It's time to take the Grand Final away from the MCG

[fairlight_cmi]

i'll admit to just skimming the OP, but you gotta give this idea a huge n.o.

 

[PieNSauce]

Truth is it's not the GF being at the G that detracts from the national comp. Everyone knows it's that unspoken thing that strikes fear into the hearts of North Melbourne, Footscray, Melbourne, Hawthorn etc supporters that stops the comp from being truly national. Suggesting that the GF should be moved interstate is just a stupid idea!

 

[ManWithNoName]

GF played in the state or the reigning premier, so it gets moved around, its based on merit, yet chances are it will be held at the MCG most of the time anyway. Think America's Cup.

West Coast wins in 2006. 2007 GF would have been at Subi. Geelong wins bringing it back to the MCG in 2008.

Geelong vs Port GF at Subi? Great idea...

Absolutely, resounding no. Melbourne has AFL Members so even neutral GF's sell out. Plus if it was at a 65k stadium the coporates would still get the same amount of tickets. Meaning there'd be much, much less room for genuine supporters. Ridiculous idea.

 

[kranky al]

Yeah, because an interstate grand final is going to remove the corporate ticketing issues. The Superbowl moving around every year still allows for a good 70% of tickets going to corporates, with the public tickets being sold at disgustingly high prices. In fact, if the matches were to go to smaller 65k stadiums interstate, the tickets would probably be too expensive for your average everyday punter... decreased supply would force prices up. I went to both the 05 & 06 GF (getting in before you use the neutral supporter argument) and the atmosphere was incredible. Almost comparable with that of 08.

Leave it where it bloody well belongs (and I'm not saying this as a biased Victorian). I'm also a big NRL fan and am more then happy for their GF to remain in Sydney (again, where it belongs...).

after paying 1k for a return ticket to melbourne and 400 bucks for a hotel, a coupla hundred in restaurants and 50 bucks to and another 50 bucks back fro
the airport in taxis. you really think so?

 

[JUBJUB]

It is not umpossible that we could have a GWS vs Sydney Grand Final within the next 10 years.

Welcome to Bigfooty Ralph Wiggum

 

[HyperAgressiveDonk]

Sorry OP, but never going to happen mate

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

Yes, having West Coast vs Fremantle at the MCG would not favour either side but having West Coast vs Collingwood, when West Coast finished higher than Collingwood on the ladder, would be unfair to the Eagles.

Interstate sides have an 7-3 winning record over Victorian teams in Grand Finals.

 

[kranky al]

Which won't happen. No small State government (SA, WA, Qld) is going to build a new 60,000+ seater in the hope that a team from that state might make the GF with Home ground advantage. By my rough reckoning it would have happened 3 times with West Coast, once with Port and once with Brisbane. That's a lot of investment for one or two games every 20 years. We get told West Coast could probably fill a 60,000 seater now, but it still only means 12 games a year at best. And last year, they only had 2 x 40K crowds (the derbies).

w.a is building a new stadium. gthe dockers may well add to those 12 games and low attendances at games shit me to tears as it means the people like my dad who are members - who for whatever reason cant attend - have not onsold their tickets to people who would love to attend, which the eagles make quite easy to do.

PLus as many have said, for some reason ($), the AFL want to make Grand Final week offically An Event - which means functions, parades, bullsh*t, etc. Trying to organise that when you can't confirm the game site until a week before is not feasible. (Yet most fans just want to see the ball bounced).

So, I agree in theory - it's a fairer solution - but the practicalities mean it wont happen.

you can keep your functions etc - im pretty sure organising a parade with a weeks notice when considering that at two weeks the city involved knows there is a 50/50 chance of it hosting the parade and at three weeks knows there is a 25% chance - shouldnt be too much difficulty - perth managed to do it for the americas cup on just a few days notice 25 years ago - id imagine they could pull those magnificent organisers out of retirement as a last ditch emergency measure if noone current is up to the task ....

 

[HFF]

It's time to close this thread.

It's a ludicrous suggestion.

There's no stadium in the country big enough to act as a "substitute" venue. Every other stadium holds a capacity of no more than 40k.

National competition or not, the MCG is the home of football.

Lets not forget the whole spectacle built up during GF week and the massive $$$$$ it generates on Melbourne. It will never happen.

Some traditions should just be left unchanged.

 

[HyperAgressiveDonk]

Truth is it's not the GF being at the G that detracts from the national comp. Everyone knows it's that unspoken thing that strikes fear into the hearts of North Melbourne, Footscray, Melbourne, Hawthorn etc supporters that stops the comp from being truly national. Suggesting that the GF should be moved interstate is just a stupid idea!

What does this even mean?

 

[Morris Major]

Time to take the FA Cup final away from Wembley too.

The only good thing to come out of taking the GF away from the G is to encourage other states to have improved stadia, but apart from that it's a shite idea.

 

[Barkly St End]

I can see a day when we introduce a rule that should a Sydney team make the grand final as the highest ranked team, they will earn the right to host the grand final at Homebush.

Unless Perth can get a new stadium of 70,000 (which is possible) - that's as far as it can go.

 

[Pessimistic]

Finishing higher on the ladder could be because of an unfair draw.

Perhaps all finals should be neutral ?

 

[Giants FC]

I can understand where the OP is coming from, but it will never happen. The AFL would not allow a GF to be played at say a ANZ where the capacity is 80 odd thousand (and thats the closest to the G capacity wise) when it could be played at the MCG in front of 100 thousand.

That wouldn't be an issue. 25,000 of the MCG's capacity is MCC members, and the AFL doesn't get a cent for them. As far as the AFL's concerned, they may as well not be there. If the AFL can get a clean 80,000 seats at ANZ, they're better off than the 75,000 seats they get at the MCG.

The reason (other than long-term contracts) it won't happen isn't because of the difference in overall ground capacity. It's because of the seats the AFL does control - the vast majority of those seats are already allocated and sold before the teams playing in the grand final are known.

 

[kranky al]

What does this even mean?

i thought i was the only one struggling with this - i thought it was some sort of code that i was to stupid to understand - maybe you had to be a freemason or something

 

[fushy]

Homebush is a rubbish stadium, soulless hunk of concrete in the middle of a toxic waste dump.


Also the lights are to low.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

That wouldn't be an issue. 25,000 of the MCG's capacity is MCC members, and the AFL doesn't get a cent for them. .

Bullshit

 

[GarnerSmash]

It's the biggest ground in the land, and therefor the place from which the AFL can make the most profit from ticketing, sponsorship, functions etc. In short, not gonna happen.

 

[mattys123]

Nope, not going to happen.

The AFL had it's chance to play 1-2 Grand Finals interstate when the new Northern Stand was being built back in 02-04, but they chose to keep the games there, and for the next 30 years or so, until more development/renovations are done at the MCG, the AFL Grand Final will be played there.

No need to move it, everyone knows where it's going to be each year, and no one argues about it because it's part of our game.

Anyway, where else do you play it?

Homebush, BAH, a terrible stadium, where 20,000 people actually have no idea what is going on as they are sitting so far away they may as well be on the moon.

And nowhere else in Australia has the capacity to hold it, so nah, the MCG it is.

 

[WhyAlwaysMe]

The NFL should play the Superbowl every year at Cowboys stadium. Biggest stadium, they think they're the centre of the earth when it comes to American football etc etc.

That's pretty much the Victorian logic in NFL terms to try and help some Victorians understand an outsiders perspective.

 

[Keys]

In the absence of any equivalent stadium elsewhere, there is no way the Grand Final should be taken away from the MCG.

That said, even if another stadium of the same size is built somewhere outside Victoria I would still have my doubts on the merits of having the GF at anywhere but the MCG. Whilst the AFL is a national competition, the tradition of holding the GF at the MCG shouldn't be under valued and I firmly believe the atmosphere of GF week in Melbourne especially GF day could not be replicated anywhere else.

I loved the walk down to the ground from the city centre on the day of the 2005 and 2006 grand finals.

 

[PumpyChowdown]

I totally agree with the OP with certain caveats.

- If any Victorian team is playing in a GF, then it should be at the MCG.
- If the Crows and Port play in a GF then it too should be at the G unless Adelaide Oval is redeveloped to at least 65k. Seeing as though it is probably going to be a max of 55k, then that counts it out.
- If the Burswood ground goes ahead in Perth and is indeed 65k, then a GF involving West Coast and Freo should be played there.
- Any combination of NSW and QLD teams in a GF should be played at ANZ stadium as the Gabba will never get big enough to host a Granny.

It is now a NATIONAL code, and whilst I tip my hat to tradition, home GF's between teams from those states would be wicked.

 

[Byron_Clanger]

The Grand Final will never leave the MCG

 

[PieNSauce]

i thought i was the only one struggling with this - i thought it was some sort of code that i was to stupid to understand - maybe you had to be a freemason or something

Or maybe you just had to be the supporter of one of the lesser drawing Melbourne clubs.

 

[Chasing the Dream]

I wasn't aware that it was a dump

I'll admit I have never been there but I would expect an 11 year old stadium purpose built for the Olympics with 80 thousand seats to be decent. Perhaps I am horribly wrong though.

You are horribly wrong.

ANZ Stadium is a tin shed compared to most stadiums in Australia, the surface will never be up to scratch while they do not have the ground configured for our game. Getting there is a pain in the backside and the view is no where near as good as nearly all other grounds.

From a supporter of an interstate based club. The game should always be played at the 'G.