"The home of football"

[Tippett2Goal]

I think interstate supporters more than anything love the trip to Melbourne, the atmosphere of grand final week and the nervous energy surrounding it all. As if its part of the ritual of winning a flag. Id guess that for the 11 times the cup has left Victoria those interstate supporters would change nothing about the experience and would love to do it all again. The special moment of conquering footballs greatest task.
Would any of you West Coast, Adelaide, Port, Sydney and Brisbane supporters change a thing about the flags you won?

Id change it costing me around 5k for the pleasure of being there...

Look im not in favour of it being moved, there are no other suitable stadiums, but id certainly love a GF to be hosted in Perth, maybe then I can just pop along for a Saturday arvo and enjoy the game for a few hundred $. I have no doubt Perth or Adelaide would also cultivate this same "energy" in the leadup to a GF.

 

[Monkey King]

It can't be the home of football when it has 'cricket ground' in its name.

Err ... our game was founded by a cricket club dude

 

[Righteo]

It can't be the home of football when it has 'cricket ground' in its name.

I do think it's unfair but there really isn't an alternative. The NFL move the Super Bowl around every year but there's not enough high capacity grounds here to do that.

Why not?

 

[DardySingh360]

2:30 pm, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Last Saturday in September.

End thread.

 

[The_Reaper]

When even sandgropers and croweaters don't care you know it isn't an issue.

Just Sydney supporters used to getting everything on a plate hoping for yet another gift.

 

[FootyJunkie]

I reckon EPL would make a killing if they had 1st v 2nd at Wembley in a one match decider

 

[FootyJunkie]

I wouldn't mind seeing it rotated among the venues with a large enough capacity. It needs to be sorted out before the season starts though.
If that means two Vic sides play the GF at an 80k Perth venue, so be it. (Yes, I know the new stadium isn't going to have that capacity, its a hypothetical that won;t happen for 30-odd years anyway). It would be no different to getting a Western Derby GF now and playing it in Melbourne.

If you had 5 100k stadia in the big 5 capitals, I would do it so that when the premier is decided on gf day, they bring the gf to their home state for the following year (think americas cup) so its an added sweetener for the premiers if they can make it back next year (or for a cross town rival to take advantage of), and it allows the game to be moved around with some level of randomness, but based on on field merit, and with half the teams in vic, the gf would be at the mcg most of the time anyway

If the hypothetical rule had been implemented in past GFs...

93 - Ess v Carl at Subi
95 - Carl v Geel at Subi
98 - Adel v North at Footy Park (home advantage)
99 - North v Carl at Footy Park
02 - Bris v Coll at GABBA (home advantage)
03 - Bris v Coll at GABBA (home advantage)
04 - Port v Bris at GABBA (home advantage)
05 - WC v Syd at Footy Park
06 - Syd v WC at ANZ (home advantage)
07 - Geel v Port at Subi
13 - Haw v Frem at ANZ

For now, the GF at the MCG is about as good as it gets

 

[FootyJunkie]

Super Bowl is only rotated because every city is capable of catering to it. Even then it's not wholly rotated. You won't see a Super Bowl at the Oakland Coliseum - it's a dump. Nor will you see one at Foxborough (home of the Patriots) - the weather risk is far too high.

Didn't stop them last year with New Jersey.

 

[FootyJunkie]

Be interested to see what kind of crowd a West Coast v Port Adelaide GF gets at ANZ Stadium.

A GF is a GF, fans would invade Sydney!

 

[a_fighting_fury]

eeeerm, no

While I actually agree with GF being played at the MCG every year regardless who is playing in it and that the MCG is the best stadium in Australia, these sort of statements are actually laughable. Sure, it compares well with lots of other venues around the world, but the best? Not in my opinion, and I've been to quite a few in Europe that would be on a higher standard than the G. Just because those have smaller capacity, doesn't mean that they're inferior. The new Wembley, Bayern's Alianz Arena and Schalke's Arena are better stadiums than the MCG imo. I'm not even counting US stadiums as I've never been to one, but I'm sure there same kick-arse venues there.

 

[PowerForGood]

Sorry but Adelaide is an easy drive to melbourne.. 8 hours. Plenty of my mates drove leaving early to the port v richmond final.

Stay out of the city and it would be an easily affordable weekend for most. I suggest get a money jar and put some gold coins in it. After all the time it is between grand finals I dare say you would have plenty of money.

Again, something that is easy enough for a Victorian club supporter to say.
Forgetting the jibe about time between GF's,
- 8 hours there, a day in Melbourne for the game and 8 hours back = 3 days
- time off from work/school for all to travel (for some that's a day's lost pay)
- can't drink too much because you've got a lot of driving to consider
- 2 nights accommodation for everyone
- $100 petrol there and $100 return
- the tickets themselves of course (which would be the same wherever so thats a push)

Yes, of course you say that if you're a true supporter then you'd do it, but thats easy to say when you know you'd never have to.

Compare the above costs and time to
- catch the tram into the city

Like I wrote, it ain't going to change so it's a moot point, but let's not pretend that its not a real issue either.

 

[momentbymoment]

100% agree - but let's be honest, the VFL is alive and well.

I would settle for less whinging and no more Eddie. Yeah - let's do that deal.

 

[clogged]

100% agree - but let's be honest, the VFL is alive and well.

You support a VFL club.

 

[base615]

When even sandgropers and croweaters don't care you know it isn't an issue.

Just Sydney supporters used to getting everything on a plate hoping for yet another gift.

As far as I can see it's 2 or 3 Sydney supporters, not all of us.

 

[*PAF]

Sice Etihad and selling home games interstate came into being teams from SA and WA play fewer games at the G during the year than before that.
The AFL should schedule 2 games a year every year at the G for interstate sides. It shouldn't be that hard with so many teams based in Melbourne.

 

[bungwahl]

When even sandgropers and croweaters don't care you know it isn't an issue.

Just Sydney supporters used to getting everything on a plate hoping for yet another gift.

Most Sydney fans, myself included, are happy with things just the way they are now. My only hope is they never make it a night GF.

 

[base615]

Most Sydney fans, myself included, are happy with things just the way they are now. My only hope is they never make it a night GF.

This man is wise (further evidenced by his exemplary choice of sports teams)

 

[B4Bear]

No, but spreading the cost around makes it fairer.

Why should people outside of Victoria have to continually foot the bill of travelling for the Grand final?

Don't go then.

Or move to Victoria.

Or set up your own league.

Or just accept the FACT that the home of Australian Rules Football is the MCG.

 

[B4Bear]

Sice Etihad and selling home games interstate came into being teams from SA and WA play fewer games at the G during the year than before that.
The AFL should schedule 2 games a year every year at the G for interstate sides. It shouldn't be that hard with so many teams based in Melbourne.

Well, as a Melbourne based team, we played there twice this year in the H&A season.

Until the AFL take control of Ethiad, we are stuck with what we have.

 

[*PAF]

Well, as a Melbourne based team, we played there twice this year in the H&A season.

Until the AFL take control of Ethiad, we are stuck with what we have.

Yeah treatment wise North is almost an interstate team that happens to be based in Melbourne.

 

[1990crow]

In terms of during the season AO vs the MCG the former takes the cake for atmosphere. However, the Grand Final is about tradition, 100 thousand fans from around the country centering in on the most important game of the season and that atmosphere could not be replicated anywhere else even if another 100k stadium was built.

 

[bungwahl]

This man is wise (further evidenced by his exemplary choice of sports teams)

Spurs were terrible last night..

 

[Sydney Bloods]

I'm not sure they would say yes, winning a premiership at ANZ rather than the MCG wouldn't have the same feel to it.

Would your premiership wins in 2005 and 2012 be remembered as fondly by your players and supporters if you won them at ANZ stadium? I doubt it.

First off I'm not in favour of moving the grandfinal anywhere unless several new stadia are built and it's a bidding system that allows people to plan ahead and i certainly am opposed to breaking to contrct to do it.

but come on! as shit as ANZ is winning a grandfinal in our own backyard Sending several thousand interstate's crying all the way to the airport before heading off to your local and be surrounded even more swans supporters?

that's history in the making the first non Victorian team to host and win a grand final. wall to wall swans supporters. the MCG has atmosphere, but nothing would compare to winning a granny in your own backyard.

 

[MightyHawks]

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?

Maybe if the Swans hadn't "luckily" avoided away matches against both Fremantle and Geelong then that first finishing position would mean something...

What are the odds of getting Hawthorn on 3 consecutive 6 day breaks and Geelong on 2 consecutive 6 day breaks?

 

[base615]

Spurs were terrible last night..

Yep, almost threw a glass at my TV when Ade missed that header. Not too upset now in the knowledge that the United game would negate any post game pisstaking from mates. We've had 2 good games and 2 bad ones (I'm counting Sunderland as good despite the bad result) but something needs to happen smartish to save the season.

Swans being in the Grand Final helps though. At least not all my teams are shit.