Is the MCG a big advantage on Grand Final Day for Victorians against Interstate Sides? /Are Interstaters advantaged during the home and away season?

[MVille Swan]

The Grand Final was only the second consecutive game at the MCG.

To clarify they played the last seven rounds of the H & A at the MCG, the QF at the Gabba then the prelim & GF
back at their home ground. So nine of the last ten games they played in 2019 were at their home ground.
Would it be OK for say West Coast to get the same run of games at Optus in 2021 in the event the GF were to be
played in WA next year?
Or alternatively, would it okay if the Swans got 13/14 games a year at the SCG, another 3/4 at Giants Stadium
(ie only left Sydney 5 times in the H & A season) and the GF was always played at the SCG?

 

[Kwality]

See the Dockers flight home from Cairns today is 8.5 hours - travel is the issue not covered by home ground advantage, a cute phrase from 100 years ago.

 

[Ron The Bear]

To clarify they played the last seven rounds of the H & A at the MCG, the QF at the Gabba then the prelim & GF
back at their home ground. So nine of the last ten games they played in 2019 were at their home ground.
Would it be OK for say West Coast to get the same run of games at Optus in 2021 in the event the GF were to be
played in WA next year?
Or alternatively, would it okay if the Swans got 13/14 games a year at the SCG, another 3/4 at Giants Stadium
(ie only left Sydney 5 times in the H & A season) and the GF was always played at the SCG?

Let's look at the decades B.D. (Before Dimma) and A.D. (After Dimma).

Richmond 2000-09

Venue	P	W	L	D	Win %
MCG	111	48	62	1	43.7
non-MCG	112	37	73	2	33.9

Richmond 2010-19

Venue	P	W	L	D	Win %
MCG	137	84	51	2	62.0
non-MCG	94	46	48	0	48.9

Improvement at the MCG = 62.0 / 43.7 = 42.0%
Improvement away from MCG = 48.9 / 33.9 = 44.2%

So Richmond's record both at the MCG and away from the MCG has improved by more or less the same amount.

The home ground advantage was always there, it just never troubled anyone while Richmond were shit.

Your argument amounts to a complaint that Richmond is now good. Tough t***ies.

 

[06Premiers]

Let's look at the decades B.D. (Before Dimma) and A.D. (After Dimma).

Richmond 2000-09

Venue	P	W	L	D	Win %
MCG	111	48	62	1	43.7
non-MCG	112	37	73	2	33.9

Richmond 2010-19

Venue	P	W	L	D	Win %
MCG	137	84	51	2	62.0
non-MCG	94	46	48	0	48.9

Improvement at the MCG = 62.0 / 43.7 = 42.0%
Improvement away from MCG = 48.9 / 33.9 = 44.2%

So Richmond's record both at the MCG and away from the MCG has improved by more or less the same amount.

The home ground advantage was always there, it just never troubled anyone while Richmond were sh*t.

Your argument amounts to a complaint that Richmond is now good. Tough t***ies.

****, I'd love 4 extra games per year on average at Optus.

 

[Ron The Bear]

fu**, I'd love 4 extra games per year on average at Optus.

You can have them as soon as W.A. gets eight new clubs.

 

[MVille Swan]

Let's look at the decades B.D. (Before Dimma) and A.D. (After Dimma).

Richmond 2000-09

Venue	P	W	L	D	Win %
MCG	111	48	62	1	43.7
non-MCG	112	37	73	2	33.9

Richmond 2010-19

Venue	P	W	L	D	Win %
MCG	137	84	51	2	62.0
non-MCG	94	46	48	0	48.9

Improvement at the MCG = 62.0 / 43.7 = 42.0%
Improvement away from MCG = 48.9 / 33.9 = 44.2%

So Richmond's record both at the MCG and away from the MCG has improved by more or less the same amount.

The home ground advantage was always there, it just never troubled anyone while Richmond were sh*t.

Your argument amounts to a complaint that Richmond is now good. Tough t***ies.

My question remains ; Would you think West Coast playing 17 H & A games a year in Perth and having the GF
played at their home ground every year give them any kind of advantage over the teams that aren't from WA?

 

[06Premiers]

You can have them as soon as W.A. gets eight new clubs.

Nah I'd prefer 1 less club.

 

[telsor]

My question remains ; Would you think West Coast playing 17 H & A games a year in Perth and having the GF
played at their home ground every year give them any kind of advantage over the teams that aren't from WA?

How do you think they'd go with most of those games as neutral games, and even those games where the other team is genuinely 'away', that they're far more familiar with the ground than they are now?

 

[Kwality]

How do you think they'd go with most of those games as neutral games, and even those games where the other team is genuinely 'away', that they're far more familiar with the ground than they are now?

When you get to 'genuinely away' versus 'on the road away' versus 'not genuinely away' do you reckon ..... in the 20th century we moved past lbs to to kgs, gallons to litres, mph to lm/hr, but we are stuck with 'genuinely away' for on the road ... yes/but ...

 

[Duckimus Prime]

Do you have an advantage when you play the crows?

Yes we do.

There is an advantage with Adelaide Oval packed with more Port fans than Crows fans.

Did we get an advantage when we finished 2 games clear on top in 2018 and played 2 neutral finals against fellow mcg tenants?

Maybe you should have more of your fans turn up to fill out the final when its your home game?

 

[telsor]

When you get to 'genuinely away' versus 'on the road away' versus 'not genuinely away' do you reckon ..... in the 20th century we moved past lbs to to kgs, gallons to litres, mph to lm/hr, but we are stuck with 'genuinely away' for on the road ... yes/but ...

There are degrees of impact.

Some advantages are greater than others. Others are less.

Richmond's HGA Vs Collingwood is FAR less than WCE's HGA would be against either team.

Further, a MCG team's HGA is less against WCE than WCE gains in the reverse fixture.

 

[telsor]

Yes we do.

There is an advantage with Adelaide Oval packed with more Port fans than Crows fans.

Is it as big an advantage as you get against another other team?

Maybe you should have more of your fans turn up to fill out the final when its your home game?

AFL doesn't allow that. They sell the tickets and (try) to make them available to the competing clubs evenly. If you played a final Vs Adelaide, the same would occur.

 

[HTT]

If there was no advantage to Richmond last year playing seven games in a row including the GF at their home ground
then I guess there wouldn't be an issue with say next year West Coast not leaving Optus for the last two months
of the season or Port doing the same at Adelaide Oval.

In that 7 weeks we did have an advantage. In the other 15 we had a disadvantage that was roughly equivalent. As long as a team ends up with a roughly balanced draw, I don't care whether all their home games are lumped together or spread out evenly.

 

[Kwality]

There are degrees of impact.

Some advantages are greater than others. Others are less.

Richmond's HGA Vs Collingwood is FAR less than WCE's HGA would be against either team.

Further, a MCG team's HGA is less against WCE than WCE gains in the reverse fixture.

I accept that in principle, where travel is in play there is disadvantage for the traveller (flight time, time zone, crowds) & its true GF day.

 

[MVille Swan]

How do you think they'd go with most of those games as neutral games, and even those games where the other team is genuinely 'away', that they're far more familiar with the ground than they are now?

I think West Coast would go very well if they played 13/14 games at Optus, 3/4 at a second Perth venue a couple of miles away
from Optus, only had to leave Perth five times a year (as opposed to ten times) and the GF was played at Optus every year. I
think there would be a lot of people unhappy about the unfair advantage West Coast were receiving every year.

 

[dean33]

fu**, I'd love 4 extra games per year on average at Optus.

You can, just get a few more teams in Perth and you’ll have your wish!

 

[telsor]

I think West Coast would go very well if they played 13/14 games at Optus, 3/4 at a second Perth venue a couple of miles away
from Optus, only had to leave Perth five times a year (as opposed to ten times) and the GF was played at Optus every year. I
think there would be a lot of people unhappy about the unfair advantage West Coast were receiving every year.

and if the vast majority of those local games were against other Perth based teams?

 

[dean33]

Yes we do.

There is an advantage with Adelaide Oval packed with more Port fans than Crows fans.


Maybe you should have more of your fans turn up to fill out the final when its your home game?

We always have more fans than the opposition on most occasions, we don’t rely on our fans to kick goals for us however, that’s what the players get the big bucks for.

 

[dean33]

I think West Coast would go very well if they played 13/14 games at Optus, 3/4 at a second Perth venue a couple of miles away
from Optus, only had to leave Perth five times a year (as opposed to ten times) and the GF was played at Optus every year. I
think there would be a lot of people unhappy about the unfair advantage West Coast were receiving every year.

That’s the stupidest argument I’ve heard, who are they playing these home games against? I’d be fine with this as long as we play every interstate team at home and play all Victorian teams away.
Deal?

 

[telsor]

I accept that in principle, where travel is in play there is disadvantage for the traveller (flight time, time zone, crowds) & its true GF day.

There are probably a dozen factors at play.

Yes, having it at the MCG is an advantage to MCG based teams, and to a lesser degree other Vic clubs.

That said, it is a smaller advantage than would be at play in any other ground option (except, perhaps, Docklands), and given that it can't practically be moved on short notice*, that makes it the 'least worst' option.



* - Yes, the game can in theory be moved, but the EVENT cannot, and given the two are inseparable, that means the game can't either.

 

[Kwality]

There are probably a dozen factors at play.

Yes, having it at the MCG is an advantage to MCG based teams, and to a lesser degree other Vic clubs.

That said, it is a smaller advantage than would be at play in any other ground option (except, perhaps, Docklands), and given that it can't practically be moved on short notice*, that makes it the 'least worst' option.



* - Yes, the game can in theory be moved, but the EVENT cannot, and given the two are inseparable, that means the game can't either.

We simply disagree on the GF @ the G. Most of the denial of any advantage, particularly when a non Melbourne team wins the right. Ah so what is all you get from HQ.

 

[Final Siren]

There are studies - in America and Europe - regarding the effects of travel regarding time zones especially travelling west to east has on teams performance on the day.

West Coast have also done comprehensive studies which they have submitted to the VFL and AFL.

And no I have zero sympathy for whatever team finishes eighth. Just like Victorians had no sympathy for West Coast having to play home finals in Melbourne during the 1990s when they had earned the right to play them in Perth.

The Eagles would have won more premierships if fixturing has ever been fair.

Do you have any links to these studies? I'd like to see them.

Anyway, if you want to make the argument that West Coast deserve an unfair advantage now because they were disadvantaged in the past, that's fine by me. It's not really Collingwood's fault, but anyway. I just think it's dodgy for people who are banging the drum about fixture unfairness to be suddenly fine with it when it's in their favour.

 

[Final Siren]

There are degrees of impact.

Some advantages are greater than others. Others are less.

Richmond's HGA Vs Collingwood is FAR less than WCE's HGA would be against either team.

Further, a MCG team's HGA is less against WCE than WCE gains in the reverse fixture.

Swear to God, 90% of West Coast fans seem convinced that when Richmond play Collingwood at the MCG, both sides get home ground advantage.

 

[Ok Boomer]

Yes Richmond and Collingwood are so hard done by with a few more “neutral” home games in exchange for an almost non existent travel burden. You will think that some perspective would have been made this year but apparently not.

 

[RichLeMonde]

Do you have any links to these studies? I'd like to see them.

Anyway, if you want to make the argument that West Coast deserve an unfair advantage now because they were disadvantaged in the past, that's fine by me. It's not really Collingwood's fault, but anyway. I just think it's dodgy for people who are banging the drum about fixture unfairness to be suddenly fine with it when it's in their favour.

NBA teams fly east coast to west coast all the time - they play 3 sometimes 4 games a week, over an 82 game season plus up to 28 playoffs games, and their players play for up to 20 years. But yeah, flying for a few hours an extra 5 times/year is the most massive disadvantage in the history of sports lol

I also love how the Wet Toast ignore the fact that the single biggest advantage in sports is money (look at rich nations versus poor nations in the Olympics). WC are loaded with cash because they have a near monopoly on fans in their home state. They compete against vics who have to share the market between 10, so WC get all the sponsorship benefits of a large comp without any of the downside of economic competition. If they got rid of all their travel (by there either being only a few Melb teams, or more WA teams), they'd also lose a truckload of their cash (or other clubs would make as much cash), and lose their enormous advantage in that regard.