"Push For Footy On Good Friday"- Hun Article 17th June

[Twinkletoes]

Push for footy on Good Friday
Mike Sheahan
17jun04

COLLINGWOOD and St Kilda have joined forces in the boldest bid yet for a Good Friday fixture.

Both clubs have told the AFL they want to open the 2005 season on what has been the only sacred day on the football calendar.
Collingwood president Eddie McGuire and St Kilda chief executive Brian Waldron confirmed the push last night.

"We'd like to play the Saints in Round 1 (the Easter weekend)," McGuire said.

McGuire, a practising Catholic, has had a change of heart about football on Good Friday.

He said people already had a vast range of entertainment available to them on the day, and would welcome football to their choices.

Waldron said: "We'd love to play Collingwood in the first game of the year.

"We had a request from Collingwood to play in Round 1 and we included it in our requests to the league. You're talking about the two biggest-drawing clubs in Melbourne as we speak," he said.

Collingwood and St Kilda drew 80,060 to the MCG in 1992, when both played in the finals.

While AFL approval is far from certain, the move is yet another body blow for Richmond, which has played Collingwood in the opening round in recent years.

Ben Buckley, AFL general manager of broadcasting, strategy and major projects, confirmed the Collingwood-St Kilda request last night for the March 25 game.

"That's something the clubs have asked us to have a look at; part of the fixture request," he said.

Buckley, though, indicated the AFL Commission was steadfast in its resistance to the push for football on Christianity's holiest of days. "At this stage, the commission's of the view that we don't want to play on Good Friday," he said.

The Kangaroos started the push for a Good Friday fixture several years ago, and have applied yet again, but may be trumped by the Magpies and the Saints. Body: Industry sources say there is enthusiasm at league level for a string of blockbuster night fixtures over the Easter weekend next year. Supporters of the Good Friday idea say there could be five night/twilight games in a row.

Buckley confirmed the possibility of at least four, starting with the usual game at the Gabba on Good Friday eve.

While Brisbane and Collingwood have occupied that timeslot in recent years, Collingwood's preference for St Kilda on Good Friday would open the way for, say, Essendon to play up north.

"You might have four nights of footy over the opening weekend," Buckley said, with a twilight fixture on Easter Sunday.

"The more nights you have, the more opportunity you have for teams to get major exposure in prime time."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gee.....................this is a first.........................other clubs attempting to hijack a good idea from North Melbourne!!!!!!!!!

Eddie McEverywhere at it again................they, and Essendon, have virtually every Friday night for the year already (OUR bloody night), so the Pies decide to have a crack at one of the last remaining.....................OUR Good Friday idea. What next???? Us being a member of the new and improved Collingwood Lexus National Football League (playing out of Optus Oval and beemed live on Fox Footy on Monday mornings ???????)

Not Happy

T'toes

 

[HappyDays]

If they give the Good Friday game to Collingwood on top of everything else they get, I am going to scream!!!!!!

And I suppose they'll say they thought of it first???

Maybe the mistake we have made all this time in trying to play on Good Friday is that we were lobbying the wrong crowd, we should have been lobbying Collingwood to pick us to play with them. Not lobbying the AFL.

Very disappointing.

 

[KangaFett]

This will prove the inaqaulity that exists at AFL level.

So who do we get instead of good friday ? Probably end up play Fremantle in Perth Sunday night knowing our luck or more likely Pork Power in Adelaide.

Jerks!

 

[Hearts to hearts]

I wonder why, when North-Pies games are usually very good, and hold the Docklands crowd record, the bid is not a joint Collingwood-North one? Hope we haven't missed an opportunity here.

 

[Rooboy 96]

Originally posted by Hearts to hearts
I wonder why, when North-Pies games are usually very good, and hold the Docklands crowd record, the bid is not a joint Collingwood-North one? Hope we haven't missed an opportunity here.

if we have missed... it is not through lack of trying...

 

[kangafruity]

I was so incensed this morning that Eddie was hijacking another Roos idea, that when Andrew Demetriou was on SEN I rang and complained. Like Friday Night Footy he now wants something that we have pioneered.
His response was well the Kangaroos had a big Friday Night game last year with Jason McCartney's comeback (one big deal)
and they are the recipeints of money from the equalisation fund so they should have no cause for complaint.
We wouldn't need the equalisation fund if the Big 4 (supposedly)
didn't have a monoploy over Friday Nights and the Blockbuster games.
Gary Lyon seemed to be backing me and may have done so because they (Melbourne) are in the same boat, although they do get Queen's Birthday.
He made reference to the fact that some are getting looked after more than others on Friday night. Not sure that his employer (Ch9) would have been to happy to hear him say that.
I don't really care one way or the other whether the Kangas play on Good Friday, if they do I will be there, but I will be as mad as hell if the Magpies get it in front of us.

 

[Ausgard]

The Thing about a Good friday block buster with the roos against Essendon or Collingwood it would guarentee we play one of these teams twice each year and so guarentee a home game against them

 

[utility]

Annual Blockbusters (based on this year, I might miss some):
Collingwood
- Opening match of the season.
- Easter weekend match against Brisbane.
- Anzac Day.
- Queens Birthday against Melbourne.
- Sole game on split weekend.

North
- None.

Home games on a Friday night:
Collingwood
- 5 (8 in total).

North
- 0 (2).


It makes me f*cking angry to think that we may be shafted yet again, but I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest.

North Melbourne - Innovators, not imitators.
North Melbourne - f*cked over yet again.

 

[Yianni]

Get ****ed!

We should stop even having good ideas. Or at least stop having them involving ourselves.

The article should read:

Aylett flags Good Friday St. Kilda v Collingwood blockbuster

Kangaroos president Allan Aylett has once again brought up the long standing issue of football on Good Friday, suggesting that the match could be played between new power team St. Kilda and long time Friday night absentees Collingwood.

"Look, we don't expect anything for ourselves of course, but the more cream there is on the top of the revenue pool, the more crap comes out the bottom of the equalisation fund", said Aylett. Aylett's reticence to promote North Melbourne as a participant in the game is surprising, but reflects a sea change in attitude by the club, who says that they are now "reflecting the reality of the market".

"We used to be known as the 'Night specialists'" said Aylett, "but that was when it was an experimental unproven quantity. Now that it's a money spinner, we're just happy for the league's attendences to be maximised. We're currently angling to become 'Sunday Optus Oval low crowd specialists', at least until it becomes profitable. Then we can give it to Essendon and f*ck off to Canberra"

The league has welcomed the Kangaroos selflessness, with former player Demetriou commenting "it's nice to see that teams understand the hierarchy". Stopping briefly only to give a 'cheers' with his champagne glass to Collingwood president Eddie McGuire and to request Kangaroos CEO Geoff Walsh to "polish harder toe rag, these shoes are expensive" he added "Vene, vidi, vici", pushing said shoes down on the top of Walsh's head, before finally guzzling down a beer bong filled with caviar and truffles.

Long live the equalised national competition!

 

[harrowfornrs]

" HEAR HEAR " Yianna !
Well said from all of us !

 

[NeoBlaze]

if collingwood get it it will be an utter disgrace and we should sue if that is at all possible or at the very least scream at the top of our voices to the media, make it into a huge media circus. that is of course if eddie will let it happen.

 

[northern lights]

Makes me so f ****** angry to think we have been shafted yet again .How are we meant to thrive and compet if we are cut of at the knees every time .SCUM... ...

 

[Yianni]

Originally posted by northern lights
Makes me so f ****** angry to think we have been shafted yet again .How are we meant to thrive and compet if we are cut of at the knees every time .SCUM... ...

Let's calm down people. We're all getting too angry about being deprived of something that DOESN'T EVEN EXIST YET (i.e. A Good Friday fixture)

 

[Hotel 6]

Part of the argument for the "big"clubs getting Friday night games is the ratings on TV.

Can anyone tell me what the ratings have been for each game on Friday nights since the footy left channel 7?

I wonder how last weeks "blockbuster" between 16th and 14th rated?

 

[Jess'#1Fan]

Originally posted by Twinkletoes
McGuire, a practising Catholic, has had a change of heart about football on Good Friday.

Whateva! Get a life Eddie!

I love Jess Sinclair #9

 

[gold cup 1996]

I nearly choked when eating my Weeties this morning when I opened up the paper & saw that Collingwood want to play on Good Friday against St Kilda after we came up with this idea years ago. Why do we get shafted all the time, why?

Why can't Collingwood think of something new themselves instead of coming up with one of our ideas again?

I would love us to play Essendon or Carlton on Good Friday & for a change shove Collingwood to Perth over a Public Holiday weekend.

 

[hopper]

Did Bushy run it by Eddie before Iraq??

Both trying to control the world.

 

[mighty mick]

this eddie bloke thinks that the footy world hates him well wake up and smell the flowers eddie we do you arrogant prick.

tonights footy show will have a panel of devout christian players on board saying how they see nothing wrong with it

get your own ideas eddie the roos have wanted this one for yrs

 

[tashibatts]

EDDIE TAKE YOUR BLACK AND WHITE AND ROOT IT..

If the AFL gives Good Friday to Pies/Saints I will kill someone..

I AM SICK OF BEING SHAFTED.. IT ISN'T BLOODY FAIR- I COULDN"T CARE LESS ABOUT TV ATTENDANCE- I THOUGHT THEY WANTED PEOPLE AT GAMES- NOT SITTING AROUND WATCHING TV- MORONS.

I AM SO PEEVED TODAY- I WANT TO SCREAM, STOP SHAFTING US.

WE ARE NORTH MELBOURNE- we are NOT STREET RATS. GET LOST EDDIE, GET YOUR OWN IDEA - GO BLESS YOUR SUPPORTERS SCARVES WHY DONT YOU?

Go Roos
I advise against telling me to shut up.. I could quite happily rip anybodys head off tonight.

 

[lana16]

couldn't have put it better tashibatts

 

[mighty mick]

just saw swatta on foxtel league teams get asked about good friday games,

thanks wayne for reminding all these so called journos that the roos have been pushing for this for a while should get it, especially since the friday night pioneers have had that hijacked from the roos also

 

[Ghostwriter]

Saw Demetriou on 7 sport tonight and he poured cold water on the idea, said something about respecting ppl's religious beleifs.
Can't understand all the angst on here and the main board, if the head supremo of the AFL is against the idea then I can't see it happening soon.
Could also be he is trying to cool the idea off to thwart Eddie Everywhere from hijacking it, all intelligent ppl know it was our idea from the beginning and maybe we will get it eventually too, just need patience ppl.

 

[hopper]

Originally posted by tashibatts
EDDIE TAKE YOUR BLACK AND WHITE AND ROOT IT..

If the AFL gives Good Friday to Pies/Saints I will kill someone..

I AM SICK OF BEING SHAFTED.. IT ISN'T BLOODY FAIR- I COULDN"T CARE LESS ABOUT TV ATTENDANCE- I THOUGHT THEY WANTED PEOPLE AT GAMES- NOT SITTING AROUND WATCHING TV- MORONS.

I AM SO PEEVED TODAY- I WANT TO SCREAM, STOP SHAFTING US.

WE ARE NORTH MELBOURNE- we are NOT STREET RATS. GET LOST EDDIE, GET YOUR OWN IDEA - GO BLESS YOUR SUPPORTERS SCARVES WHY DONT YOU?

Go Roos
I advise against telling me to shut up.. I could quite happily rip anybodys head off tonight.

McKernan - Out

tashibatts - In

passion passion passion


a little bourbon will help with the head ripping off thing.


Go Roos

 

[tashibatts]

Originally posted by jozeph
Saw Demetriou on 7 sport tonight and he poured cold <a href="http://www.ntsearch.com/search.php?q=water&v=56">water</a> on the idea, said something about respecting ppl's religious beleifs.
Can't understand all the angst on here and the main board, if the head supremo of the AFL is against the idea then I can't see it happening soon.
Could also be he is trying to cool the idea off to thwart Eddie Everywhere from hijacking it, all intelligent ppl know it was our idea from the beginning and maybe we will get it eventually too, just need patience ppl.

Demetriou can throw all the cold water on it he likes- the point is, Eddie is trying to steal another North idea.. and we are about to be shoved off to OO..

Go Roos

 

[mighty mick]

saw eddie on the footy show having a go at mick aylett tonite because allen was upset over the idea of collingwood tring to steal another north idea, eddie believes the magpies came up with this idea