2004 AFL Fixtures

[jixygirl]

I was reading the paper this morning and looking at the draw and I must admit, compared to some other clubs, Sydney has an okay draw. Look at Melbourne, with their Sunday games, the Mother's day game and there was also something else on their wishlist that the AFL rejected.

Also, after coming to terms with the fact that there are only 5 games in Victoria, Sydney is an interstate team now and it is organized as an non-Victorian team. Its a shame that there aren't more games in Melbourne but every supporter of the Swans in Melbourne has to deal with the fact that they won't be able to go to the footy as much as they would probably like to. Melbourne supporters can tell the club how they feel but can't do a lot more. It's just part of barracking for a club in another state.

[robbieando]

Originally posted by DST
[B]If you are complaining about not having enough games in Melbourne then are turing around and saying that Geelong is too far to travel too, then you have no right to complain it is a fact that Geelong is an hour out of Melbourne[b]

No one has a problem with the game in Geelong because we know that the Cats play all the interstate teams in Geelong. However the main problem is travel time and cost. Its easy to say Geelong is only 1 hour out of Melbourne, but what if you live in the South East of Melbourne like most of the Swans fans I know do, including myself??? You have to add on 30 minutes to an hour to that traveling time.

Also after you pay extra to get seats at Skilled Stadium, the cost of petrol to get to Geelong if travelling by car and if you use City Link to bypass the city the cost of tolls, things start to add up. These points will result in some Swans fans not being able to make the trip down the highway.

Also on a Sunday what about people who play sport or have kids who play sport, they will find it hard to get to the ground on time because of the 1pm start.

[NMWBloods]

Originally posted by robbieando
[B]No one has a problem with the game in Geelong because we know that the Cats play all the interstate teams in Geelong. However the main problem is travel time and cost. Its easy to say Geelong is only 1 hour out of Melbourne, but what if you live in the South East of Melbourne like most of the Swans fans I know do, including myself??? You have to add on 30 minutes to an hour to that traveling time.

This is sounding like a bit of a whinge now.

An extra 30 minutes - wow!!

Also after you pay extra to get seats at Skilled Stadium, the cost of petrol to get to Geelong if travelling by car and if you use City Link to bypass the city the cost of tolls, things start to add up. These points will result in some Swans fans not being able to make the trip down the highway.

Petrol costs maybe $20. In a car of four people - that's $5 each. On Sunday, there's not much traffic so you can easily afford the time to avoid the tolls. For the extra cost of seats at Skilled, speak to the Melbourne Swans people about the costs of the overall membership package.

Also on a Sunday what about people who play sport or have kids who play sport, they will find it hard to get to the ground on time because of the 1pm start.

So now the complaint is that it starts an hour earlier...?

[swansrock4eva]

Robbie, for some of us, travelling for over an hour to get to the footy is a given for 11 or 12 games! People from NSW will tell you they travel from all parts (north coast, south coast, Goulburn etc) to get to the footy. For me and des, it takes us an hour at best to get to the SCG, and we can get slugged anywhere up to $14.80 in tolls to get to and from the game. One game is not a killer for anyone if you plan ahead and organise car-pooling and things like that.

[anne]

The solution to the inequitable draw is simple - although it will never be instigated. Get rid of thr Kangaroos and the Bulldogs as they will never be viable, scrap the preseason, and schedule the 14 teams to play each other twice at their home grounds. That way we would get to see 8 games in Melbourne. I wish!

[CureTheSane]

Geelong is only a problem because it it one of only the 5 Vic games.
If we had 6, I doubt it would have rated a mention

Like I said, the draw is signed sealed delivered.
Whining will achieve nothing.
All I want is to be able to see the games.

I'll make a deal with the AFL and the broadcasters right now.

Don't televise into Melbourne at all any Vic games, we can go to them and if we don't see them play live, then we miss out.

The other side is that they have to show every Swans game outside of Melbourne.
2am, 3am whatever.
I can avoid the TV all day and tape the game and watch it without knowing the result....

[AussieAnge]

The travel to Geelong sounds like a breeze compared to my journey to Telstra Stadium for the Round 21 game. I left home (Dee Why) at 3.15pm and didn't arrive at the Stadium until 6pm (a little stressed and much in need of a restorative drink). It probably didn't help that the buses weren't running to schedule and that the bus driver got lost (despite the signs still being up from the Olympics).

CTS you are one disciplined person, I can't even wait the 30 minutes for the delayed telecast for the games in Melbourne, I tune in on the radio and then have the strange situation of listening to what's happening and watching what has happened at the same time.

[Angelic Upstart]

Originally posted by jixygirl
Also, after coming to terms with the fact that there are only 5 games in Victoria, Sydney is an interstate team now and it is organized as an non-Victorian team. Its a shame that there aren't more games in Melbourne but every supporter of the Swans in Melbourne has to deal with the fact that they won't be able to go to the footy as much as they would probably like to. Melbourne supporters can tell the club how they feel but can't do a lot more. It's just part of barracking for a club in another state.

But we're not even getting the same treatment as the other non-Victorian teams, that's what's so FRUSTRATING!!

This is the number of Melb/Geelong games the non-Victorian teams have from 2002-04:
Adelaide: 2002 - 6 games; 2003 - 6 games; 2004 - 5 games; Total - 17
Brisbane: 02 - 6; 03 - 7; 04 - 6; Total = 19
Freo: 02 - 5; 03 - 6; 04 - 7; Total = 18
Port 02 - 5; 03 - 7; 04 - 5; Total = 17
Sydney: 02 - 6; 03 - 5; 04 - 5; Total = 16
West Coast: 02 - 7; 03 - 5; 04 - 6; Total = 18

We've arguably the biggest supporter base in Melbourne of the non-Victorian teams, but we've had the least games down here. If the AFL recognises that the Swans still have strong links with the old South Melbourne (and they do - look at the official AFL record books for example that recognise South and Sydney as the same entity), then it's about time they started reflecting these strong ties in its fixtures.

All we're asking for is a fair go.

[NMWBloods]

Originally posted by AussieAnge
The travel to Geelong sounds like a breeze compared to my journey to Telstra Stadium for the Round 21 game. I left home (Dee Why) at 3.15pm and didn't arrive at the Stadium until 6pm

Travelling from anywhere in the Melbourne suburbs to Geelong is easier than getting from Dee Why to Telstra Stadium.

[liz]

Originally posted by Angelic Upstart
But we're not even getting the same treatment as the other non-Victorian teams, that's what's so FRUSTRATING!!

This is the number of Melb/Geelong games the non-Victorian teams have from 2002-04:
Adelaide: 2002 - 6 games; 2003 - 6 games; 2004 - 5 games; Total - 17
Brisbane: 02 - 6; 03 - 7; 04 - 6; Total = 19
Freo: 02 - 5; 03 - 6; 04 - 7; Total = 18
Port 02 - 5; 03 - 7; 04 - 5; Total = 17
Sydney: 02 - 6; 03 - 5; 04 - 5; Total = 16
West Coast: 02 - 7; 03 - 5; 04 - 6; Total = 18

The Dogs game is your answer. Brisbane were promised a certain number of Melbourne games as part of the merger so the Dees game up there doesn't have the same effect. The Canberra game doesn't help either, but is balanced by the fact that the west coast teams and Port are getting shunted off to places like Darwin and Tasmania.

[Charlie]

Here's the e-mail I just fired off to Mike Sheahan:

I am a Sydney Swans member in Melbourne, and I am writing to express my anger at our draw in the hope that someone will take notice down at AFL Headquarters to the rage Swans fans here are feeling.

The 2004 draw is the second in succession in which the Swans have been allocated only 5 games in Victoria. Considering the average number for interstate clubs is six, this is simply not good enough. Last year, I did not complain, expecting that this would be a once-off. To then give us 5 games AGAIN for 2004, shows contempt for the Swans' Melbourne supporter base from the AFL, despite it being the largest of any interstate club.

Sydney's Melbourne membership was approximately 4,000 in 2003, making up about 1 in 5 of Sydney's members. Not at all insignificant. In 2002 there were 6,000, and the ratio was closer to 1 in 4. The club's Melbourne office estimates that only about 25% of the club's fans which regularly attend matches in Melbourne were members this year. This fact, and the major drop in membership from the previous year, can only be explained by the too few matches Sydney play here.

This problem could so easily be fixed if the AFL stopped scheduling Sydney to play the Kangaroos in Canberra, and returned the Bulldogs home game at the SCG to Melbourne. Sydney fans in Melbourne deserve 7 games a year. Instead, we get fewer games than any other club two years in a row, and that's just not good enough.

[peterh_oz]

Originally posted by Dpw
Sorry are we returning to the VFL, we would enjoy atleast one game if thats alright with the Vic's of course naturally it is your game and would not like to step on your toe's.

I'm NOT a Vic, but I believe 12/7 (Syd/Melb) and share the other 3 around (maybe 2 in Adelaide or Perth & none in Bris sometimes to even-up between ALL sides in the comp!) - example we should play North in SYDNEY sometimes ad not necessarily ALWAYS in Canberra (let others do it too!).

If only we had 26 Rounds, no pre-season comp, and keep the split-round. But change it so that 4 sides play the 2nd week (not just 2) and THOSE 4 sides play each other the next week. Do you realise that bot us and Collingwood will play each other after a week off (no advantage so thats ok) BUT the following week we will BOTH play someone who's had a week off? Not a fair system is it?

[peterh_oz]

Originally posted by ugg
Looks like they've pushed the Sunday games back to 2pm?

Round 5 - that's the Anzac Day clash - I think they're hoping that would be reason enough to sell tickets.

NO times are set. WHoever posted times has taken a guess, and got it W R O N G

Sunday times will remain, as we MUST play 1.10 AEST cos of 9's NRL committments.

And Saturday nights have been 7.10 for the last 3yrs - I can't see that changing.

[Craig]

Originally posted by Charlie


This problem could so easily be fixed if the AFL stopped scheduling Sydney to play the Kangaroos in Canberra, and returned the Bulldogs home game at the SCG to Melbourne. Sydney fans in Melbourne deserve 7 games a year. Instead, we get fewer games than any other club two years in a row, and that's just not good enough.

From a football perspective I have a problem with this.

I would rather play any team away from their home ground, especially if it is at our home ground. It is great playing the Bulldogs at the SCG, and I definately hope that they keep it. Our record is not good, but this will definately change.

Short term statistics should not be used as evidence to say we aren't advantaged by playing the Dogs at the SCG. Over a longer period I'm sure this will turn into our advantage ie playing Roos at SCG previously.