Reserves to play in the NEAFL

[Gezball]

you would ahve thought to include at least 2-3 of the top sydney teams in this comp.
i thoguht the idea was the grow the game in NSW..even if they included 1-2 teams from Sydney and 1 from the black diamond leaguethat would at least cover the most areas, or even include the Wagga Tigers, 1 teams fromt he sydney league and 1 team from the newcastle legue..would make much more sense....but as someone said it is a start

I would have much preferred this even if it did weaken the local leagues. I could imagine actually following such a league. This one just feels like the ACTAFL and QAFL with a name change.

[magic.merkin]

Fair enough, but you can't build a house without a solid foundation, that would have set back the lower leagues to much IMHO.

[ugg]

http://www.seeyouatthefooty.com.au/uploadedpdf/neafl_2011_eastern_draw.pdf

The NEAFL (Eastern Conference) draw was released a week ago. Here is my summation and analysis of the draw:

• Nominally a 22 round season, but with 2 competition-wide byes, it is a 20 round competition.
• Swans Reserves play 18 times (4 byes), while the rest of the competition play just 17 times (5 byes). How this will work in terms of competition points remains to be seen although I'm sure the Swans hierarchy prefers the Reserves to be playing more than less.
• Swans Reserves have 8 home games (out of 20), compared with 9 (out of 18) in 2010 in AFL Canberra. 6 SCG games, 1 ANZ game and 1 Blacktown Olympic Park game (see below)
• All of the home games are a curtain raiser to the seniors game except for the Round 22 AFL/Round 21 NEAFL fixture where the Swans Reserves play Brisbane at Blacktown Olympic Park the day before the Swans Seniors take on the Saints at ANZ Stadium. I haven't seen an official explanation but it could either be an NSW/ACT U18 match or the Indigenous teenage game the SCG hosted in 2010.
• 3 'away' games have the Swans Reserves playing in the curtain raiser, offering great incentive for Swans fans to travel to these games: R7 Bulldogs @ Manuka, R11 Lions @ Gabba, R16 Suns @ Gold Coast. In the image, all curtain raisers, home and away, are bolded in purple.
• A game at Newcastle, I assume this was originally a home fixture forfeited by the club to promote AFL in Newcastle.
• GWS get to play 2 more crossover games against the NT Thunder (home and away). How this plays in terms of the competition is also yet to be seen?
• The draw has been relatively kind to Sydney-based AFL fans who wish to catch both Swans and GWS matches. Only 2 rounds (16-Apr and 25-Jun) have both the Swans Reserves and GWS playing on the same day in Sydney.
• Ainslie, Eastlake, Queanbeyan play 2 crossover games while Belconnen and Tuggeranong play just 1 crossover game. Belconnen and Tuggeranong were the bottom 2 teams in the 2010 AFL Canberra competition.

[Bas]

As usual Ugg, very impressive. Whilst most were out pickling themselves, your dedication at 1:58am is beyond comparison.

Amazing that GWS don't play a single game at the SCG. That surprises me.

[stellation]

That's a really good summary, ugg. Thanks for putting it together. 23rd July could prove embaressing!

[ugg]

Looks like you two early birds have picked up my deliberate error. Well done

[Bas]

Looks like you two early birds have picked up my deliberate error. Well done

We were NEVER suggesting that you made a mistake. To be honest, I missed it completely.

[laughingnome]

Love your work, Ugg. I can't wait for this season to start

[ugg]

While fixing up my error, I noticed that the 3 times GWS are drawn to play us, it occurs after a bye for them (including a huge 2 week bye first time round!). Is this a possible case of draw tampering by the AFL who may want to assist the Giants onfield in order to spice up what is still an inchoate rivalry? If so, little do they know that a study of the NFL has shown that teams that come off a week's rest lose more often than they win. Of course the Swans's (seniors) record after a bye has been terrible, given in recent times, we've played in the second week of the split round against Collingwood!

*takes off conspiracy theory hat*

[liz]

While fixing up my error, I noticed that the 3 times GWS are drawn to play us, it occurs after a bye for them (including a huge 2 week bye first time round!). Is this a possible case of draw tampering by the AFL who may want to assist the Giants onfield in order to spice up what is still an inchoate rivalry? If so, little do they know that a study of the NFL has shown that teams that come off a week's rest lose more often than they win. Of course the Swans's (seniors) record after a bye has been terrible, given in recent times, we've played in the second week of the split round against Collingwood!

*takes off conspiracy theory hat*

Aren't GWS due to be competing in that new state league competition the AFL has created this season? In which case, what look like byes for them might mean they aren't actually resting.

[ugg]

Aren't GWS due to be competing in that new state league competition the AFL has created this season? In which case, what look like byes for them might mean they aren't actually resting.

Ah yes I forgot about that. According to this unofficial draw http://www.sportsnewsfirst.com.au/ar...ague-fixtures/

they are provisionally drawn to play Williamstown away on the 30th April. Given it is a knockout competition, and Williamstown should be one of the stronger teams in the competition given they were minor premiers last year, I can't see GWS progressing past this fixture.

That draw may not be accurate or final though, given it has listed East Coast v Woodville West Torrens as the curtain raiser to our Round 8 game against Port Adelaide, which would clash with our Reserves game against the GC Reserves as listed in the NEAFL draw.

[ShockOfHair]

As usual Ugg, very impressive. Whilst most were out pickling themselves, your dedication at 1:58am is beyond comparison.

More proof - as if it were needed - that Ugg is actually an elaborate Turing Test*. Making a joke about "deliberate errors" was a nice touch, Ugg - almost human.


*Turing test - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[707]

Stunning work Ugg and hugely appreciated by myself and I'm sure by all other RWO?rs.

Been thinking I might travel to a few interstate games this year and your table makes it easy to earmark those that have our ressies in action before the main game so I get a full day Swannie fix.

Cheers Ugg

[Jesse Richards]

Thanks ugg Much appreciated.

[ugg]

Thanks ugg Much appreciated.

One downer I should have mentioned was the lesser number of games that can be watched by Canberrans. There's only going to be 6 plus whatever finals we end up qualifying for. On the other hand it does give our Queensland based fans a chance to watch the ressies running around