2005 Fixture

[Bart]

Obviously our Melbourne members are getting their point across about more than 5 Melbourne matches, but are there any changes that Sydney based fans would request.

Here are some of my suggestions FWIW. I believe they are realistic. i.e. not asking for the 1.10 pm time to change within the current TV rights contract as it simply WON'T happen.

- Even number of night/day games
- Day games to be spread more evenly over the season (This week is last Sunday game for the year)
- Lions to be the third team at Telstra Stadium. Annual Round 1 match against the Lions at TS would be a great start as SCG is normally unavailable
- Bombers/Pies to continue at TS
- Only one trip to Adelaide and Perth each year
- Avoid more than 2 matches in a row at home where possible
- Please please please sit down with ARU and avoid clashes with big Super 12 and international rugby matches. This year is farcial, we play Pies at TS up against the RWC rematch live nationally, and we play Roos at SCG while Bledisloe is on at TS.

[sharpie]

Thats all pretty fair. I dont understand why they cant just schedule sunday arvo games around the time that they think rugby matches will be played even if they cant sit down with the ARU. Every year the international rugby tests occur around about the same time, so they should have a fairly good idea when not to schedule saturday night matches.

[Charlie]

I like these from a Melbourne perspective.

Here's a deal - you support our requests, we support yours? They're complimentary to each other, especially the one game each in Adelaide/Perth. If you get that, the Doggies game could stay in Sydney and we could get our 7!

[Bart]

Originally posted by sharpie
Thats all pretty fair. I dont understand why they cant just schedule sunday arvo games around the time that they think rugby matches will be played even if they cant sit down with the ARU. Every year the international rugby tests occur around about the same time, so they should have a fairly good idea when not to schedule saturday night matches.

good point. I think the problem is the ARU don't bed down the international fixture until around Feb/Mar, way after the AFL. They should speak IMO as there are no winners when we take on the Pies and the Wallabies take on England. Had both been played at different times, each match would have been guaranteed a huge national TV audience. As it stands AFL will get caned on the Eastern seaboard, while rugby will get caned in the south

[Ryan Bomford]

I think you've summed my views Bart and I second Charlie's proposal. Just one thought, will there ever be room for Friday night games in Sydney? (ignoring the television rights issue, of course)

[Bart]

Originally posted by Charlie
I like these from a Melbourne perspective.

Here's a deal - you support our requests, we support yours? They're complimentary to each other, especially the one game each in Adelaide/Perth. If you get that, the Doggies game could stay in Sydney and we could get our 7!

So what you are saying is 12 in Sydney, 1 Adelaide, 1 Perth, 7 Melbourne and then I presume 1 in Canberra/Brisbane. I presume Canberra will stay, as we seem to be the only team able to draw a crowd there.

[Bart]

Originally posted by Ryan Bomford
I think you've summed my views Bart and I second Charlie's proposal. Just one thought, will there ever be room for Friday night games in Sydney? (ignoring the television rights issue, of course)

I love the Friday night matches, but getting there is a pain in the butt.

[Rob-bloods]

The Swans polling has always (so they report) showed fans prefer Sunday afternoons, unlikely to change I would think. As a former Sydney resident I for one liked them too!

Now that Telstra is a Saturday evening fixture, that fulfills their preferred 3 or 4 night games per year.

Realistically, they do not want Sydney into Melbne Fridays, that is obviously earmarked for Collingwood largely, no matter what form dictates, or Essendon.

[sharpie]

Originally posted by Bart
So what you are saying is 12 in Sydney, 1 Adelaide, 1 Perth, 7 Melbourne and then I presume 1 in Canberra/Brisbane. I presume Canberra will stay, as we seem to be the only team able to draw a crowd there.

Problem with that is we are likely to have to always play Brisbane twice per year, meaning a certain Gabba visit.

And as long as there are games in Canberra (which I think is a good thing for NSW footy), Sydney will play there. We are the crowd-drawers there, so the AFL would be foolish not to schedule us there.

This leaves something like:

SCG - 9
Testra Stadium - 3
Adelaide - 1
Perth - 1
Brisbane - 1
Canberra - 1

which leaves

Melbourne - 6 (1 of which could be in Geelong).

Not much has changed from this year. So unless the swans are willing to forego a game in Sydney, there really is little hope of any salvation for Melbourne fans unfortunately. And from a team point of view, I think they would be happy with as many home games in Sydney as possible, so this is probably unlikely.

[Bart]

Originally posted by Rob-bloods
The Swans polling has always (so they report) showed fans prefer Sunday afternoons, unlikely to change I would think. As a former Sydney resident I for one liked them too!

Now that Telstra is a Saturday evening fixture, that fulfills their preferred 3 or 4 night games per year.

Realistically, they do not want Sydney into Melbne Fridays, that is obviously earmarked for Collingwood largely, no matter what form dictates, or Essendon.

I think it is important that Sunday day, and Saurday night matches are evenly spilt. Sunday's to attract the faimilies, Saturday nights to attract the going-out crowd, but also to get TV prime time to a wider audience.

How would people be about a Sunday arvo game at TS ?

[Sanecow]

You people are aware that the number of games v Freo, WC, PA and Adelaide depends (to some extent) on the ladder at the end of the year?

I don't think that Adelaide and Western Australian supporters are complaining about being able to see their team more than one game a year. If Melbourne supporters had their way, Sydney would play all of its games in Melbourne

[sharpie]

Originally posted by Sanecow
You people are aware that the number of games v Freo, WC, PA and Adelaide depends (to some extent) on the ladder at the end of the year?

I don't think that Adelaide and Western Australian supporters are complaining about being able to see their team more than one game a year. If Melbourne supporters had their way, Sydney would play all of its games in Melbourne

how do those games depend on the ladder?

I'm sure our friends in the west are not complaining this year, but from a team point of view, I'm sure the less times they travel over there the better. Supporter point of view is of course going to be different.

[Bart]

Originally posted by Sanecow
You people are aware that the number of games v Freo, WC, PA and Adelaide depends (to some extent) on the ladder at the end of the year?

What has the ladder got to do with it ?

[Thunder Shaker]

Originally posted by Bart
What has the ladder got to do with it ?

The AFL fixtures are drafted according to the AFL ladder at the end of round 15. The AFL commissions a few different fixtures and then chooses one. Because it takes time to draft these fixtures, the ladder at the end of round 15 is used because at that time each team has played each other team once.

The fixtures are drafted such that top 8 sides (after round 15) play each other slightly more often, and the same for the bottom sides.

[Bart]

Originally posted by Thunder Shaker
The AFL fixtures are drafted according to the AFL ladder at the end of round 15. The AFL commissions a few different fixtures and then chooses one. Because it takes time to draft these fixtures, the ladder at the end of round 15 is used because at that time each team has played each other team once.

The fixtures are drafted such that top 8 sides (after round 15) play each other slightly more often, and the same for the bottom sides.

Well there you go. You learn something every day