Here's a question for you Hawthorn greatest team of all backers.

[Lemma]

They've also had some real average opponents on GF Day

 

[NathanMX]

They could play the GF at Subiaco, West Coast lose by 10 goals and some of their supporters would still make excuses I reckon, rather then manning up and congratulating the better team....
Respect to the Eagle fans who could be honorable and decent even in a loss.

 

[lordbob]

Would Hawthorn have their three-peat if their grand finals weren't played at their home ground????

Would any of the interstate teams have made it to the grandfinal if they didn't get a home ground advantage every second week? Would they have all made top 4?

Would they have won their preliminary finals if they had to be played at neutral venues?

Hawthorn smashed their opposition in each grandfinal. Sure freo made a comeback to make the difference closer but teh game was already won.

How many goals is home ground advantage worth? 10 ? 15? 20? 500 goals per game ?

 

[Dr Awkward]

I think the grand final has to stay at the MCG but they should be giving every interstate team a minimum of 2 or 3 games there a year, it's a bit rough on WC only having 1 game there in the home and away.

 

[krisholio14]

West Coast losing on the weekend had nothing to do with the ground.

 

[Jak!x]

Too much salt is bad for you OP!

 

[toomanysquibs]

Hawthorns three grand final wins have come against interstate teams who have had to play on a pitch which has different dimensions to their own

The MCG's pitch is identical to all pitches on cricket grounds here in Australia and around the world.

I'm not sure the condition or size of the centre wicket came into it though.

I can't help but feel sorry for West Coast, only in the comp for a couple of decades or so, and the shock for them when they woke up Grand Final morning, and had the whole 'MCG surface dimension swap' pulled on them.

They didn't stand a chance.

 

[Pappagallo]

They've also had some real average opponents on GF Day

Yeah the last three Grand Finals have been terrible games to watch. I'm sure Hawks fans couldn't care less, they got the job done and really that's all that matters, but from a neutral spectator's perspective they have all been absolute trash.

I guess we all got a bit spoiled though. 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010 (Game 1) and 2012 were all top shelf.

 

[Empire_Persian]

Of course playing at the Hawks home ground, in the Hawks home state, gave them an advantage.

To outright deny it, as so many of you have done in this thread, is downright wilful ignorance.

Whether or not this advantage had a material impact on the outcome of the game is difficult to analyse.

I personally don't think it had a material impact on the outcome. That is a far stretch.

Yet, as long as the contract between the AFL and the MCG endures, Victorian teams will have this advantage against non-Victorian teams.

It is undeniably unfair in the context of a national competition with a ranked / hierarchical finals system and that has to be acknowledged.

 

[threesixpio]

Yes for this year. Played a bad QF. But would have murdered all teams on Sat. We beat you in Subi in the home and away and Freo last week. If any year this argument fails in 2015.

Not sure about other years. Probably yes to last year. Killed the Swans.

2013 ....not sure. Hang on- that was our home game

Yep - three peat. Anywhere anytime

 

[The GOAT]

Im more pissed about playing vic teams in tassie instead of the g tbh - if we are going to play grannies there at least let us play at that ground at least three games a season

Fair call. Although having your Tassie game in Melbourne would have been at Ethiad anyway.

 

[Gene Simmons]

It is a mute argument. But In my eyes it is what makes Brisbanes achievement greater than hawthorns.

If hawthorn win four there will be no comparison

Are you also taking into account Brisbane's draft and salary cap concessions in your thorough analysis?

 

[FuManchu]

Bet if it was changed so all gfs were played in perth you would have a differrnt take on it

The building of such a limited seating capacity stadium doesn't lend itself to Perth's case to host one. An 80K stadium would have done the job.

 

[MinerBoy]

Would Hawthorn have their three-peat if their grand finals weren't played at their home ground????

Based on the football they brought to the games, undoubtedly yes.

Move on.

 

[Nuggets73]

I love all these "what if" threads ... home ground advantage doesn't explain poor skills, thats pressure ... something that cost West Choke dearly
We're the greatest side of the modern era ... absolutely no debate, think some of you all need to start dealing with it instead of coming up with these "excuse" threads

 

[compact72]

I think the grand final has to stay at the MCG but they should be giving every interstate team a minimum of 2 or 3 games there a year, it's a bit rough on WC only having 1 game there in the home and away.

I agree, but they can stop whinging

Bulldogs only got 1 game at the MCG. Technically had the right to play at our home ground but didn't. We would of smashed Adelaide if we kicked straight too

Just excuses, thats all it is.

 

[Samthegun]

Would Hawthorn have their three-peat if their grand finals weren't played at their home ground????


There already is a thread about the grand final being at a neutral venue, or who is better Brisbane, geelong, hawthorn etc, however what about this....

Hawthorns three grand final wins have come against interstate teams who have had to play on a pitch which has different dimensions to their own, a stadium where they had only played minimal times during the year, and not to mention the significant crowd advantage and influence the hawks have.

Lets look at 2013 grand final. Hawks win by 15 points. Played against a team that had barely played a game at the MCG all year, and traveled from Perth, where they played over 50% of their games on a pitch with much smaller dimensions.

2014 Grand final. Hawks win by 63 points. Annihilation, and you'd have to be stupid to say that the MCG is a 10 goal advantage for the hawks, but had the game been played in Sydney with a majority of supporters being Sydney supporters would it had been Sydney who crumbled under pressure early on, and then were forced to chase the game, or would it potentially been the Hawks who crumbled under the pressure of playing on a foreign ground, with no home crowd support??

2015 Grand Final. Hawks win by 46 points. No excuses for the Eagles here but an embarrassment really. Many fumbles, easy mistakes, made Hawthorn look like they couldn't do no wrong. However, just 3 weeks back at the Eagles home ground we saw the complete opposite occur?? Is it just a coincidence the Hawks had a bad game 3 three weeks ago, and three weeks later the Eagles just happen to have a bad game?? Or could it be similar reasons to 2014. Early on pressure of a grand final, playing on a ground which they are not used to, infront of an intimidating home crowd. Meanwhile the hawks had the advantage of playing on their home ground, infront of their home crowd, and were able to settle quicker, and hence get out to a marginal advantage and force their opponents to try and chase for the rest of the game??

Firsly before i get criticized like i said the game could have been played at Pattersons and the way the eagles played, and the way the hawks played their wouldnt have been much difference, but for all those saying Hawthorn is the greatest team of all, bar their 2013 season, they haven't been the best team throughout the home and away seasons of 2014, and 2015 yet were fortunate enough to play the grand final on their home ground, in front of their home crowd.

Had all three of these three finals been played in Perth, and Sydney would the hawks still be 3-0?

You've got a really valid point, mate. If not for the home ground advantage, I think WC would have three-peated instead. Sorry about taking away your glory...

 

[Craze]

OP ... 'OK I'm not going to have a whinge, but ... <600 word whinge>'

 

[Costanza_]

They would have comfortably won 2014 and 2015 playing interstate.

2013 is a moot point as they were the highest qualifier and so 'deserved' to play at the MCG anyway.

 

[smeltitdeltit]

2013 would have been at the G anyway
2014 They would have won anywhere.
2015 Ditto

Also the Grand final crowd is neutral. exactly the same amount of seats released to members of each club.
The roar when the eagles entered the G on Saturday was just as loud as the Hawks

 

[hawksalltheway]

ok - so everyone knows the dimensions of all the grounds in the afl
and everyone knows that the GF is always played at the MCG....so if my gameplan only works on grounds with the right dimensions, is it going to stand up in the GF...?


the hawks had wayyyy too much space....dont blame the ground, blame the lack of flexibility in the gameplan

 

[Josh_hawk]

Would Hawthorn have their three-peat if their grand finals weren't played at their home ground????


There already is a thread about the grand final being at a neutral venue, or who is better Brisbane, geelong, hawthorn etc, however what about this....

Hawthorns three grand final wins have come against interstate teams who have had to play on a pitch which has different dimensions to their own, a stadium where they had only played minimal times during the year, and not to mention the significant crowd advantage and influence the hawks have.

Lets look at 2013 grand final. Hawks win by 15 points. Played against a team that had barely played a game at the MCG all year, and traveled from Perth, where they played over 50% of their games on a pitch with much smaller dimensions.

2014 Grand final. Hawks win by 63 points. Annihilation, and you'd have to be stupid to say that the MCG is a 10 goal advantage for the hawks, but had the game been played in Sydney with a majority of supporters being Sydney supporters would it had been Sydney who crumbled under pressure early on, and then were forced to chase the game, or would it potentially been the Hawks who crumbled under the pressure of playing on a foreign ground, with no home crowd support??

2015 Grand Final. Hawks win by 46 points. No excuses for the Eagles here but an embarrassment really. Many fumbles, easy mistakes, made Hawthorn look like they couldn't do no wrong. However, just 3 weeks back at the Eagles home ground we saw the complete opposite occur?? Is it just a coincidence the Hawks had a bad game 3 three weeks ago, and three weeks later the Eagles just happen to have a bad game?? Or could it be similar reasons to 2014. Early on pressure of a grand final, playing on a ground which they are not used to, infront of an intimidating home crowd. Meanwhile the hawks had the advantage of playing on their home ground, infront of their home crowd, and were able to settle quicker, and hence get out to a marginal advantage and force their opponents to try and chase for the rest of the game??

Firsly before i get criticized like i said the game could have been played at Pattersons and the way the eagles played, and the way the hawks played their wouldnt have been much difference, but for all those saying Hawthorn is the greatest team of all, bar their 2013 season, they haven't been the best team throughout the home and away seasons of 2014, and 2015 yet were fortunate enough to play the grand final on their home ground, in front of their home crowd.

Had all three of these three finals been played in Perth, and Sydney would the hawks still be 3-0?

You joined us
You knew the rules when you did

 

[The Passenger]

Our guys just need to get over ****ing Saturday. We got dusted on the big stage. We turned up to play I've no doubt about that. The intensity was there early, but skill errors and poor decisions ended up costing us. Against one of the all time great teams that costs you.

Threads like this only add to the satisfaction of the winning teams.

Same as when opposition fans want to call 2006 tainted; It just makes my footballing boner a little bit harder.

 

[Josh_hawk]

2013 would have been at the G anyway
2014 They would have won anywhere.
2015 Ditto

Also the Grand final crowd is neutral. exactly the same amount of seats released to members of each club.
The roar when the eagles entered the G on Saturday was just as loud as the Hawks

Could have been louder

 

[KAMSTAR HFC]

Since 1990:

WCE 3
Brisbane 3
Adelaide 2
Sydney 2
Port Adelaide 1

That's 11 non Victorian teams winning flags in the past 26 years at the MCG.