RookiePick
Brownlow Medallist
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100% commie tho.
News Media Thread, 2024: Insightful, Inciteful and Incomptent
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100% commie tho.
We need more of this stuff put out there.
Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir has accused the AFL of neglecting heartland states Western Australia and South Australia in a dramatic escalation of the competitive balance debate.
Last week’s revelation in this masthead – that Geelong had privately argued West Coast and Fremantle were not disadvantaged by travel because they received 12 business class seats for long-haul flights – ignited an angry backlash from the west.
Now, Longmuir has declared that the introduction of Adelaide’s Gather Round without any compensation for the WA clubs had officially “tipped the scales” against West Coast and Fremantle.
Longmuir also called on the league to minimise their time spent interstate through simple common sense.
The Dockers believe their preparation for Friday night’s blockbuster against Collingwood is being inexplicably shortened because of a fixture issue last week.
The Dockers played at Marvel Stadium on Saturday night against St Kilda, immediately after the Giants hosted the Bulldogs in the twilight fixture.
“Little things like if we played twilight against St Kilda we’d be home Saturday night. But because we play a night game we’re not home until midday Sunday, and we’ve got a six-day break into a Friday night game,” Longmuir told this masthead.
“For me, those sorts of things in the fixture should be non-negotiable.”
The Dockers started their season with back-to-back six-day breaks as they bounced between Perth and Melbourne. Their opponents received seven-day breaks.
“You shouldn’t have to do a six-day break off travel early in the season,” he said.
“You’re off a six-day break and they’re off a seven-day break early in the year, but you’re travelling … those sorts of things are easy fixes for WA teams.”
Longmuir said the competition needed more balance.
“I feel like for whatever reason, the AFL has neglected a heartland of football, and that’s WA,” Longmuir said.
“To a lesser degree South Australia, but I think South Australia get Gather Round, which is a competitive balance – an extra home game is pretty significant.
“But I feel like there’s a bit of neglect to our heartland and in a way I feel like it’s been taken for granted. You can’t take your heartland for granted.
“You look at pathways, the fact that we can’t take NGAs (inside pick 40) and WA teams have to travel an extra round.
“Because of Gather Round, we’ve got another away game.
“Something needs to come back the other way. Travel for WA teams understandably is a part of it, and we accept it.
“But to just add another one for Gather Round? And not have anything come back the other way?
“That’s tipped the scales, I reckon. It’s gone a bit too far.
“All of those things just pile up and make it harder and harder for the WA teams.
“That’s doing a disservice to WA football.”
While West Coast, Adelaide and Port Adelaide want to join the VFL, Longmuir said his club’s alignment with WAFL club Peel Thunder worked.
“The Peel and Freo relationship is really strong. They play the same style, same roles and players don’t have to travel,” he said.
“We travel 50 people at the moment, add another team to that and the logistics of travelling 90 people each week for two teams to play … I can’t get my head around that.
“That’s a big burden for interstate teams and a huge amount of money.
“That’s a big burden for interstate teams and a huge amount of money.
“It’s not broke for us, so it doesn’t need fixing. I’m really comfortable with the way our players have developed if they’re not playing AFL.”
Fremantle will clock 62,000km of travel this season, compared to Carlton’s 13,500km. Longmuir doubled-down on his criticism of the Cats’ pushback.
“I’ve worked at Collingwood and I’ve worked in the west at two different clubs – it doesn’t compare,” he said.
“The difference that travel applies to your program, staff, player fatigue is not comparable.”
Footy ‘heartland’ Western Australia ‘taken for granted’: Freo coach slams travel disadvantage
Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir has accused the AFL of neglecting heartland states Western Australia and South Australia in a dramatic escalation of the competitive balance debate.
Last week’s revelation in this masthead – that Geelong had privately argued West Coast and Fremantle were not disadvantaged by travel because they received 12 business class seats for long-haul flights – ignited an angry backlash from the west.
Now, Longmuir has declared that the introduction of Adelaide’s Gather Round without any compensation for the WA clubs had officially “tipped the scales” against West Coast and Fremantle.
Longmuir also called on the league to minimise their time spent interstate through simple common sense.
The Dockers believe their preparation for Friday night’s blockbuster against Collingwood is being inexplicably shortened because of a fixture issue last week.
The Dockers played at Marvel Stadium on Saturday night against St Kilda, immediately after the Giants hosted the Bulldogs in the twilight fixture.
“Little things like if we played twilight against St Kilda we’d be home Saturday night. But because we play a night game we’re not home until midday Sunday, and we’ve got a six-day break into a Friday night game,” Longmuir told this masthead.
“For me, those sorts of things in the fixture should be non-negotiable.”
The Dockers started their season with back-to-back six-day breaks as they bounced between Perth and Melbourne. Their opponents received seven-day breaks.
“You shouldn’t have to do a six-day break off travel early in the season,” he said.
“You’re off a six-day break and they’re off a seven-day break early in the year, but you’re travelling … those sorts of things are easy fixes for WA teams.”
Longmuir said the competition needed more balance.
“I feel like for whatever reason, the AFL has neglected a heartland of football, and that’s WA,” Longmuir said.
“To a lesser degree South Australia, but I think South Australia get Gather Round, which is a competitive balance – an extra home game is pretty significant.
“But I feel like there’s a bit of neglect to our heartland and in a way I feel like it’s been taken for granted. You can’t take your heartland for granted.
“You look at pathways, the fact that we can’t take NGAs (inside pick 40) and WA teams have to travel an extra round.
“Because of Gather Round, we’ve got another away game.
“Something needs to come back the other way. Travel for WA teams understandably is a part of it, and we accept it.
“But to just add another one for Gather Round? And not have anything come back the other way?
“That’s tipped the scales, I reckon. It’s gone a bit too far.
“All of those things just pile up and make it harder and harder for the WA teams.
“That’s doing a disservice to WA football.”
While West Coast, Adelaide and Port Adelaide want to join the VFL, Longmuir said his club’s alignment with WAFL club Peel Thunder worked.
“The Peel and Freo relationship is really strong. They play the same style, same roles and players don’t have to travel,” he said.
“We travel 50 people at the moment, add another team to that and the logistics of travelling 90 people each week for two teams to play … I can’t get my head around that.
“That’s a big burden for interstate teams and a huge amount of money.
“That’s a big burden for interstate teams and a huge amount of money.
“It’s not broke for us, so it doesn’t need fixing. I’m really comfortable with the way our players have developed if they’re not playing AFL.”
Fremantle will clock 62,000km of travel this season, compared to Carlton’s 13,500km. Longmuir doubled-down on his criticism of the Cats’ pushback.
“I’ve worked at Collingwood and I’ve worked in the west at two different clubs – it doesn’t compare,” he said.
“The difference that travel applies to your program, staff, player fatigue is not comparable.”
I know we've been looking into it but I'm not sure this is the case as yet is it?
Reading between the lines - we’ve publicly said now the standalone team isn’t working, we don’t want to go back to spreading our players around the WAFL and no club wants to align with us - only other option is to join the VFL no?
But wouldnt that.....increase our player's time in the air?
Surely a VFL team means playing in Victoria? Which means we're flying guys back and forth across the Nullabor every week?
RookiePick
Brownlow Medallist
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Hungry tiger.....i wonder what he is up to these days
TY24
It's Hewett, not Hewitt
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The master plan is for a national reserves competition where the reserves teams follow the same fixturing as the senior team, I believe. There was talk of the reserves games being curtain raisers to the senior games but I'm unsure if that's still the case.
Maybe but we havent publicly stated it like the Crows and Power have as far as I'm aware
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That's what Nguyen Van Phuoc aka Miguel Sanchez aka Lionel Hutz wants you to believe. I'm on to you Nguyen.FYI Migs' real name isn't Nguyen Van Phuoc, it's a continuation of the Simpsons quote
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This is another result of the AFL gifting VFL clubs their standalone Round 1 fixtures on Thu/Fri while we get shunted to Sunday.
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Whats the "Cats pushback?"
Last week’s revelation in this masthead – that Geelong had privately argued West Coast and Fremantle were not disadvantaged by travel because they received 12 business class seats for long-haul flights – ignited an angry backlash from the west.
This is great from Longmuir and the Purples. This is one issue on which we need to put aside rivalry and present a united front on.
I’d like to see a follow up article with quotes from Pyke or someone at West Coast endorsing these sentiments.
I heard the travel argument, never realised it was Geelong. TY Dan
Me either. Doesn't strike me as Chris Scott's wheelhouse but having a full blown sook is on brand for him so maybe he is involved. Cats get a dog shit setup for finals but they're basically carried through to finals each year with their unique mix of home ground and MCG games. You'd think they would keep their head down a bit.
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Still hungry.
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Was he the one that had the inside gossip?
Pinders son seeing eagles players at rehab and doctors?
Get_The_Gaff
Norm Smith Medallist
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Geelong has no right to question anyone on equality of the competition.
They have a Victorian fixture
True home ground advantage
Away games 1 hour up the road
MCG access for home games vs big ticket VFL teams to make $
Charter flights from Geelong to save on travel
Desirable location to older players who want to escape the city .
Cheaper housing on the surf coast or land plots for players who want space .
Chris Scott was an assistant coach at Freo around 2010, so he would know full well what the travel burden is. Yet another of his shit takes to deflect that his team has lost three in a row.
- Jun 11, 2013
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We actually got some good coverage last night on both AFL 360 and On the couch programs.
It was nice to see for a change. Even Hairy Gary was complementary of the club end of Harley.
It was nice to see for a change. Even Hairy Gary was complementary of the club end of Harley.
