Just Plain Dumb

[Old Royboy]

Over the years I have seen many threads with our Melbourne members complaining about losing our away games to Footscray and North Melbourne. So why are the Roos playing Adelaide at Docklands in what must be a real money loser for them. The crowd will be a total disaster. Why aren?t they playing this game in Canberra? It would be much better for them to play Sydney at home, the Swan?s Melbourne supporter base is nearly as big as their own and take the losing Adelaide game to Canberra. I thought the whole idea of the Canberra exercise was to eliminate financial disasters such as this weekends match.

Is the Sydney game a condition of the Roo?s Canberra contract, it?s the only Canberra game that draws a decent crowd? That is the only reason I can see, and if so the North are robbing Peter to pay Paul and barely making any nett gain from the venture. Stupidity.

[GoSouth33]

Well what's the Docklands break even crowd? It's a higher cost venue with no subsidies but Manuka has a max of around 15k and they wouldn't get near that. Surely they'll pull at least 25k at Docklands. I suppose these are all the things that the AFL looks at in deciding futures.....

[SimonH]

Heavily subsidised contract is only to play 3 games annually in Canberra. Would be fiscal suicide to play more there unless the ACT Gov't (who I think are the sponsors) decided to stump up more cash.

[Claret]

Originally posted by SimonH
Heavily subsidised contract is only to play 3 games annually in Canberra. Would be fiscal suicide to play more there unless the ACT Gov't (who I think are the sponsors) decided to stump up more cash.

I think Old Royboy was suggesting they play Sydney in Melbourne and Adelaide in Canberra instead. Thus, there would still only be 3 games at Manuka.

The only reason I can see that Sydney are always playing there is that it is a requirement of the aforementioned subsidised contract.

[Destructive]

Originally posted by Claret
I think Old Royboy was suggesting they play Sydney in Melbourne and Adelaide in Canberra instead. Thus, there would still only be 3 games at Manuka.

The only reason I can see that Sydney are always playing there is that it is a requirement of the aforementioned subsidised contract.

It's great for me because I get to go to at least 1 away game a year.

Does'nt the Roos Canberra contract run out either at the end of the year or at the end of next year?

[Claret]

Originally posted by Destructive
Does'nt the Roos Canberra contract run out either at the end of the year or at the end of next year?

Can't remember which one it is but it is either this year or next, hence all the talk of a move to Carrara.

In looking at the 'Roos website for an answer I found this interesting article by Dean Laidley previewing last years Grand Final.

http://kangaroos.com.au/default.asp?pg=canberra&spg=display&articleid=231831

[Pommie Swannie]

Originally posted by Claret
Can't remember which one it is but it is either this year or next, hence all the talk of a move to Carrara.

In looking at the 'Roos website for an answer I found this interesting article by Dean Laidley previewing last years Grand Final.

http://kangaroos.com.au/default.asp?...ticleid=231831

A scarily prophetic article from Laidley.

I wonder if he tips lottery numbers ...!