Sydney/WCE MCG Final Looms

[Mr Q]

Quite frankly its ********ed. F-U- you can work out the rest for yourselves.

The AFL should just be grateful its unlikely the Eagles can sneak 6th (unless we pummell Melbourne next week), as a third straight shafting from the AFL would be beyond the pale.

Sydney supporters if you miss out, you have my sympathies. Until there's some sort of compensation scheme in place for the teams that get ripped off that affects Victorian teams this will never be sorted out.

Of course a sub-20000 crowd might make a difference. I hope the MCC and AFL lose a bundle on the game.

 

[grayham]

Unlikely. The AFL would probably give priority towards the teams in the top 4. And fair enough.

I beleive you, but ripping Sydney of a home final would do some real damage to the code in NSW, and make a mockery of its national-ness it likes to gloat over RL.

On purely economic grounds, the Port final would be the one to shift. Adelaide being a captive AFL market aint going to abandon the sport.

Just speculating. Who knows with the AFL and Andy D. He should never have said 2 finals first week. If he backs down he looks stupid, if he carries through he looks stupider.

 

[WaDsY]

That's not correct. In the first 2 weeks of finals, the MCC and AFL members get in for either nothing or next to nothing (i.e a nominal ticket charge of about $5).

So a 60,000 crowd at the MCG is worth about a 30,000 crowd anywhere else.

Incorrect!

You forget that 30,000 extra people also drink beer/coke etc. Eat pies/Hot Dogs of which both the AFL and MCC receive a fare chunk of it. Just 1 beer/wine/spirits and a pie per person @ 30,000 is nearly $250,000. And we all know that more then 1 beer is consumed at the football.

 

[red+black]

I'm happy that this will happen to the Swans for the simple fact that the AFL would want to intervene. If it was Fremantle in the situation, I don't think the AFL would care. But imagine if it had have been Freo v WCE at the MCG? Or probably the very worst scenario, Port v Crows at the MCG.

If you deserve a home final, you should get it. And I reckon the top team should get to choose when they play, then the second team can choose, then fifth, then sixth.

 

[W.C. Fry]

And it only gets worse for the AFL. Take a look at next weeks game times.

They wont make essendon play the friday night final as they play sunday.
They wont make the demons play friday night final as they are playing in perth.
They wont make port play friday night final as they play sunday.

Brisbane v saints is a possiblity on friday night but highly unlikely - both those teams have earnt a full 7 day break for finishing top4.

Leaves eagles vs sydney friday night at the MCG. They are just lucky channel 10 have all the finals or they would be really ********ed.

 

[Still Crowing]

Should be something like this:
Fri N Sydney v West Coast (Stade de Oz)
Sat Melbourne v Essendon (MCG)
Sat N Brisbane v St kilda ('Gabba)
Sun Port Adelaide v Geelong (Football Park)

But thanks to Operation "Head up @rse" things will probably look like this:
Fri N Sydney v West Coast (MCG)
Sat Melbourne v Essendon (MCG)
Sat N Brisbane v St kilda ('Gabba)
Sun Port Adelaide v Geelong (Football Park)

So Herr Dimwitriou will lose the AFL dream event of a final in Sydney at the Stade de Oz.......feel sorry for Sydneysiders and South fans, just shows you how much the AFL really 'care' about being "A" in AFL rather than "V".

 

[Milenko]

Should be something like this:
Fri N Sydney v West Coast (Stade de Oz)
Sat Melbourne v Essendon (MCG)
Sat N Brisbane v St kilda ('Gabba)
Sun Port Adelaide v Geelong (Football Park)

But thanks to Operation "Head up @rse" things will probably look like this:
Fri N Sydney v West Coast (MCG)
Sat Melbourne v Essendon (MCG)
Sat N Brisbane v St kilda ('Gabba)
Sun Port Adelaide v Geelong (Football Park)

So Herr Dimwitriou will lose the AFL dream event of a final in Sydney at the Stade de Oz.......feel sorry for Sydneysiders and South fans, just shows you how much the AFL really 'care' about being "A" in AFL rather than "V".

What a dream finals series. Port to choke in the first week again, this time to the worst travelling side in the comp. Oh the humanity!!!

 

[Darvall Street]

it gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling that the incompetance of the AFL will finally sting it on the backside rather than sting an unfortunate club.

 

[Goat]

What an absolute farce. It denigrates the whole competition IMO.

I guess it could actually be worse if Sydney got to play their home final at the MCG against a Vic side. But Sydney v WCE at the G? - what a joke!

Isn't that what Adelaide had to do against Collingwood in 2002? (I'm genuinely asking the question as I was o/s at the time so didn't hear the full uproar, but I seem to recall that was it). So Collingwood finished over the top of a tired Adelaide and played in the GF and got great cudos for pushing Brisbane.

I reckon the AFL wouldn't give a toss if it was other states, but Sydney is going to hurt them (and quite rightly since it's a market that footy desperately needs to crack).

An uproar in Sydney would be appropriate, but with the Olympics on, it could be worse than an uproar - it may go almost un-discussed (I hope not). A crowd of around 8000 would serve the AFL right, but with plenty of West Aussies in Melbourne and the old South Melbourne connection, you'd still expect 20k wouldn't you?

 

[Total Package]

Isn't that what Adelaide had to do against Collingwood in 2002?.........

not sure about that but I do know the Eagles have twice been affected by this rule and had home finals ripped from them. Could make it 3 times this year.

 

[liz]

The probability of this game having to be fixtured on the Friday night due to the times other teams are playing this weekend makes it even worse. A Friday night game will put off many who might consider making the trip down from Sydney (or conceivably over from Perth). I'll be there regardless of the time, but only because I have a boss who knows better than to deny me a Friday off work when the Swans are involved.

 

[eddiesmith]

No, Collingwood earned a home prelimary final by defeating the top team in week 1.

Adelaide had to come to melbourne to play Melbourne in a 'home' final in the semis
The AFL would never favour Collingwood in the finals

What the ******** are Sydney people complaining about? IF it is at the G then they are saved from a Subi mauling as WCE will finish above Sydney so its the Eagles who lose out on a home final

 

[-WWJD-]

sn't that what Adelaide had to do against Collingwood in 2002?

Against Melbourne. Collingwood earnt their home Prelim by beating Port in the first week of the finals.

 

[Mr Eagle]

it gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling that the incompetance of the AFL will finally sting it on the backside rather than sting an unfortunate club.

Don't you mean "sting it on the backside AT THE SAME TIME AS an unfortunate club"?

 

[TheBloods]

What the ******** are Sydney people complaining about? IF it is at the G then they are saved from a Subi mauling as WCE will finish above Sydney so its the Eagles who lose out on a home final

How are WC going to finish above Sydney? You really think WC will win by 10 goals or more?

Anyway, finals are meant to be at neutral venues so I don't think it's a huge problem. It's not like the game will be against a Victorian team. Home finals were brought in to counter the disadvantage playing Victorian teams at the 'G or Waverly, rather than give them an advantage per se.

 

[muesli]

Nevertheless, we should get over it people. Its not like we haven't been warned, or that the AFL hasn't tried to change the agreement.

Sure they have tried to change the agreement but what they have offered in return for it being changed is basically nothing, so i'd argue they really haven't tried that hard to change the agreement.

 

[eddiesmith]

As if they wont win by 10 goals or more. Plus they have the luxury of knowing how much they need to win by as their game is later in the day

 

[ClintEastwood]

The MCC may be acting like a binch of stuck throttlers, but its the AFL that are providing the lube.

A "binch of stuck throttlers"? Was that intentional?? ROTFL

 

[ClintEastwood]

MICHAELANGELO RUCCI

MICHAELANGELO RUCCI

MICHAELANGELO RUCCI

There ya go, when he does his weekly search of threads for his own name, this one will come up, and hopefully he will give it a bit of publicity in The Advertiser. Sure, the 'Tiser is a rag, but it may ripple out from there.

Half-serious.

 

[MRobbo]

As mentioned on the ABC radio this morning. this would be likely week 1 finals fixture.

Brisbane vs St Kilda at Gabba (Friday Night)
Sydney vs West Coast at MCG (Saturday Afternoon)
Port Adelaide vs Geelong at AAMI Stadium (Saturday Night)
Melbourne vs Essendon/Fremantle at MCG (Sunday Afternoon)

 

[Hoops]

I wonder if Bob (What does afl mean) Carr will again jump on the Bandwagon concerning MCG Finals again.
Looking at how the NRL choose their finals venues 1-4 play home finals in the first week with the other 5 finals in Sydney. I think he should look in his own back yard before speaking out.

Not perfect but a better system than the NRL

 

[grayham]

I wonder if Bob (What does afl mean) Carr will again jump on the Bandwagon concerning MCG Finals again.
Looking at how the NRL choose their finals venues 1-4 play home finals in the first week with the other 5 finals in Sydney. I think he should look in his own back yard before speaking out.

Not perfect but a better system than the NRL

That a bit of selective "backyard" there Hoops:

Rugby Super 12: Semi and Grand finals played at higher ranked teams home ground, even if that ground only holds 25K (eg Canberra).
Soccer: All finals player at higher ranked teams home ground.
Every other sport: ditto.

The NRL are a basket case with finals. The AFL have the chance to prove they are not a basket case as well.

 

[dr nick]

The probability of this game having to be fixtured on the Friday night due to the times other teams are playing this weekend makes it even worse. A Friday night game will put off many who might consider making the trip down from Sydney (or conceivably over from Perth). I'll be there regardless of the time, but only because I have a boss who knows better than to deny me a Friday off work when the Swans are involved.

You're right... i was thinking about travelling down, but it's impossible if it's on the Friday.

What a kick in the teeth


Is there any point in beating Richmond this weekend? what difference will it make? It's only risking players with injury.

 

[GOALden Hawk]

Ross Oakley - take a bow. His marvellous negotiating has led to this mess.

It's embarrassing.

 

[Buckley for PM]

What a dream finals series. Port to choke in the first week again, this time to the worst travelling side in the comp. Oh the humanity!!!

Stop it.................................... You're making my mouth water.