"The home of football"

[Kummerspeck]

So economics and what gets people watching the most are acceptable reasons for something which compromises the fairness of the competition?

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

It's fine to continue having the GF at the MCG but at least let the interstate sides play a couple of games there during the year. We had 1.

Its not just the non-Vic sides. We've had some years with zero.

 

[Bayer_]

So economics and what gets people watching the most are acceptable reasons for something which compromises the fairness of the competition?

Well, your club is a direct beneficiary of such a system.

 

[Shoei]

It's fine to continue having the GF at the MCG but at least let the interstate sides play a couple of games there during the year. We had 1.

And the Eagles had two, with one being in round 2.

Fremantle had two.
Port had one.
Adelaide two.
Brisbane two.
Sydney three.
GWS three.
North Melbourne two.
Gold Coast one.
Western Bulldogs one.
St Kilda two.

All the other clubs had a minimum of 6+ games at the MCG

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Do you think it's fair that Sydney have to play the Grand Final at Hawthorn's home ground despite the fact they finished first and Hawthorn finished second?

So where do we play it? A neutral ground? Adelaide?

 

[Indie_]

So where do we play it? A neutral ground? Adelaide?

Play it ANZ. Sydney earned the right by finishing first.

 

[Damon_3388]

I was talking about the administration. The Swans are like a successful version of Melbourne - no consequence for mistakes, so throw caution to the wind (like inking a 9 year, $1m+ per season deal, for a cheap tilt at a flag).

Well, isn't a flag the ultimate goal? Why shouldn't a club go for it as hard as they can at every opportunity, as soon as they can? Future premierships aren't any more valuable than the 2014 version.

 

[Damon_3388]

Play it ANZ. Sydney earned the right by finishing first.

Would be a farce on that surface.

 

[radiojake]

Yeah no shit. People scream endlessly about fairness saying that you can't allow advantage or disadvantage based on economic or other reasons yet in this thread they're lining up to use those same excuses. That's the point of the thread.

Mate you're talking shit

There has been a whole host of Non-Vics here defending the MCG GF -

I would actually hate it if it went to Sydney or Brisbane or some shit stadium ...

8 Non-Vic winners compared to 3 Vic winners when dealing with Vic / Non-Vic GFs at the MCG pretty much prove any idea of 'home ground advantage' come grand final day is a moot point

 

[Bayer_]

Yeah no shit. People scream endlessly about fairness saying that you can't allow advantage or disadvantage based on economic or other reasons yet in this thread they're lining up to use those same excuses. That's the point of the thread.

There's a world of difference between hosting at a somewhat generic home ground (which happens to be the only suitable ground) and allowing clubs to operate under preferential rules.

 

[Kummerspeck]

Mate you're talking shit

There has been a whole host of Non-Vics here defending the MCG GF -

I would actually hate it if it went to Sydney or Brisbane or some shit stadium ...

Hey, that's great, but entirely irrelevant.

 

[Bayer_]

Would be a farce on that surface.

And a farce for the fans. It's an embarrassing facility for something so many foreigners had to use .

 

[ManWithNoName]

Play it ANZ. Sydney earned the right by finishing first.

So you organise that a week out do you?

You play the AFL Grand Final on a surface that would've held an NRL prelimenary final on it the night before.

Absolutely flawless idea.

 

[radiojake]

Hey, that's great, but entirely irrelevant.

so is your argument

 

[Scotland]

Would be a farce on that surface.

Would be a farce full stop.

Sydney fans don't even like ANZ. Footy shouldn't be played there at all let alone the AFL's showpiece fixture.

 

[Kummerspeck]

so is your argument

No, it's perfectly relevant given what the thread is trying to highlight.

 

[mcgarnacle]

I like it there and I don't think it's that big an advantage. When you talk home field advantage you're talking about one club having a bigger crowd of fans there and knowledge of the ground. The fans are roughly even in the GF and it's not like we never play at the G and it's an alien ground to us.

Interstate teams like Port Adelaide should play there more than once a year though. Many of their players were clueless to the nuances of kicking to goal from different pockets there. Cost them a goal or two in the first quarter.

What if they were first or second this year, played all their finals at home and then go to the MCG cold for the GF against a VIC side who plays there regularly? Basically like what happened in the prelim against Hawthorn?

If it's going to be used as a GF venue, then all teams should have the opportunity to get used to it.

 

[radiojake]

Sydney are already on the nose..

having a bunch of flogs bang on about them earning the right to an SCG Grand Final is pretty aggrovating

 

[Nate_MX]

Thought the best teams win anywhere, anytime.

Or is the OP setting up excuses a week out should the worst happen and his team loses?

 

[Kummerspeck]

Sydney are already on the nose..

having a bunch of COLA flogs bang on about them earning the right to an SCG Grand Final is pretty aggrovating

How can you have the point of the thread explained to you then miss it entirely less than twenty posts later?

 

[radiojake]

I know what your point is

I don't agree with it, nor do I think it's worthy of a thread / discussion..

and to top it off, the only ones who seem to be 'for it' are COLA flogs...

 

[Donakebab]

And the Eagles had two, with one being in round 2.

Fremantle had two.
Port had one.
Adelaide two.
Brisbane two.
Sydney three.
GWS three.
North Melbourne two.
Gold Coast one.
Western Bulldogs one.
St Kilda two.

All the other clubs had a minimum of 6+ games at the MCG

Wait, so you're telling me that Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Hawthorn, Melbourne and Richmond played 6+ games at their home ground? Stop the presses! Geelong are the only aberration.

 

[radiojake]

heh -

Sydney and GWS get more MCG games than North Melbourne, Western Bulldogs and St Kilda...


yeah that seems right, doesn't it

 

[swiftdog]

ITT:
Sydney fans (well one or two) moaning that having a grand final at ANZ is only fair.

IOT (in other threads):
Sydney fans moaning about having to play finals matches at ANZ.


People who say crowd figures don't matter are deluded:
1) More people equals more money so of course it matters to the AFL.
2) We all know club members get screwed with ticket allocation so that the AFL can look after their corporate sponsors. Who do you think the AFL looks after if less tickets are available for the match? The corporates or the club members? I look forward to a 20,000 crowd at Metricon with maybe 3000 club members in attendance (1,500 each).

 

[Shoei]

Wait, so you're telling me that Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Hawthorn, Melbourne and Richmond played 6+ games at their home ground? Stop the presses! Geelong are the only aberration.

The whole point is that there is a clear advantage to teams playing consistently at the MCG vs teams that barely even see it during the season.

Would you be cool having to play West coast or Freo at Subi every single grand final having only played here twice during the season?