just sitting there. Seems a bit pointless.

If Hawthorn have to play a "home" game at Etihad, why not make it the game vs Gold Coast a few weeks ago which was always going to be a worse draw then this game.

Etihad want some good games. Not just the left over rubbish that the MCG doesn't want. It's a shame because it would work so much better if the MCG got all the good/big games. Look at Friday, Carlton v Hawthorn could have drawn a huge crowd on Friday.
 

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Etihad was already in use that day for the North/Crows game.

I realise that, but when the fixtures were first released rather then having Hawks vs Suns and North vs Crows on the same day, perhaps have Hawks vs Melbourne on at the Dome, while Collingwood play Carlton at the G etc...

If Etihad want "blockbuster" games then they should predominantly be games featuring their own tenants such as Geelong and Essendon, rather then teams who dont have Etihad as a "home" ground.
 
It will hurt us financially. Last year against West Coast at the MCG the crowd was over 50,000. I don't think we'll get 40,000 on Friday.

What's stopping you from getting 50,000+ at Etihad? The ground has a capacity of 56,347, is no more difficult to get to for those in Melbourne than the MCG is, and doesn't have the drawback of a large number of seats already having been "taken" by MCC members (who may or may not turn up), allowing for a larger percentage of general admission entries.
 
What's stopping you from getting 50,000+ at Etihad? The ground has a capacity of 56,347, is no more difficult to get to for those in Melbourne than the MCG is, and doesn't have the drawback of a large number of seats already having been "taken" by MCC members (who may or may not turn up), allowing for a larger percentage of general admission entries.
12500 seats at etihad are set aside for medallion club, AFL members and MCC (that's right, MCC even have access to etihad)
 
12500 seats at etihad are set aside for medallion club, AFL members and MCC (that's right, MCC even have access to etihad)

Well given that, there's still 43,847 general admission/club member tickets available. Sell those, and you're only relying on 6,153 Medallion Club/AFL Member/MCC Members to show up, and you've got your 50,000.
 
It's stupid as well because this weekend is typically when the most WCE members make the trip east for a game (mid season). Exact same thing happened last year when we played Collingwood at Etihad.

Seems odd that in 2 years we'd play the biggest teams at Etihad yet play Melbourne at the MCG.

All that said though I don't understand why Victorians hate Etihad so much. Every time I go there I reckon it's fantastic and no worse than the MCG really.

Forecast from the Bureau:

Friday 21 June

Summary

Min 5
Max 13
Possible shower later.
Melbourne area

Partly cloudy. Areas of fog and frost during the morning. The chance of showers later in the day. Light winds.
 
We play Etihad better in my view so for selfish reasons I like it, but it's incredibly baffling. I am not aware of any MCG scheduling conflicts so surely it must be contractual.

So do we ?

Im more annoyed that hawks reserved seat holders only got a couple of days on level two at etihad, het so called home tenants there seem to have the whole wing on level two
 
Should that matter? Other MCG tenants (Collingwood, Richmond, and Melbourne) have started playing some home games there in recent years against interstaters and lower-drawing Vic sides. Why should that be any different for Hawthorn?

We play our etihad home games in launceston
 
The problem is Hawthorn are NEVER the home team at Etihad and why would they start now? We haven't been the Home team at Etihad Stadium since Round 2 2006 against Collingwood. Also the last time we were the home team at Etihad against an interstate side was way back in 2001 against Fremantle. Almost 12 years ago. :oops:

But Buddy if you accept as more or less everyone does that no one wants to play there if the G is a possibility can you explain why Hawthrom should always avoid the place. Richmond prefer the G as well but we get stuck in the place.

Fact is that everyone - even Collingwood - gets lumbered with a dose of the Domes every year. Why not Hawks as well. I'm sure you'd prefer the G. So would we. However the attendance is not going to stetch the Dome's capacity and its only one a year. I know you play games in Tassie but that is your own business. Why should you be absolved from having to fill the Dome rota when no one else wants to do it either?
 
But Buddy if you accept as more or less everyone does that no one wants to play there if the G is a possibility can you explain why Hawthrom should always avoid the place. Richmond prefer the G as well but we get stuck in the place.

Fact is that everyone - even Collingwood - gets lumbered with a dose of the Domes every year. Why not Hawks as well. I'm sure you'd prefer the G. So would we. However the attendance is not going to stetch the Dome's capacity and its only one a year. I know you play games in Tassie but that is your own business. Why should you be absolved from having to fill the Dome rota when no one else wants to do it either?


Perhaps because Hawthorn had a long term contract at Waverley Park which the AFL sold against Hawthorn's wishes, and a large reason for Hawthorn moving games to Tasmania is to avoid home matches scheduled at the Docklands?

At the time of the AFL proposing to sell off Waverley, StKilda left us for dead and signed a stadium deal at the Docklands. Why should the saints be scheduled any MCG home games at the expense of Hawthorn who were intelligent enough to shun this stadium?

However this is all part of the AFL's plan to take away from Hawthorn the advantages of playing home games in Tasmania. It will force their hand to give up the games to North when the current deal expires.

at it's worth I don't believe Richmond should be playing any home games at Etihad Stadium either
 

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Hawthorn v West Coast at Etihad - Strange venue choice

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