The Grand Final should be hosted at a neutral venue

[Bombermania]

Afl should forgo the capacity issue, its all about tv rights anyway

I agree, surely the AFL could redevelop the local traditional home grounds and have them used even just when hosting the interstate sides.

grounds like Windy Hill, Vic Park, Punt Road, Princes Park, Moorabbin or Junction could be used, even maybloom paddock could be dusted off every so often.

 

[Matt_TY]

"Hey boss, can I potentially have next Friday off so that I can potentially fly somewhere across the country? Not sure where yet because it depends on the results of games that haven't happened yet, but I'm sure all the hotels in city I don't know where it is yet will still all be available, right? Oh, OK, you might need me to be here because the other guy might be late because of potential traffic concerns from a Grand Final Parade that may or may not actually be happening? I guess that makes sense."

Tradition has literally nothing to do with this. It's about practcality and venue size. The expanded Burswood could mmmmmmaybe do it at a stretch, but it would have to be decided months in advance, not because "it's neutral" or "West Coast was higher on the ladder." Adelaide Oval and the Gabba? You're having a lend of yourself.

 

[11sjw]

Not a neutral venue. It should be at the venue of the team that actually deserves it. West Coast earn't the right for it to be their home game but instead it is being played at Hawthorn's home venue.

Umm, we beat the no.1 seeds, so took their seeding and earned the right for a home final.

 

[Chris who]

Umm, we beat the no.1 seeds, so took their seeding and earned the right for a home final.

That's not how it works

 

[Fizzler]

Isn't the MCG fairly neutral, though? 10 of the 18 teams play in that state.

 

[11sjw]

That's not how it works

Who says?

 

[Cainozz]

I don't think it should be played anywhere else. The MCG is the spiritual home of Football. Much like cricket is to Lords.

I do however believe that interstate teams should have more scheduled games at the G during home & away season. Once simply isn't enough. Not blaming that on the loss of course but all players deserve the right to have their time on the G and familiarise themselves

 

[Unstable]

So If a vic team and a wa team get in again where do you hold the game other then the mcg with a expected capacity of 100,000?

What's the obsession with 100k?

Majority of the people at the game today were Corporations and MCC members. Actually, the atmosphere at the Prelims are usually better than Grand final today as majority of the crowd are real supporters.

70K at New Perth Stadium or 50k at Adelaide Oval packed with real supporters > 100K Grand final day at the MCG

 

[wowlace]

I agree, surely the AFL could redevelop the local traditional home grounds and have them used even just when hosting the interstate sides.

grounds like Windy Hill, Vic Park, Punt Road, Princes Park, Moorabbin or Junction could be used, even maybloom paddock could be dusted off every so often.

MCG and Etihad don't like this post.

 

[wowlace]

MCG is the most neutral ground in the country.

 

[Bombermania]

MCG is the most neutral ground in the country.

It is, no one trains there, okay the interstate teams might need to play there more but that is a matter of the fixture.

 

[Power Raid]

Punt Road

almost guaranteed to be neutral

 

[Matt_TY]

What's the obsession with 100k?

Majority of the people at the game today were Corporations and MCC members. Actually, the atmosphere at the Prelims are usually better than Grand final today as majority of the crowd are real supporters.

70K at New Perth Stadium or 50k at Adelaide Oval packed with real supporters > 100K Grand final day at the MCG

Because the AFL would totally not pack the majority of Burswood or Adelaide Oval with corporates on Grand Final day.

 

[wowlace]

It is, no one trains there, okay the interstate teams might need to play there more but that is a matter of the fixture.

But that would mean giving up umpire bias for the WA teams during the season, they would struggle to make finals. That's not gonna fly.

 

[Armchair Critic]

The argument that playing the Grand Final at the MCG potentially disadvantages non-Victorian teams has validity, even if implementing an alternative would be practically impossible. The world's major sporting events that are comparable to the Grand Final don't work that way - either they rotate through venues, like the Super Bowl or the Champions League final, or they play it at a neutral venue, like the English FA Cup. I don't think it's unreasonable to acknowledge that there's a peculiarity in the AFL system, even if there's no solution to it. In any event, I don't think it would have helped West Coast today.

The whole of the FA Cup competition is knockout , only the semi finals and Finals take place at Wembley . Teams get a home ground advantage all the way up to that stage of the competition.

The superbowl is a bid system and does rotate, comparing it to the AFL though is silly considering the amount of Satdiums they have that have a large capacity. A team can also have home ground advantage in the Superbowl if they make it that far.

Also the Champions league final does not have to be neutral, it is a nominated stadium but does not stop the home team from progressing to the final

 

[Monkey King]

Nah. The MCG is the home of football. The biggest game of the year should be played there and if you're good enough, you win it; if not, you don't. Only thing I'd say about is that every team should play a minimum amount of games there every season in preparation.

 

[Dan26]

Whilst you can't really argue that the MCG is the best venue, it is clearly, and unarguably unfair that for the second year in a row, the Grand Final was won by the "away" team on their home ground playing a higher ranked opponent, who had to travel.

We speak of the MCG in near religious terms in regards to it's status as the Grand Final venue. But, when you think about it, is IS unfair, whether it's histrorical or not.

The Grand Final, might have contractually, and historically (and logically as well, given the lack of any suitable alternative) been the venue for the last two Grand Finals. But it certainly didn't "deserve" to be the venue for those two Grand Finals.

 

[tige19]

Up yas... 2 bags down, you beauty

 

[ManWithNoName]

I like the world this thread lives in where a GF can be organised with a weeks notice.

And before you bring up 2010, everything was already ready to go from the previous game.

 

[ManWithNoName]

Whilst you can't really argue that the MCG is the best venue, it is clearly, and unarguably unfair that for the second year in a row, the Grand Final was won by the "away" team on their home ground playing a higher ranked opponent, who had to travel.

We speak of the MCG in near religious terms in regards to it's status as the Grand Final venue. But, when you think about it, is IS unfair, whether it's histrorical or not.

The Grand Final, might have contractually, and historically (and logically as well, given the lack of any suitable alternative) been the venue for the last two Grand Finals. But it certainly didn't "deserve" to be the venue for those two Grand Finals.

It's the Grand Final. There is no Home and Away team.

If you want to get technical, Hawthorn won PF1 and were the first listed side. Therefore they were technically the "home" side.

 

[Bombermania]

I like the world this thread lives in where a GF can be organised with a weeks notice.

And before you bring up 2010, everything was already ready to go from the previous game.

Knowing people within the AFL community, I know despite that being the case, it was still tricky to put together at such notice although they always prepare for a potential drawn game.

 

[ManWithNoName]

Flights? Sure let's book them all a week out.

Accomodation? Yep that'll be fine booking thousands of members from two clubs plus all the corporates a week out. And the officials. Guests. Teams. Club staff. Players families. Nah don't see any issues here.

Logistics? Let's fly it all out with a week's notice. Everything. That doesn't leave us prone to anything going wrong. Not at all.

Pre-match entertainment? Hey we want you to play at our GF. Where? Oh, uh, we dunno. Just keep that week clear yeah? Cool. Oh and you might not get a hotel so uh...yeah. There's that.

Members? 30-40,000 of you might be able to go. If it's at the G. If it's at the Gabba it'll be more like...uhhh...15,000. Yeah, sorry. Oh and just keep a few thousand dollars spare, you might need to buy flights and accommodation. We dunno.

There's no way this can backfire. Not at all.

 

[Astro_]

Grand finals are won at the MCG.

And if you asked the players, 98% would want to win it in front of 100K @ the MCG.

It's where dreams are realised.

 

[Westy177]

The whole of the FA Cup competition is knockout , only the semi finals and Finals take place at Wembley . Teams get a home ground advantage all the way up to that stage of the competition.

The superbowl is a bid system and does rotate, comparing it to the AFL though is silly considering the amount of Satdiums they have that have a large capacity. A team can also have home ground advantage in the Superbowl if they make it that far.

Also the Champions league final does not have to be neutral, it is a nominated stadium but does not stop the home team from progressing to the final

Accept all that - but there's still the intention towards playing at a potentially neutral venue, even if it doesn't end up that way. I'm not suggesting that the AFL could do anything else other than wheat they currently do, but it's worth noting that the AFL method is probably unique.

 

[Dan26]

It's the Grand Final. There is no Home and Away team.

There was today, though unofficially. Hawthorn. It was at their home ground.

If you want to get technical, Hawthorn won PF1 and were the first listed side. Therefore they were technically the "home" side.

That's got nothing to do with it. West Coast were the higher seeded team, having finished 2nd. Hawthorn were 3rd, and stayed 3rd seed, after having lost to West Coast in week one.

The match, like I said, for contractual, historical, and ground capacity reasons is always at the MCG. But the match certainly didn't DESERVE to be at the MCG today. That can't really be argued against.

I'm not arguing moving the Grand Final away from the MCG. I'm saying, that the match on merit deserved to be played in Perth. West Coast clearly were treated unfairly through no fault of their own.

It would be the same as playing a West Coast-Hawthorn Grand Final at Subicao if Hawthorn were minor-premiers. It's no different.