Draw is out....

[Triple B]

...looks like it saves us from the annual 15 page thread 'Melbourne based v Sydney based' fans.

draw

[Bart]

Re: Draw is out....

Originally posted by BBB
...looks like it saves us from the annual 15 page thread 'Melbourne based v Sydney based' fans.

draw

summary

1st game at SCG against Hawks
6 melbourne games
1 trip to AAMI, Gabba, Subi, Manuka
Away against Bulldogs at SCG
TS games are Bombers, Pies, Lions

looks good overall

[Syd Swan]

Thats seems a pretty good draw for us.

[robbieando]

A great draw for us, we play Brisbane, Hawthorn, West Coast, Essendon, Melbourne, Kangaroos and Adelaide twicw, have only 4 trips outside Sydney and Melbourne, with trips to Canberra, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth only once each. 6 games in Melbourne (which is about time too) split between the MCG and Telstra Dome, even though the first isn't until round 10.

The Lions join the Pies and the Bombers as the teams who play us at Telstra Stadium and that about right. Hertiage Round is again to be played in Sydney against the Lions in the TS showdown. Also we finish the season yet again away from Sydney at the MCG, for the third season in a row with a game against Hawthorn. 7 day games at the SCG will make most of you in Sydney happy after last season.

So overall I think most fans will be happy with this draw.

[Bart]

1 27-Mar-05 Hawthorn S.C.G. Sunday Aft.
2 2-Apr-05 Kangaroos Manuka Oval Saturday Aft.
3 9-Apr-05 Brisbane Lions Gabba Saturday Night
4 17-Apr-05 Adelaide S.C.G. Sunday Aft.
5 23-Apr-05 Melbourne S.C.G.. Saturday Night
6 30-Apr-05 West Coast Subiaco Saturday Night
7 7-May-05 Essendon Telstra Stadium Saturday Night
8 15-May-05 Port Adelaide S.C.G. Sunday Aft.
9 22-May-05 Bulldogs S.C.G. Sunday Aft.
10 28-May-05 St. Kilda Telstra Dome Saturday Night
11 4-Jun-05 Carlton Telstra Dome Saturday Aft.
12 12-Jun-05 Fremantle S.C.G. Sunday Aft.
13 25-Jun-05 Collingwood Telstra Stadium Saturday Night
14 2-Jul-05 Richmond M.C.G. Saturday Aft.
15 9-Jul-05 Geelong S.C.G. Saturday Night
16 16-Jul-05 Melbourne Telstra Dome Saturday Night
17 24-Jul-05 West Coast S.C.G. Sunday Aft.
18 30-Jul-05 Adelaide AAMI Stadium Saturday Night
19 6-Aug-05 Essendon Telstra Dome Saturday Night
20 13-Aug-05 Brisbane Lions Telstra Stadium Saturday Night
21 21-Aug-05 Kangaroos S.C.G. Sunday Aft.
22 27-Aug-05 Hawthorn M.C.G. Saturday Aft.

[Bart]

Interestingly 7 Sunday home games and only 5 night games of which 3 are at TS. SCG has only 2 night games. (Channel 10 had a say ????)

Good for those with littlies though and the day and night games are evely spread

[SimonH]

And the 'no match in Melbourne 'til round 10' rumours were true! (A rumour posted on RWO being true- who would have thunk it?)

Melbourne, West Coast, Adelaide, Essendon, Brisbane, Kangaroos, Hawthorn is not exactly an easy 'teams to play twice' list, but these things are pretty speculative- at the release of the 2004 fixture we would have rejoiced at playing Geelong and Melbourne twice.

Excellent idea (although predictable) to ditch Melbourne and get the Blions into Homebush.

One thing that pips me off is the fact that the AFL isn't even remotely trying to keep fixtures between the same teams 15 weeks apart (the starkest example being Sydney v Hawthorn in rounds 1 and 22). But maybe that's just my anal-retentive streak.

[EMJ]

Pretty happy about the draw, would of liked more at the MCG for the teams sake - I live in Sydney please note.

Also happy about one trip to Perth. dGlad Collingwood have lost some Friday night games.

Don't like early starts on Sunday though - no good for the gate or those travelling to the game. All for stupid TV.

Would like one or two Friday night games.

Wonder what the Roos and the Swans think about it.

[cruiser]

Looks good to me.

Pleased: that we play North in Canberra in Rd 2 before it gets too cold; that we play Essendon, C'wood and Brisbane at Telstra Stadium (Brisbane will pull a better crowd); that we dont play Port in Adelaide and only play once in Perth: that we dont play Geelong down in Antartica; that we play at the MCG in the last round again (we NEED the ground practice).

Wouldnt have minded a few more SCG night games when there are less kids/families and more "blokes", which does make a difference to the atmosphere (blokes on beer make more noise), but not a big deal.

Have to start planning my w'ends away now. Will definately make my first trip up to the Gabba next year.

[Damien]

Originally posted by Bart
Interestingly 7 Sunday home games and only 5 night games of which 3 are at TS. SCG has only 2 night games. (Channel 10 had a say ????)

Good for those with littlies though and the day and night games are evely spread

Due to Brisbane's high AFL TV ratings this year - the Lions are to become the new night Specialists this year. They play a ***load of Saturday night matches both home and away!!

Wonder how they feel lol

[SimonH]

Originally posted by cruiser

Pleased: ... that we dont play Port in Adelaide and only play once in Perth; ... that we play at the MCG in the last round again (we NEED the ground practice).

I am absolutely rapt to see us playing a home game agin' Port. Leaving aside our lousy Adelaide record (except one special game, I know), I am hugely looking forward to seeing us have a crack at the princes of darkness on our home soil. It's been a long time since we've hosted them, if memory serves.

Nice optimism to say that we will be needing MCG ground practice in round 22; I wish I was already so certain we'll make the finals!

[Foreign Legion]

Not a bad draw for once - at least we get 6 games in Melbourne!

Would rather play the Bummers at the G but still we can't be too picky.

Looking forward to Feb 19 already - even though I love the cricket as well...

[Charlie]

Happy with that. It's not perfect - I didn't expect it to be - but it's a great deal better than the past two years.

Looks like I'll be making a trip to Sydney or two in the first half of the season for my footy fix... or perhaps I'll go visit my sister... to see her new house in Brisbane, of course...

Is there a clash in round 19 that dictates that the Essendon game has to be at Docklands? Moving that to the MCG would probably be desirable for both teams, but if it can't happen, so be it. Two games at the MCG is probably more than some teams will get.

One trip each to Perth and Adelaide is fantastic. If we can keep that up, seven games is perhaps possible in another year or two. Only one game outside Sydney and Melbourne after round six is a dream! So is only playing one of the top four in a return match... excellent.

All in all, I'd give it an 8/10. I haven't seen the other team's draw yet, but I'd be surprised if there's many better than this one.

[robbieando]

Originally posted by Charlie
but I'd be surprised if there's many better than this one.

Check Collingwood's draw and get back to me.

Two word will come to mind

SPOON FED

[anne]

A great draw for Melbourne based fans. Will have to have a couple of early trips to Sydney.