Hawthorn v West Coast at Etihad - Strange venue choice

[The 747]

Pretty much...

Geelong V Carlton - 43,241
Carlton V Hawthorn - 45,670

Collingwood V Geelong - 66,758
Collingwood V Hawthorn - 72,254

Geelong V North Melbourne - 34,142
Hawthorn V North Melbourne - 42,103

In fact the only game Geelong outdrew Hawthorn in a like for like was the opening of the new Kardina Park grandstand...

Geelong V Gold Coast - 30,087
Hawthorn V Gold Coast - 28,011

For a club that can't pull a crowd the Hawks must have done something right to attract 50,023 to the round 23 game last year against the Eagles...

Fair call though...

Hmmm. And what does the Geelong Football Club have to do with anything at all in this thread?

 

[Jack_the_Ninja]

Won't matter where we play them, its going to be a spanking no matter the venue. Hawks by 100+ points.

 

[Mogwai]

I went to the Hawks Eagles game last season because it was a decider for the minor premiership. Crowd numbers were okay but it could have fitted easily in the Etihad.

The weather was absolutely perfect for football with little wind and zero rain.

I also went to the Hawks Sydney game this year at the MCG, the City End was filled with Red and only drew 54k; weather again was brilliant; clear and 22C.

It's a fact that Hawthorn's membership, however brilliant in numbers, does not compare to Geelong's smaller members base which is less passive and turns up to games more often, even in Melbourne.

 

[The Goon]

**** me dead. Hawthorn has to play a single ****ing home game at Etihad while every other MCG tenant else has been doing it multiple times for years. Then their supporters have the hide to complain about it? **** you, **** your piss and poo club and **** your favourable deals. If you want to play in Tassie and twice a decade have to play a home game at Etihad because they missed a final last year just suck it up princess.

 

[blue harvest]

**** me dead. Hawthorn has to play a single ******* home game at Etihad while every other MCG tenant else has been doing it multiple times for years. Then their supporters have the hide to complain about it? **** you, **** your piss and poo club and **** your favourable deals. If you want to play in Tassie and twice a decade have to play a home game at Etihad because they missed a final last year just suck it up princess.

Pretty sure the other MCG tenants complain about it too.

 

[HolyWars]

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.

Hawthorn vs Adelaide, EF 2007.

 

[The Goon]

Pretty sure the other MCG tenants complain about it too.

Post ratio re: Bitching about Etihad home game scheduling on BigFooty in the last 6 months:
Hawthorn supporters: 91.2%
Other AFL supporters: 6.5%
Confused visitors from other forums: 2.3%

 

[MagpieJoel]

In the time it takes to walk from near the Shrine to the G you could have walked or caught tram to Flinders Street, 5 minute max wait for a train to Etihad.
It is ridiculously easy for anyone to get to, maybe 10min extra if you come from the East, 10 min quicker if you come from the West.

I'm coming from the lower half Mornington Peninsula. Believe me, it takes longer. But...thanks for the info.

As I said, it would take me close to 2 hours including waiting time to use PT (each way). An hr and 10 minutes by car is a lot better (especially after games, when I don't have to wait in traffic at the G or stand on a crowded train all the way down the Frankston line). It's an hour on train to Frankston, let alone the drive that comes after that.

 

[Hawkk]

I went to the Hawks Eagles game last season because it was a decider for the minor premiership. Crowd numbers were okay but it could have fitted easily in the Etihad.

The weather was absolutely perfect for football with little wind and zero rain.

I also went to the Hawks Sydney game this year at the MCG, the City End was filled with Red and only drew 54k; weather again was brilliant; clear and 22C.

It's a fact that Hawthorn's membership, however brilliant in numbers, does not compare to Geelong's smaller members base which is less passive and turns up to games more often, even in Melbourne.

Couldn't agree more, hence my post comparing and contrasting Geelong and Hawthorn games

Good post from a gr8 poster...

 

[Tas]

It is not really strange, AD doesn't like Hawthorn because they didn't do what he wanted them to do in Tasmania.

Given Saints are playing Melbourne at the MCG as their home game and they have been drawing reasonable crowds at Docklands can you really form any other opinion? They know Hawks supporters do not like going to Docklands and this game will likely struggle to significantly beat what Saints vs Dees would have got at Docklands.

They will likely use the attendances of this as a an excuse to stiff them in the future as well, Hawks supporters would want to pack the joint out as much as they are loathed to.

 

[footscore]

Hawthorn supporters hate playing at Etihad as they know it highlights their teams lack of speed which was shown up v Carlton last weekend.

West Coast just need to play on at every opportunity and run off their opponents because when it comes to speed....Hawthorn lack this across more positions on the ground than most other teams.

 

[Oneiros]

Hawthorn supporters hate playing at Etihad as they know it highlights their teams lack of speed which was shown up v Carlton last weekend.

West Coast just need to play on at every opportunity and run off their opponents because when it comes to speed....Hawthorn lack this across more positions on the ground than most other teams.

Well we're certainly the team to exploit that.

 

[Kwality]

Stop selling your low-drawing matches to Tasmania and maybe it wouldn't happen.

Tas sponsor the Hawks, they dont buy games, but... yeh but nothing !

 

[WWSD]

Hawthorn supporters hate playing at Etihad as they know it highlights their teams lack of speed which was shown up v Carlton last weekend.

West Coast just need to play on at every opportunity and run off their opponents because when it comes to speed....Hawthorn lack this across more positions on the ground than most other teams.

Do our forwards lack some speed? We lost Suckling, Schoenmakers, Whitecross and Rioli which doesn't help our team structure. As for the Eagles midfield S.Selwood, Masten, Kerr, Priddis and Shuey are all quite slow anyway. They won't be able to exploit us in that area, they will try and isolate Cox, Kennedy and Darling inside 50. That's where the Eagles can win.

 

[The Magenius]

Well we're certainly the team to exploit that.

Eagles have hawks lack of pace covered, mitchell and sewell you say, well I raise you priddis and scott selwood.

 

[The Magenius]

Do our forwards lack some speed? We lost Suckling, Schoenmakers, Whitecross and Rioli which doesn't help our team structure. As for the Eagles midfield S.Selwood, Masten, Kerr, Priddis and Shuey are all quite slow anyway. They won't be able to exploit us in that area, they will try and isolate Cox, Kennedy and Darling inside 50. That's where the Eagles can win.

The eagles can't win based on anything they have produced this year, hawks will have to have a shocker, this isn't the same west coast side as last year.

If nic nat can pull something out of his arse at stoppages that the hawks can't stop then maybe there is hope, thats the only way I can see west coast winning. The west coast midfield isn't a top 4-6 midfield and maybe not even a top 8 midfield.

 

[Plugger_87]

Why? it's not like the local hawks draw big crowds and the taswegians won't come either. Perfect venue for this game

 

[QuietB]

If Etihad didn't have surface issues (no car park underneath), and no roof, and was built at an angle that uses the sun better, and there was no need to force MCG tenants to play there and big games were able to be moved from there to the MCG at decent notice, Etihad would look more favourable amongst the Melbourne general public and accept it as a true footy ground. Something that complements the MCG in Melbourne, but doesn't intrude on its territory.

It is funny. I actually like Etihad. It is just as easy to get too as the MCG. You are close to the action (I have never sat in level 3 though - not sure if that is any good) and if you know anyone in this town you rarely have to pay for a ticket!

The only real problem is when they schedule games there that have much bigger crowds than the stadium can cope with.

The issue of clubs losing money has pretty much been sorted now with the equalisation money, and besides, since the AFL refuse to pay for it someone has too.

 

[Pessimistic]

Hawthorn supporters hate playing at Etihad as they know it highlights their teams lack of speed which was shown up v Carlton last weekend.

West Coast just need to play on at every opportunity and run off their opponents because when it comes to speed....Hawthorn lack this across more positions on the ground than most other teams.

Any facts like games won lost to back that up ?

Actually the win record at etihad is similar to MCG. 55%

 

[Underarm]

I'm coming from the lower half Mornington Peninsula. Believe me, it takes longer. But...thanks for the info.

As I said, it would take me close to 2 hours including waiting time to use PT (each way). An hr and 10 minutes by car is a lot better (especially after games, when I don't have to wait in traffic at the G or stand on a crowded train all the way down the Frankston line). It's an hour on train to Frankston, let alone the drive that comes after that.

Yeah you are coming from a long way away down there. Its a long trip to the MCG and Etihad.

Parking is a bit of a nightmare in and around Etihad, but for most there are plenty of easy stations to get to with plenty of free parking. Anyone with access to Monash Free way in the east can get to Gardiner Station with absolute ease and be at the MCG in under 25 minutes/etihad in 35. To use "oh its too hard to get to" excuse is rubbish. How many other stadiums in the country have a station that overlooks it?

 

[footscore]

Any facts like games won lost to back that up ?

Sewell, Hodge, Simpkin, Burgoyne, Mitchell, Lewis is a very slow midfield. That's a fact!

 

[The_Reaper]

Hawthorn supporters hate playing at Etihad as they know it highlights their teams lack of speed which was shown up v Carlton last weekend.

West Coast just need to play on at every opportunity and run off their opponents because when it comes to speed....Hawthorn lack this across more positions on the ground than most other teams.

Pretty sure it's West Coast who lack the speed.

 

[Pessimistic]

Sewell, Hodge, Simpkin, Burgoyne, Mitchell, Lewis is a very slow midfield. That's a fact!

Then 55% of teams are slower there

 

[Hodge is God]

Sewell, Hodge, Simpkin, Burgoyne, Mitchell, Lewis is a very slow midfield. That's a fact!

You have seemed to leave out Breust, Puopolo, Hill, Smith and Rioli when he comes back.

But I'm sure that was just a mistake.

 

[hawkman]

Sewell, Hodge, Simpkin, Burgoyne, Mitchell, Lewis is a very slow midfield. That's a fact!

Wouldn't the confined spaces at Etihad make it better for us?