Opening Round: GWS v Collingwood, Saturday afternoon

[Chronz]

Could be a damn hard draw in the first 9 weeks. GWS, Dogs, Sydney and possiby Brisbane away and Geelong Rd.9 @ sardine can stadium. Ridiculous if the last two end up being true.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

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.


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

So did Brisbane.

Who won the flag.

For the third time… it’s a mighty copout excuse that some supporters are coming up with

 

[Scodog10]

Could be a damn hard draw in the first 9 weeks. GWS, Dogs, Sydney and possiby Brisbane away and Geelong Rd.9 @ sardine can stadium. Ridiculous if the last two end up being true.

Zero chance of the last, but Brisbane away is guaranteed.

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

It’s not the first 6 day break that gets you, but the 2nd as it did in 2023. I think it’s likely though that we have the bye in Rd 1 with Rd 2 v the Bulldogs on a Friday night and all of the OR byes will need to be cycled through by Rd 4 ahead of Gather Rd.

 

[ElliottsMaggies]

Zero chance of the last, but Brisbane away is guaranteed.

It’s not the first 6 day break that gets you, but the 2nd as it did in 2023. I think it’s likely though that we have the bye in Rd 1 with Rd 2 v the Bulldogs on a Friday night and all of the OR byes will need to be cycled through by Rd 4 ahead of Gather Rd.

Wouldn't mind if we got the earlier bye after playing in the OR.

Securing the bye in round 1 may have helped change the club's mind about playing in the Opening Round.

 

[Kappa]

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.

The stadium is fantastic.

You can get from outside the stadium to your seats in a few minutes, even with the stadium mostly full.

Great views all around the ground, and the food/toilet options were ten times better than the MCG. Crowd isn't as vocal as Melbourne, but u also get a lot less idiots screaming crap.

 

[Scodog10]

Wouldn't mind if we got the earlier bye after playing in the OR.

Securing the bye in round 1 may have helped change the club's mind about playing in the Opening Round.

I agree and it feels like the only scenario the club would have for supporting the concept, but I can already picture an outcome where we start with the Giants, roll into say Hawthorn on the Saturday night of Rd 1 and then have the Dogs on the Friday. All so that Ch7 can broadcast 3 matches in Rd 0. It wont take much for us to be staring down the barrel of an 0-3 start again if we get consecutive 6 day breaks into that Dogs one!

 

[theprospector]

Could be a damn hard draw in the first 9 weeks. GWS, Dogs, Sydney and possiby Brisbane away and Geelong Rd.9 @ sardine can stadium. Ridiculous if the last two end up being true.

Brisbane away is a lock. Don't think that's up for debate at HQ? These Geelong rumours are interesting, sets a dangerous precedent of playing big matches at rural dumps.

 

[Scodog10]

Brisbane away is a lock. Don't think that's up for debate at HQ? These Geelong rumours are interesting, sets a dangerous precedent of playing big matches at rural dumps.

Collingwood are contracted to play 14 matches at the G so unless it’s replacing an interstate match our away Marvel clash I don’t think it’s even possible. Essendon going down there on the other hand seems legit this year.

 

[Jelly Bean]

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

Yeah, there is.

This year, we play an opponent who has had three weeks less preseason than we did, so therefore we should be fitter. GWS won't be back until December.
We don't know who we play in actual R1, but unless it's one of the 8 teams from OR, we will face them having already had our first hitout (and therefore in theory should be better)
We get the benefit of an additional rest week in the first 5-6 weeks of the season, which in theory means we should be fresher than those that didn't when we get to the latter part of the first half

 

[sr36]

It’s not the first 6 day break that gets you, but the 2nd as it did in 2023. I think it’s likely though that we have the bye in Rd 1 with Rd 2 v the Bulldogs on a Friday night and all of the OR byes will need to be cycled through by Rd 4 ahead of Gather Rd.

Why will they need to knock off the byes before opening round? They didn't last year.

 

[Mollythedolly]

Yeah, there is.

This year, we play an opponent who has had three weeks less preseason than we did, so therefore we should be fitter. GWS won't be back until December.
We don't know who we play in actual R1, but unless it's one of the 8 teams from OR, we will face them having already had our first hitout (and therefore in theory should be better)
We get the benefit of an additional rest week in the first 5-6 weeks of the season, which in theory means we should be fresher than those that didn't when we get to the latter part of the first half

Nah. We play 22 H&A games + gather round. We get the extra bye to compensate for playing a week early. You’re looking at advantage or disadvantage.

 

[ElliottsMaggies]

I agree and it feels like the only scenario the club would have for supporting the concept, but I can already picture an outcome where we start with the Giants, roll into say Hawthorn on the Saturday night of Rd 1 and then have the Dogs on the Friday. All so that Ch7 can broadcast 3 matches in Rd 0. It wont take much for us to be staring down the barrel of an 0-3 start again if we get consecutive 6 day breaks into that Dogs one!

I hate that scenario.

I think it's been confirmed Hawks have the first 2 Friday night matches..would be awful having to play them on the Friday after having just played Giants on the Sunday.

 

[Scodog10]

Why will they need to knock off the byes before opening round? They didn't last year.

This was coming via Sam Edmund and it seemed to me to be based on the carryon over the bye situation last year. The theory being they’ll knock them over quickly and make sure no team has two byes before another club has their first.

I hate that scenario.

I think it's been confirmed Hawks have the first 2 Friday night matches..would be awful having to play them on the Friday after having just played Giants on the Sunday.

I threw Hawthorn out there purely for the type of resurgent team we could face. I just can’t see a good scenario for us in the opening 6 weeks if we go Rd 0, 6 day break, 6 day break v Dogs, bye, Sydney for gather Rd, 6 day break into Brisbane @ Brisbane.

 

[ElliottsMaggies]

This was coming via Sam Edmund and it seemed to me to be based on the carryon over the bye situation last year. The theory being they’ll knock them over quickly and make sure no team has two byes before another club has their first.


I threw Hawthorn out there purely for the type of resurgent team we could face. I just can’t see a good scenario for us in the opening 6 weeks if we go Rd 0, 6 day break, 6 day break v Dogs, bye, Sydney for gather Rd, 6 day break into Brisbane @ Brisbane.

Unless we get a bye after Opening Round.

We both liked that scenario & that's the one I'm putting positive vibes out for

 

[TimothyJ23]

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

Sigh

This has been addressed - it's not true.

 

[76woodenspooners]

Sigh

This has been addressed - it's not true.

What is the truth?

 

[TimothyJ23]

What is the truth?

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.

 

[Pie eyed]

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.

To make it worse it;s a fking Twilight game.

campaigners.

 

[Pie eyed]

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.

Agree to disagree.
Hate the concept and the stupidity of 8 sides starting first.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

Agree to disagree.
Hate the concept and the stupidity of 8 sides starting first.

Don’t have an issue with you not liking it. I personally don’t care either way. We play 23 games during the year so I’m not really fussed when they are.

But for people to imply stupid things like it cost us a spot in the finals is patently untrue.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

To make it worse it;s a fking Twilight game.

campaigners.

320 is hardly twilight, especially in early March. I prefer them to 115 games.

 

[Pie eyed]

320 is hardly twilight, especially in early March. I prefer them to 115 games.

Will be hot and humid.

 

[Pie eyed]

Don’t have an issue with you not liking it. I personally don’t care either way. We play 23 games during the year so I’m not really fussed when they are.

But for people to imply stupid things like it cost us a spot in the finals is patently untrue.

Same, Just dislike tinkering without purpose. Basically the new Boss sticking his finger in.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

Same, Just dislike tinkering without purpose. Basically the new Boss sticking his finger in.

It has a purpose. You just don’t like it or agree with it.

 

[doofdoof]

The only non-Derby game at the show grounds to draw more people was the Doggies PF game in 2016. In fact, excluding finals and Derby’s, it’s about 6k bigger than than the next highest H&A crowd against the Weagles. No wonder the afl love us playing there. I think we’ll best the ground record of 21,924 next year.

If that is "success", it raises the question as to why bother with GWS at all.