Opening Round: GWS v Collingwood, Saturday afternoon

[cfc19902010]

Aim higher. There are better things to be envious about.

Whatever

 

[sr36]

Didn’t the NRL have games in the US this year?

Don't know why there wasn't any NRL that week last year or whether there will be any this year.

 

[LuckyLee]

This came through from Tom Morris yesterday. Pies to play GWS (again) in Opening Round in 2025.

I would have preferred to play one of the grand finalists, given they'd have less rest, but I'm okay with GWS as well (I can't remember how deep they went in the finals).

Perryman to shut down Greene.

I hope we put in a better performance than we did in corresponding match this season, when we were horribly uncompetitive.


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[PiesHateU2]

I attended Round Zero last year and tbh, Engie Stadium or Giants Stadium is easily the worst AFL venue I've ever been to. The entire environment is shoddy, for lack of a better word. The acoustics were horrendous and the 'boom boom boom' noise they play on the speakers after each Giants goal sent me almost deaf by half time. That, and the performance by our pies first up, made it a very very average evening.

Really want to go see the Pies play again, however not at that stadium. Might go to the SCG though... just.

 

[TimothyJ23]

Don't know why there wasn't any NRL that week last year or whether there will be any this year.

This entire thread of discussion has been wrong - as were the AFL this year (and next) about doing this to "take advantage of no NRL"

The NRL's two Las Vegas games were played on March 1/2 this year. They were the first two games of Round 1, with the other six matches played the following weekend (March 6-9).

The AFL set up Opening Round with the concept of taking advantage of the NRL being in Vegas, but scheduled Opening Round for March 6-9, which coincided with the last part of Round 1 - the aforementioned six games.

As a result:

• Melbourne Storm had free reign over Melbourne, and opened their season Friday night March 7 at AAMI Park against premiers Penrith
• Parramatta and Gold Coast were scheduled to play on Saturday 9 March, interchangeably against the GWS and Suns games scheduled the same day.
• The NRL scheduled an all-QLD clash on the Sunday, with zero opposition from the AFL who didn't schedule any game that day.

TL;DR - the AFL's plan to take advantage of the NRL's supposed absence was poorly planned and didn't work out, because NRL was there in its markets (and took advantage of Melbourne too).

And it looks like, so far, the AFL has gone with the same tactic - opening round is one weekend after NRL in Vegas again, which will be Round 1 when the NRL draw is released later this month.

 

[Tadpole]

Can someone please explain why opening round is a good idea?

I don’t think that’s actually possible.

 

[Mollythedolly]

I don’t think that’s actually possible.

Positive:

• footy back a week earlier
• tick off an interstate trip early

Negative:
- an extra bye. God I hate byes but it’ll likely balance out when Tassie enter as we’ll all get an additional bye anyway.

Only real disadvantage is for teams that go deep into finals being drawn to play teams with extra weeks of preseason.

 

[sr36]

Positive:

• footy back a week earlier
• tick off an interstate trip early

Negative:
- an extra bye. God I hate byes but it’ll likely balance out when Tassie enter as we’ll all get an additional bye anyway.

Only real disadvantage is for teams that go deep into finals being drawn to play teams with extra weeks of preseason.

I think the coaches would view that extra bye as a positive.

 

[sideswipe]

This entire thread of discussion has been wrong - as were the AFL this year (and next) about doing this to "take advantage of no NRL"

The NRL's two Las Vegas games were played on March 1/2 this year. They were the first two games of Round 1, with the other six matches played the following weekend (March 6-9).

The AFL set up Opening Round with the concept of taking advantage of the NRL being in Vegas, but scheduled Opening Round for March 6-9, which coincided with the last part of Round 1 - the aforementioned six games.

As a result:

• Melbourne Storm had free reign over Melbourne, and opened their season Friday night March 7 at AAMI Park against premiers Penrith
• Parramatta and Gold Coast were scheduled to play on Saturday 9 March, interchangeably against the GWS and Suns games scheduled the same day.
• The NRL scheduled an all-QLD clash on the Sunday, with zero opposition from the AFL who didn't schedule any game that day.

TL;DR - the AFL's plan to take advantage of the NRL's supposed absence was poorly planned and didn't work out, because NRL was there in its markets (and took advantage of Melbourne too).

And it looks like, so far, the AFL has gone with the same tactic - opening round is one weekend after NRL in Vegas again, which will be Round 1 when the NRL draw is released later this month.

Think it has only ever been the media that has taken the "NRL not there" angle.

The date for our opening round is determined by counting back from the last Saturday in September. Suggesting the AFL is somehow being outstmarted by the NFL fixturing is a bit silly.

 

[Mollythedolly]

I think the coaches would view that extra bye as a positive.

Without being privy to what they think, I’d just assumed coaches will just make the best of what they’re dealt. My post though was just giving my view of the positives and negatives.

 

[ElliottsMaggies]

I think the coaches would view that extra bye as a positive.

I don't like how disjointed those byes make the first 5-6 weeks of the season.

However, if it turns out to be a bonus for us, I'll take it.

I love having an extra game of footy though.

 

[Mollythedolly]

I don't like how disjointed those byes make the first 5-6 weeks of the season.

However, if it turns out to be a bonus for us, I'll take it.

I love having an extra game of footy though.

There’s no Nett gain in games for us with the scheduling of round zero though.

 

[ElliottsMaggies]

There’s no Nett gain in games for us with the scheduling of round zero though.

I know we don't get an extra game

Just an extra game of footy in general & earlier start to the season.

 

[sr36]

Without being privy to what they think, I’d just assumed coaches will just make the best of what they’re dealt. My post though was just giving my view of the positives and negatives.

Talk that Carlton said no, I'd assume the footy department would be part of the conversation to push back or go with opening round.

 

[JLC]

Not sure why you think it costs the Southern footy states.

Just a flat way to start the season. Why the need to call it Round 0?

If you want to create interest then surely you fixture the Brisbane teams against the Sydney teams and give it a state of origin type feel?

Getting Collingwood fans to fill a stadium in Sydney doesn't add much really?

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

Trying to kick off interest in Northern states. Extra round of footy to watch. Good for TV rights.

I'm more interested in why it's seen as a bad thing for us.

To me it knocks off one of our travels at a time least likely to negatively impact us, puts us at an early season advantage against non opening round teams and gives us an extra bye at a really good time to assess and make game plan tweaks.

Yeah criticism of it is load of bollocks. We play 23 games like every other team although get an extra week to do them. And it knocks off one of our travel games early.

People just look at our bad start to the season and blame it on opening round . To which I respond… Brisbane Lions say hi. Lost the first three games including opening round at home, and were 2-5 after seven games ( compared to Collingwood 3-3-1)

 

[76woodenspooners]

Can someone please explain why opening round is a good idea?

It allows the AFL to launch the season in NSW and QLD without having to compete with League for media and attention.

This has got nothing to do with those supporters like me and you who’ll turn up to a game on the moon on Christmas Day (but grumble about it). It’s more about getting people along who have never been to the footy before.

(Mind you, I can’t imagine too many people will be able to just rock up and check out a game of footy when Collingwood are playing in a 25K stadium on the day before a Vic public holiday)

 

[Harry O]

Hard to see how GWS can cover the suspensions of McMullin and Thomas

 

[Pie eyed]

How did it fail? Games were sold out everywhere, afl got what it wanted.
I reckon it's here to stay if people keep turning up.

The vibe was good, I enjoyed it.

Jen, it's just a shit concept that 8 teams play a stupid promtoional round, then the byes are ****ed up for the year.
I honestly only give a rats about Collingwood, the rest of the comp can eat a rough one. last year it disadvantaged Collingwood and will again this year. End it.

 

[Jen2310]

Jen, it's just a shit concept that 8 teams play a stupid promtoional round, then the byes are ****ed up for the year.
I honestly only give a rats about Collingwood, the rest of the comp can eat a rough one. last year it disadvantaged Collingwood and will again this year. End it.

Only disadvantaged us because of our short pre-season. Now we have a longer one, the club is more than happy
We can't pinpoint OR as being the reason we were stuffed. Lets not make those excuses. It is only a week early. Not to mention the byes fix itself within the first 6 weeks.

I reckon by then the boys would want to get into games. There isn't enough grounds to hold all 18 sides there, so hence its done this way.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

Jen, it's just a shit concept that 8 teams play a stupid promtoional round, then the byes are ****ed up for the year.
I honestly only give a rats about Collingwood, the rest of the comp can eat a rough one. last year it disadvantaged Collingwood and will again this year. End it.

It really didn’t.

Brisbane had a far worse start to their season than Collingwood , including a loss in round zero…. And won the flag.

We missed out on finals because we lost four in a row in June/July.

 

[LuckyLee]

It really didn’t.

Brisbane had a far worse start to their season than Collingwood , including a loss in round zero…. And won the flag.

We missed out on finals because we lost four in a row in June/July.

Yes….but it wasn’t fair that we had the shortest off-season AND were scheduled to play three matches before most other teams had played two.

It really put us on the back foot and I have little doubt that the extra effort needed to lift out win-loss back into positive territory from such a bad start ultimately took a toll on us later in the season.


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[AmericanMustard]

Reckon I’ll try and go to this game. Look forward to sitting with 90% of Collingwood fans promoting the game in Sydney

 

[parano1a]

But negatively given it's a Sunday it means we're more likely to cop a 6 day break into Round 1

A six day break shouldn't matter that early in the season.

 

[unplugged]

A six day break shouldn't matter that early in the season.

Eh, maybe. Maybe it's because I wasn't fond of practice games but I was always very sore after Round 1 in my local games!