A "Home" Final

[mocaholic]

At the risk of chicken counting, if we scrape into 6th (which is on the cards), there's a fair chance we'd be playing a home final on the MCG. If we were playing Freo, or WC I'd back us in - Kangas or Bombers we'd struggle. Be good to play there Rd 22 for only our second MCG game of the year.

It'd be great for the club I reckon. We've only played three MCG Finals (1996, 1997 & 1999) in recent history. Of course it helps that I'm a Melbournite too.....

Purely hypothetical of course. I know I'm running away with myself so you don't need to tell me.

[Bart]

Re: A "Home" Final

Originally posted by mocaholic
At the risk of chicken counting, if we scrape into 6th (which is on the cards), there's a fair chance we'd be playing a home final on the MCG. If we were playing Freo, or WC I'd back us in - Kangas or Bombers we'd struggle. Be good to play there Rd 22 for only our second MCG game of the year.

If Saints finish 1st or 2nd, and Geelong or Melbourne finish 5th, we will play a home final in Sydney if we finish 6th. This look like the most likely scenario (but who knows with our boys)

[SimonH]

Man, it is totally pointless to speculate about AFL finals at the moment, because the Swans have won as outsiders and lost as favourites in their last 3 games. And they've got plenty of mates among the other teams scrambling with them.

However, I can't help myself:
If Brisbane beat St Kilda (and others go to form), then Brisbane & Port have got positions 1 & 2 on the ladder. Based on my tips (which isn't saying much given how I've gone this year), we could easily finish 6th and Essendon 7th! In practice, that would mean that the stuffed shirts of the Marylebone Cricket Club would prevail, and we'd be deprived of our rightful Sydney-based continuation of a grudge stretching back to the 1996 prelim final, and one of the biggest matches of the year. It'd be time to storm the Bastille of the AFL.

And while we're playing endless possibilities: it is likely that Sydney only need 12 wins to make the finals. However, by messing around with the ladder predictor on afl.com.au, it's possible to manufacture a ladder where we have 12 wins and finish 10th! So there's no time for complacency at all.

[Wil]

Re: A "Home" Final

Originally posted by mocaholic
At the risk of chicken counting, if we scrape into 6th (which is on the cards), there's a fair chance we'd be playing a home final on the MCG.

If we finish sixth and play our home final at the MCG then I will say F!CK this stupid F!CK!NG league that continues to only want to only exist in the suburbs of that crappy town of Melbourne. If that happens then, bloody hell, they can tell me when the AFL gets their act together for me to become a Swans member for another year.

AFL is the best sport in Australia - but the way the league is run is a joke. I would almost say soccer is run better in this country

[mocaholic]

Re: Re: A "Home" Final

Originally posted by Bart
If Saints finish 1st or 2nd, and Geelong or Melbourne finish 5th, we will play a home final in Sydney if we finish 6th. This look like the most likely scenario (but who knows with our boys)

I thought that the AFL wants to pay out one of the 'banked' games - ie, there should be two, but AFL owes MCC one, so there'll be three.

Sort of hope you're right, but I'd love to see us win ONE final at the G. Hasn't happened since '45.

[liz]

Re: Re: Re: A "Home" Final

Originally posted by mocaholic
I thought that the AFL wants to pay out one of the 'banked' games - ie, there should be two, but AFL owes MCC one, so there'll be three.

The AFL has said that there will be three over the first two weeks of the finals - and pretty much intimated that this means two during the first week and one during the second week.

If we "fall victim" of the rule and land up playing the Weagles or Dockers at the 'G it won't be a disaster - it will give another easily accessible game to our Melbourne brethren and will be "neutral" from a team perspective. It will also give more experience of playing at the 'G and may make the MCC realise that a game with just 35,000 Swans fans and a smattering of Perth visitors doesn't do them any good.

However, there's a pretty strong chance that it will be the Bombers who, yet again, are the beneficiaries from this rule and land up with yet another "away" final at their home ground.

[Damien]

Re: Re: Re: Re: A "Home" Final

Originally posted by liz
The AFL has said that there will be three over the first two weeks of the finals - and pretty much intimated that this means two during the first week and one during the second week.

If we "fall victim" of the rule and land up playing the Weagles or Dockers at the 'G it won't be a disaster - it will give another easily accessible game to our Melbourne brethren and will be "neutral" from a team perspective. It will also give more experience of playing at the 'G and may make the MCC realise that a game with just 35,000 Swans fans and a smattering of Perth visitors doesn't do them any good.

However, there's a pretty strong chance that it will be the Bombers who, yet again, are the beneficiaries from this rule and land up with yet another "away" final at their home ground.

Yep - 5 finals at the MCG.

2 in week 1, 1 in week 2, 1 in week 3 and the Grand Final.

There will be only 2 games at the MCG in week 1.

[cressakel]

Re: Re: A "Home" Final

Originally posted by Wil
If we finish sixth and play our home final at the MCG then I will say F!CK this stupid F!CK!NG league that continues to only want to only exist in the suburbs of that crappy town of Melbourne. If that happens then, bloody hell, they can tell me when the AFL gets their act together for me to become a Swans member for another year.

AFL is the best sport in Australia - but the way the league is run is a joke. I would almost say soccer is run better in this country

Every team knew about the " banking " system in place at present until the end of 2005. The Swans knew about this and would have dealt with this situation mentally - as well as won 5 more games to consilidate a top two position and home final if possible.

I suppose you would also like a home Grand Final in that crappy town of Sydney if we ever are the top ranked team in a GF !!

Personally, I think you should read a book called " Who moved my cheese " to deal and move on with this minor problem !

How could soccer be run better when they are in debt severly and they have revamped the whole National Competition ?!

If you don't become a member because of this minor issue, then you are not a real fan and need a good talking to by a Sydney based Melbourne fan that has been through 30 years plus grief.

Then they can tell you that this is a minor nondescript issue compared to their club being shafted to Sydney without no financial or emotional help.

[barry]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: A "Home" Final

Originally posted by Damien
Yep - 5 finals at the MCG.

2 in week 1, 1 in week 2, 1 in week 3 and the Grand Final.

There will be only 2 games at the MCG in week 1.

But if Port and Brisbane are 1,2, then they are likely to win their finals, meaning Geelong and St Kilda would both host in week 2.

Therefore the swans could have a home final at 6th.

[swansrule100]

theres no doubt the swans will deal with a home final in melbourne and win it hopefully

but the league needs the bloody problem fixed its the stupidiest problem in football

[Mike_B]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: A "Home" Final

Originally posted by barry
But if Port and Brisbane are 1,2, then they are likely to win their finals, meaning Geelong and St Kilda would both host in week 2.

Therefore the swans could have a home final at 6th.

The AFL will play 2 games in week 1 at the G - they cannot afford to risk either Brisbane and Port losing and then having no games legitimately scheduled for Melbourne in week 2 should that occur.

[SimonH]

Wish you were right Barry, but

http://www.mcc.org.au/default.asp?pg=newsdisplay&articleid=1482

direct from the heart of darkness confirms that "there'll be two finals at the MCG in week one": A Demetriou.

I hope to allah that if Port & Brissie occupy the top 2 spots, we finish 6th and either the Weagles or Dockers 7th. I would freakin' laugh my head off. And yes, if Brissie and Port both win their first final in this scenario, this means that the 2nd-ranked of them would have to play an away prelim final (remember the contract includes "at least one preliminary final each season" at the G: from the same story). The net result would be 6 out of 9 finals at the MCG, in a finals series where the dominant teams were non-Victorians!

We would look like a professional and competently-managed code which had the interests of clubs and fans rather than corporate contracts at heart, wouldn't we?

[jenky28]

Originally posted by SimonH
Wish you were right Barry, but

http://www.mcc.org.au/default.asp?pg=newsdisplay&articleid=1482

direct from the heart of darkness confirms that "there'll be two finals at the MCG in week one": A Demetriou.

I hope to allah that if Port & Brissie occupy the top 2 spots, we finish 6th and either the Weagles or Dockers 7th. I would freakin' laugh my head off. And yes, if Brissie and Port both win their first final in this scenario, this means that the 2nd-ranked of them would have to play an away prelim final (remember the contract includes "at least one preliminary final each season" at the G: from the same story). The net result would be 6 out of 9 finals at the MCG, in a finals series where the dominant teams were non-Victorians!

We would look like a professional and competently-managed code which had the interests of clubs and fans rather than corporate contracts at heart, wouldn't we?

It is a 50-50 chance but we have to make it first with a mighty fight on our hands form ess w.c and the kangas.

Lets see what happens this week first before we jump to finals.