2004 AFL Fixtures

[Glenn]

Hmmm unless I am going Blind, Sydney only play the Wobbles once, being the game at Stadium Aus

[Sanecow]

Originally posted by anne
Why does Brisbane get more games in Melbourne.

One of the reasons is that the Western Bulldogs don't play a home game in Brisbane.

[Glenn]

Not to mention the North Melb "home game" at Manuka

[liz]

Originally posted by Sanecow
One of the reasons is that the Western Bulldogs don't play a home game in Brisbane.

Except that Melbourne does!

[Sanecow]

Originally posted by lizz
Except that Melbourne does!

Shhh, you're making me look stupider.

[DST]

Originally posted by anne
This draw stinks! Twice to Perth, hard games the following week, first and last games away, and for Melbourne based supporters it is dreadful. Why does Brisbane get more games in Melbourne. Sydney will lose its support at games in Melbourne and that will make it much harder to win down here. And seeing they have trouble winning at home (they didn't win another game after July) it will affect their overall performance. And why do we always have to play Brisbane twice?

Anne,

As part of the merger with Fitzroy, Brisbane were given assurances for a 10 year period (correct the years if I am wrong) that they would get 8 games a year in Melbourne.

They are actually getting less than 8 games (by my count only 6 this year) which is probably due to the Melbourne away home game.

We will always get Brisbane twice as it is the closest thing we have to a derby at present and with the AFL trying to accomodate as minimal travel as possible it fits in with that.

As for trouble winning at home, the club got almost what it wanted in not having to play away twice in a row which is a real drain on the players and can play havoc with your preparation before and after. The only time we do it is in round 16-17. They would be very happy with that, having to travel to Brisbane first and Melbourne would run second as an issue by a long way.

DST

[CureTheSane]

I've resisted the temptation to post in case the posted draw was not correct, having come from another site, and not the AFL, but it seems to be accepted as the draw for next year so I will have a go now....

Firstly, I live in Melbourne.
A Melbourne game in Geelong really isn't a Melb game.
Takes me 2 hours to get there.
So I see it as 4 games in Melbourne, which sort of sucks.
My only comment would be that the AFL better damn well do better by us next year after 2 crappy seasons of 'Melb' games.

Aside from that, the draw looks average for us

Bris, Freo and Essendon are the top 8 teams from this year that we play twice.

2 games in WA sucks too.

As usual, my main concern is the coverage we get.

Starting with Syd vs Bris, we might be lucky to see it down here...

Last year we missed the first 2 games of the season, as well as the whole pre season bar 1 if memory serves...
Maybe we didn't see any pre season games televised.
I can't recall.

Anyway, I am not paying 60 bucks a month for Foxtel to allow me to watch a game of footy every couple of weeks, and the AFL shouldn't expect me to.

[Glenn]

The official draw is out at www.afl.com.au seems to be pretty much what BF had just having a quick scan over it

[Rob-bloods]

Cannot agree that two with trips to Perth included this is 'OK', as no team (or was it just once) won on their return from the west this year. Two trips to Perth can realistically be the difference between top 8 and top 4. Colliwobbles lack of travel got them to a top two last year, in this schedule add the lack of Melbne games, a 3/4 empty Telstra in Sydney for the Dees and this is a very ordinary result for us.

[Ryan Bomford]

Also noticed only 4 home Sunday afternoon games. Will watching the Swans on a beautiful sunny winter day soon become a thing of the past?

[DST]

Originally posted by Rob-bloods
Cannot agree that two with trips to Perth included this is 'OK', as no team (or was it just once) won on their return from the west this year. Two trips to Perth can realistically be the difference between top 8 and top 4. Colliwobbles lack of travel got them to a top two last year, in this schedule add the lack of Melbne games, a 3/4 empty Telstra in Sydney for the Dees and this is a very ordinary result for us.

Rob-blood,

I disagree with you on the 3/4 empty for the game agaisnt the dee's, that would make the crowd only 20,500. We drew more than that to the ANZAC day game this year at the "SCG" off the back of 3 straight losses and this game will be built up as an event at the Stad De Oz.

It all depending on how we are travelling before the game, but would have thought that 50,000 was very attainable for this game.

The other two games at Stad De Oz should draw in excess of 70,000 for both of them. The Sydney v SnDon game will be a monster.

As for the Perth trip, yes only one team won the week after the Perth trip this year, but last year there was greater than 50% of teams that won the week after the trip. A curse is very hard to predict from one yeat to the next.

DST

[Charlie]

OK - I know it's the AFL and not the club, and my earlier post was my immediate thoughts. Forgive me if I'm a little angry - but this is the second year in a row we have snubbed. We have a right to be angry. The arguments from the Sydney-centric group last year - "it's all cyclical, you can't have lots of games every year, nor can you have not many games that often" are out the window now. It's sheer contempt. That's all it is.

[gossipcom]

Originally posted by Ryan Bomford
Also noticed only 4 home Sunday afternoon games. Will watching the Swans on a beautiful sunny winter day soon become a thing of the past?

Especially after our form at the end of the season with home night games (lost 3 home night matches in a row) I'm actually surprised they decided to play so many at night <g>

Plus I prefer the day games because usually the night ones make me realise the next morning bloody hell... while the day ones let you recover during the day itself

[Craig]

Originally posted by anne
This draw stinks! Twice to Perth, hard games the following week, first and last games away, and for Melbourne based supporters it is dreadful. Why does Brisbane get more games in Melbourne. Sydney will lose its support at games in Melbourne and that will make it much harder to win down here. And seeing they have trouble winning at home (they didn't win another game after July) it will affect their overall performance. And why do we always have to play Brisbane twice?

That would be silly if people stopped supporting the Swans because of an AFL decision. Live with it.

I can't see why people don't make a bit of a road trip to Canberra and a couple to Sydney and Adelaide. That way you would get to see 10 or so games and have a few weekends away at the same time.

There are also Virgin airfares of $80 return occassionally which also makes it easier.

[Rob-bloods]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by DST
[B]Rob-blood,

I disagree with you on the 3/4 empty for the game agaisnt the dee's, that would make the crowd only 20,500. We drew more than that to the ANZAC day game this year at the "SCG" off the back of 3 straight losses and this game will be built up as an event at the Stad De Oz.

It all depending on how we are travelling before the game, but would have thought that 50,000 was very attainable for this game.

The other two games at Stad De Oz should draw in excess of 70,000 for both of them. The Sydney v SnDon game will be a monster.

I really hope you are right, but Melbne do just not draw anywhere, ANZAC Day was a bit different, I think it is just risky scheduling!