Melbourne Based Members/Supporters

[Dpw]

Originally posted by Charlie
All I want is the same treatment with the draw in regards to games in Melbourne that Collingwood and Essendon get. Nothing more, nothing less.

Why we are NSW based team not Victorian all swans surpporters should be happy to have as many games in NSW as possible.

Would have settled for oneless game in WA.

[Mark]

"I realise all this. But it's hypocritical for the club to point at a little request halfway down their wishlist for an extra game in Melbourne and say that they did their best, whilst they also agree to FINANCE the Bulldogs"

NOT TRUE

"what's to stop Sydney putting their money where their mouth is and "requesting" that this game be moved to the MCG next year? "

THE DOGS, IT IS THEIR GAME !

"10,000+ Sydney supporters in Melbourne?"

NOT OUR MEMBERSHIP FIGURE !

"You might be lucky enough to have a little over 1,000 tickets for the people that the Roos are apparently trying to recruit as supporters"

YOU ARE BASING THIS FIGURE ON WHAT !!!!!

At least if you are going to have a selfish whinge try and make it somewhat factual

[Charlie]

Originally posted by Mark
"I realise all this. But it's hypocritical for the club to point at a little request halfway down their wishlist for an extra game in Melbourne and say that they did their best, whilst they also agree to FINANCE the Bulldogs"

NOT TRUE

"what's to stop Sydney putting their money where their mouth is and "requesting" that this game be moved to the MCG next year? "

THE DOGS, IT IS THEIR GAME !

"10,000+ Sydney supporters in Melbourne?"

NOT OUR MEMBERSHIP FIGURE !

"You might be lucky enough to have a little over 1,000 tickets for the people that the Roos are apparently trying to recruit as supporters"

YOU ARE BASING THIS FIGURE ON WHAT !!!!!

At least if you are going to have a selfish whinge try and make it somewhat factual

A) Why is it not hypocritical for the club to claim to be working for Melbourne based fans, whilst at the same time spending six figures to have a game that would otherwise be played in Melbourne played in Sydney? I would think the action here is anathema to the objective.

B) The Dogs sell the rights to the home game to the Swans, in return for the six figures. It is therefore, for all intents and purposes, our home game. We can certainly play it in Melbourne if we wish, and I dare say that the Bulldogs won't mind too much. Of course, certain selfish fans up north who believe they are the only ones with any genuine claims on the club might complain, but boo hoo to you.

C) I fully realise that the 10,000 is not our membership figure. However, Tony Morwood said in his reply to Anne, which can be found on this very site, that only 1/4 of the Swans supporters attending games in Melbourne were members. It was also said at the B&F that there were 4,000 members in Melbourne. You do the maths, I think you'll find that 10,000 is considerably lower to what the club itself claims is the number down here.

D) I based my figure on an estimation that is partly my own and partly that of someone else on this board (can't remember who) estimated that the number of Swans fans who travelled from Sydney for that game were 8,000. This leaves 4,000 seats out of a 12,000 seat ground for the various other groups, which would include Kangaroos supporters, local supporters of other clubs, miscellaneous allocations and local supporters of the two clubs. The little over 1,000 tickets is only a rough guess, but noone could honestly say that it would be signifigantly above that.

Now, mate, over to you. You tried to punch holes, you failed. I've got the answers, and you know why? Because my argument is right. The Kangaroos game is unjustifiable, the Bulldogs game is hypocritical. I know people up north don't like it - they like their 13 games. But the truth is the truth, whether you choose to bury your head in the sand or not.

[Charlie]

Originally posted by Dpw
Why we are NSW based team not Victorian all swans surpporters should be happy to have as many games in NSW as possible.

Would have settled for oneless game in WA.

Mate - I would love for both 12 games in SYDNEY (ACT isn't even a home ground advantage, so I don't see why people get protective of that game) and 7 games in Melbourne. It's possible. It would leave 3 games to be played in the other states... Collingwood and Essendon get it, why can't we?

And, quite simply, I WOULD NOT be happy for the Swans to play more than 12 games in Sydney. That would be pushing the friendship too far. It's one thing to want a small incremental advantage... it's quite another to lose access to your club in the process.

[Charlie]

Originally posted by swan_song
This is an extremely emotive topic, but I think u need to step back from it a little and look at it with clear eyes...
To me, I feel hard done by because as a Swans supporter living in Sydney I ONLY get to see them live 12 times a year, whereas if I were a Richmond supporter living in Melbourne this year I would see my team 19 times a year live. I know that the history of South/Swans will not be untwined, but I look on the current situation, with regards to the division of matches, kind of like it being akin to the predicament of an Adelaide supporter in Sydney, or a Docker supporter in Brisbane, who may not get to see their team live at all! Things, unfortunately, can not be equal for everyone...The Swans are a Sydney-based team, for better or worse, and until they move lock, stock and barrel back to Albert Oval, and I get to see them ONLY on tele, that's the way it is!

If I ever see a Sydney fan complaining about seeing the club 12 times again, I will be sick.

People dare to call ME selfish? Come to Melbourne mate, then you'll get a grip on reality. You know how sick I got of hearing Dermott's voice watching Swans games this year?

I'll say it again, I'd happily pay double for a Sydney membership if I got to see the Swans play 12, let alone 19 games a year. I understand Sydney are a Sydney team, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm only asking for seven games, and that's what we'd get if they were distributing on a proportional basis. How could asking only for a fair share be selfish?

[robbieando]

OK I think its time I got involved in this topic again

Charlie, your not going to change anyone's opinion by going on the way your going. Fair enough your pissed off with way things are and rightly so, we in Melbourne keep copping it "for the betterment of the game in NSW/ACT", I say leave it be in regards to what certain people on this site think on the issue - your not going to change their minds anytime soon.

Reading over this thread both sides of the coin are making some good arguements and some bad ones. However one comment has pissed me off -

in SYDNEY, the HOME TOWN of the Swans, we do get 12 games by right

I have to say CRAP, no team has a right to 12 games in their home state, some states have more than one club so their can't help but get 12 games. This doesn't give us the right to go out and buy a game off the Bulldogs so we can have the same advantage and the same goes with Brisbane. We do it because we want to and sadly this decision more than anything else effects the origional supporters of this club.

If the club wants more games for its Melbourne supporters then this is the game to go, not the Canberra one Charlie, because even though you make a good point regarding the crowd at these games hardly helping developing the code in the ACT, its still a market which the AFL is trying to develop.

You also want 7 games in Melbourne, so do I but its not going to happen for a long, long time. I think we must settle for 6 matches at least in the near future.

[Mark]

"Now, mate, over to you. You tried to punch holes, you failed. I've got the answers, and you know why? Because my argument is right"

You are too funny, i think it is time to take your bat and ball home and play with them on your own !

[NMWBloods]

Originally posted by Charlie
B) The Dogs sell the rights to the home game to the Swans, in return for the six figures. It is therefore, for all intents and purposes, our home game. We can certainly play it in Melbourne if we wish, and I dare say that the Bulldogs won't mind too much.

Probably not, but why would the Swans spend a fortune buying a home game and then play it in Melbourne?

[JF_Bay22_SCG]

Originally posted by DST
2) Didn't your Mum ever teach you that if you ask nicely you have a much better chance of getting your own way
DST

But this is Charlie we are talking about, you know.

Mr Goodman, for a man so young is certainly a firey chap at times.

After the Hawthorn match the more he vented the redder his cheeks got. I had to go and pick up some flags, as he would have kept getting redder and redder, and had a heart attack or something.

Seriously, I empathise with the concerns of the Melbourne-based members and personally think the extra Bulldogs 'away' match up here is kinda dumb.

But slagging out the Kangaroos for doing something to promote the game of footy in Canberra, a place that badly badly needs it, is the final straw Charlie. Yes, your concerns as a member are important. But please target the right people, not the North Melbourne Football Club who are only making a decision that is in the best interests of its own club.

Issues such as the Kardinia match as well as the Dogs match being up here are far better areas where you could very well gain a better outcome for Melbourne members.

Maybe you need us Sydneysiders to help you get a Melbourne branch of SSI going down there?

JF

[DST]

Originally posted by NMWBloods
Probably not, but why would the Swans spend a fortune buying a home game and then play it in Melbourne?

Don't quote me if I am wrong, but don't we just underwrite the game not buy it. It is a Bulldogs home game and they have the right to request the game to be palyed in Sydney which they have done.

The Bulldogs being alot smarter about these things than the Roos, then turned around and asked the Swans if they would like to sell a 12 game membership and pass on the takings to them. The underwritten amount was then set at $250,000.

The Bulldogs were happy as they got a guaranteed $250,000 in the budget, the Swans were happy as they got the extra home game without the travel and plus have the chance of selling more membership packages than the $250,000 and make some money on the side. Win/win

Problem is in that time our games have dropped from an acceptable 6 to un-acceptable 5 games in Victoria, The North game and Bulldog games are both responsible for this but we are only capable of moving the Bulldogs game back to Victoria by withdrawing our underwriter agreement, meaning the Bulldogs probably would not make the $250,00 they want.

Can anyone tell me when the Bulldogs away home game underwritten by the Swans agreement ends ?

One would expect that Sydney at that point in time will end this arrangement in the expectation their games in Victoria return to 6 year.

DST

[NMWBloods]

Originally posted by DST
Don't quote me if I am wrong, but don't we just underwrite the game not buy it. It is a Bulldogs home game and they have the right to request the game to be palyed in Sydney which they have done.

If we've underwritten it then there would have to be a proviso for us to play the game at the SCG, otherwise we get no benefit for our underwriting.

Given that the Bulldogs put as their no 1 request a home game in Sydney, either they have no choice because of the agreement or the agreement is negotiated annually.

[Charlie]

Originally posted by JF_Bay22_SCG
But this is Charlie we are talking about, you know.

Mr Goodman, for a man so young is certainly a firey chap at times.

After the Hawthorn match the more he vented the redder his cheeks got. I had to go and pick up some flags, as he would have kept getting redder and redder, and had a heart attack or something.

JF

I'm pissed off, and I refuse to be "nice" when people are making such ridiculous claims as "it's NOT TRUE that the Bulldogs game is hypocritical", to paraphrase (By the way Mark, are you actually going to try and argue your case, or is it enough for you to declare that I am wrong and you are right, without you justifying your argument?).

Oh, and btw, how many times now have I asked you not to get personal in these debates? I don't judge you Julian - don't judge me. It's only fair.

Seriously, I empathise with the concerns of the Melbourne-based members and personally think the extra Bulldogs 'away' match up here is kinda dumb.

But slagging out the Kangaroos for doing something to promote the game of footy in Canberra, a place that badly badly needs it, is the final straw Charlie. Yes, your concerns as a member are important. But please target the right people, not the North Melbourne Football Club who are only making a decision that is in the best interests of its own club.

Issues such as the Kardinia match as well as the Dogs match being up here are far better areas where you could very well gain a better outcome for Melbourne members.

Maybe you need us Sydneysiders to help you get a Melbourne branch of SSI going down there?

I'm not slagging out the Kangaroos. I just don't understand why we Melbourne Swans fans have to suffer because they want to evangelise to a few Canberra fans, FOR THEIR BENEFIT, NOT OURS! What's wrong with the club taking a little action in the best interests of it's own fans?

And as I've said, there is little point taking a game to a city to promote it, if the local people who might become interested can hardly get tickets!!! It's time to tell the Kangaroos that if they can't do it on their own, bad luck. How long are we supposed to hold their hands for?

As for the Geelong game - at least it's in Victoria. I realise that for people on the other side of the city (I'm on the Geelong side) it's a long way to go... but Canberra is 4x as far. It's not great... but at least it's HERE. As for the Bulldogs game, have you read this thread properly? It is one of my two targets.

And what exactly has SSI achieved so far that would in any way encourage me to want them down here? Give me a good reason to join them, and I will. Perhaps you guys could prove that you represent ALL Swans fans, by campaigning for the Dogs game to be moved yourselves!!!

[liz]

Originally posted by Charlie
I'm pissed off, and I refuse to be "nice" when people are making such ridiculous claims as "it's NOT TRUE that the Bulldogs game is hypocritical", to paraphrase (By the way Mark, are you actually going to try and argue your case, or is it enough for you to declare that I am wrong and you are right, without you justifying your argument?).

When you write paragraphs like the one below it's highly unlikely people will be bothered to try to "argue a case".

"Now, mate, over to you. You tried to punch holes, you failed. I've got the answers, and you know why? Because my argument is right. The Kangaroos game is unjustifiable, the Bulldogs game is hypocritical. I know people up north don't like it - they like their 13 games. But the truth is the truth, whether you choose to bury your head in the sand or not."

FWIW I have no idea what you mean by the Bulldogs game being "hypocritical". The Swans's first priority is to maintain its long term viability by maximising revenue, and gaining a valuable on-field advantage isn't a worthless bonus. The Swans make some money out of this game - if it were played in Melbourne they would get none. The fact that it helps the Bulldogs as well is also a plus, though hopefully not the main motivation.

There may be some downsides, and it appears from the Morwood emails posted elsewhere on the forum that the club is reviewing it, but is it "hypocritical"? IMO no.

[AussieAnge]

FWIW as a Sydney based fan I'd be happy to see more of our away games played in Melbourne. As mentioned previously can't agree with the whinge about the Geelong game and the problems with travelling there, try travelling from Dee Why to Homebush!

[Rob-bloods]

Originally posted by Charlie

And what exactly has SSI achieved so far that would in any way encourage me to want them down here? Give me a good reason to join them, and I will. Perhaps you guys could prove that you represent ALL Swans fans, by campaigning for the Dogs game to be moved yourselves!!! [/B]

Can someone pls explain what the SSI is?