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Thread: The AFL - a national competition? (split thread)

  1. #85
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    Quote Originally Posted by Markwebbos View Post
    Michael Gleeson from the Age is one Melbourne journo who sees the non-Melbourne POV. He wrote this about the Grand Final venue: https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/...23-p505jd.html

    A home away from home

    This notionally national competition had a chance to right a wrong and didn’t.

    The MCG is the best ground in the country, but it is also Collingwood’s home ground, not West Coast’s. The Eagles, the higher finishing, higher qualifying team will play on the other side of the country at the MCG as the ‘home’ team.

    That is illogical and it is unfair - but it is also a complete waste of breath to argue about now because that argument was shelved when the AFL signed to play the Grand Final at the MCG until at least 2057. Now is just the moment when attention turns back to that decision.

    The AFL is more likely to be able to fix its other more vexed problems like the utterly compromised fixture before it can get the Grand Final away from the MCG.
    Nails it with 'notionally national competition'. His article is spot on and the bit about waste of breath to argue is what sticks in the throat because it has truth. But there is no harm in reminding the unfairly advantaged Victorian team of their compromised circumstances.

  2. #86
    Quote Originally Posted by Blood Fever View Post
    Nails it with 'notionally national competition'. His article is spot on and the bit about waste of breath to argue is what sticks in the throat because it has truth. But there is no harm in reminding the unfairly advantaged Victorian team of their compromised circumstances.
    "Waste of breath" is just a way to try and silence debate.

  3. #87
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    Quote Originally Posted by crackedactor View Post
    Watched the Sunday morning footy show and Leigh Matthews did raise this question and suggesting it was unfair, Josh Jenkins from Adelaide also asked why Richmond plays on home ground last year but Adelaide finished on top of ladder. Of course the host ..Gil M brother Hamish, quickly crushed the conversation.

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    Media will not bite the hand that feeds it. If so, that hand can be very very vindictive.

  4. #88
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    Quote Originally Posted by barry View Post
    "Waste of breath" is just a way to try and silence debate.

    40 year agreement needs a lot of breath. Probability that last four year cycle of disadvantage will change and then league will pretend everything is ok. As long as there is a majority of Vic teams, 'notionally national' will prevail. 2057 will see me probably long gone despite major advances in medical technology!

  5. #89
    Quote Originally Posted by barry View Post
    "Waste of breath" is just a way to try and silence debate.
    As I said elsewhere, lively debate is fine, and there is a point to be made here about SOME Vic teams being favoured by this arrangement, but let's not lose our minds. We might need them down the track.

  6. #90
    I agree with what was said earlier in the thread , I as a Melbourne swans fan am conflicted by the MCG arrangement. On the one hand it is definitely unfair on the rest of the competition outside of Victoria ( assuming a Vic team makes the big dance ). On the other hand , like it or not , Victoria is essentially the home of football. This is the state that has football attendances through the roof week in , week out. Footy season starts and it’s rare that you cannot find someone to chat about the game with. Many People plan their social life around watching the big games over the weekend , it is religion here . You could argue the same for SA and WA but they are more state focused in their interest. They love their AFL teams but other than that many prefer to watch their state league teams as opposed to the other AFL games that don’t involve their respective sides. Every pub, bar , backyard or living room in Melbourne is going to be packed to the rafters on Saturday , as it is every year on GF day . The love of the game here is fanatical , and Melbourne people turn out in force to events. It is the reason touring bands will schedule their @@@@ter slots ( Monday’s , Tuesday’s ) in Melbourne as opposed to other states. They will sell out regardless. Doesn’t matter when or where or what time , if it’s an event , you will get a turn out in Melbourne. The idea of a Aussie rules GF in Sydney is almost laughable. A grand final parade , who would turn up ? NRL attendances are a disgrace in comparison and yet their tv attendances are huge. SA and WA have great AFL attendances but they are two team towns. Would you reschedule the Boxing Day test ? Move the Australian open interstate ? Yes , that wouldn’t impact on fairness I get that , but if you look past that a little it is pretty mad to think of the grand final anywhere other than the G ( and I hope the eagles win to highlight the fact that on this day , it becomes somewhat more of a neutral venue ). I know the Sydney based swans on here are mad footy fans too but you can’t tell me when the SCG sells out it is full of rusted on Aussie rules fans. You can’t tell me anyone in SA now gives a toss about the GF. QLD ? Forget about it. WA obviously are involved but if the eagles weren’t in , I doubt there would be obsessive interest in it like there is , and always is , in Melbourne. I know this is going to be pretty unpopular with a few but it is pretty black and white for me. Can anyone who has attended the GF at the MCG honestly imagine that at any other stadium , in any other state in Australia ? It’s a pilgrimage , the buzz in the air is electric , and regardless of whether it is Sydney v west coast , Geelong v St Kilda , freo v hawthorn , that doesn’t change. Again, it is unfair, but for the sake of a magnificent tradition , in a footy obsessed town , in the biggest and oldest and grandest stadium in the country , I’m comfortable with it. The same way I’m comfortable with the rugby league GF being held in Sydney. Despite it disadvantage the storm.


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  7. #91
    Quote Originally Posted by Melbourne_Blood View Post
    I agree with what was said earlier in the thread , I as a Melbourne swans fan am conflicted by the MCG arrangement. On the one hand it is definitely unfair on the rest of the competition outside of Victoria ( assuming a Vic team makes the big dance ). On the other hand , like it or not , Victoria is essentially the home of football. This is the state that has football attendances through the roof week in , week out. Footy season starts and it’s rare that you cannot find someone to chat about the game with. Many People plan their social life around watching the big games over the weekend , it is religion here . You could argue the same for SA and WA but they are more state focused in their interest. They love their AFL teams but other than that many prefer to watch their state league teams as opposed to the other AFL games that don’t involve their respective sides. Every pub, bar , backyard or living room in Melbourne is going to be packed to the rafters on Saturday , as it is every year on GF day . The love of the game here is fanatical , and Melbourne people turn out in force to events. It is the reason touring bands will schedule their @@@@ter slots ( Monday’s , Tuesday’s ) in Melbourne as opposed to other states. They will sell out regardless. Doesn’t matter when or where or what time , if it’s an event , you will get a turn out in Melbourne. The idea of a Aussie rules GF in Sydney is almost laughable. A grand final parade , who would turn up ? NRL attendances are a disgrace in comparison and yet their tv attendances are huge. SA and WA have great AFL attendances but they are two team towns. Would you reschedule the Boxing Day test ? Move the Australian open interstate ? Yes , that wouldn’t impact on fairness I get that , but if you look past that a little it is pretty mad to think of the grand final anywhere other than the G ( and I hope the eagles win to highlight the fact that on this day , it becomes somewhat more of a neutral venue ). I know the Sydney based swans on here are mad footy fans too but you can’t tell me when the SCG sells out it is full of rusted on Aussie rules fans. You can’t tell me anyone in SA now gives a toss about the GF. QLD ? Forget about it. WA obviously are involved but if the eagles weren’t in , I doubt there would be obsessive interest in it like there is , and always is , in Melbourne. I know this is going to be pretty unpopular with a few but it is pretty black and white for me. Can anyone who has attended the GF at the MCG honestly imagine that at any other stadium , in any other state in Australia ? It’s a pilgrimage , the buzz in the air is electric , and regardless of whether it is Sydney v west coast , Geelong v St Kilda , freo v hawthorn , that doesn’t change. Again, it is unfair, but for the sake of a magnificent tradition , in a footy obsessed town , in the biggest and oldest and grandest stadium in the country , I’m comfortable with it. The same way I’m comfortable with the rugby league GF being held in Sydney. Despite it disadvantage the storm.


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    Yep. Said it all.

  8. #92
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    Quote Originally Posted by Melbourne_Blood View Post
    I agree with what was said earlier in the thread , I as a Melbourne swans fan am conflicted by the MCG arrangement. On the one hand it is definitely unfair on the rest of the competition outside of Victoria ( assuming a Vic team makes the big dance ). On the other hand , like it or not , Victoria is essentially the home of football. This is the state that has football attendances through the roof week in , week out. Footy season starts and it’s rare that you cannot find someone to chat about the game with. Many People plan their social life around watching the big games over the weekend , it is religion here . You could argue the same for SA and WA but they are more state focused in their interest. They love their AFL teams but other than that many prefer to watch their state league teams as opposed to the other AFL games that don’t involve their respective sides. Every pub, bar , backyard or living room in Melbourne is going to be packed to the rafters on Saturday , as it is every year on GF day . The love of the game here is fanatical , and Melbourne people turn out in force to events. It is the reason touring bands will schedule their @@@@ter slots ( Monday’s , Tuesday’s ) in Melbourne as opposed to other states. They will sell out regardless. Doesn’t matter when or where or what time , if it’s an event , you will get a turn out in Melbourne. The idea of a Aussie rules GF in Sydney is almost laughable. A grand final parade , who would turn up ? NRL attendances are a disgrace in comparison and yet their tv attendances are huge. SA and WA have great AFL attendances but they are two team towns. Would you reschedule the Boxing Day test ? Move the Australian open interstate ? Yes , that wouldn’t impact on fairness I get that , but if you look past that a little it is pretty mad to think of the grand final anywhere other than the G ( and I hope the eagles win to highlight the fact that on this day , it becomes somewhat more of a neutral venue ). I know the Sydney based swans on here are mad footy fans too but you can’t tell me when the SCG sells out it is full of rusted on Aussie rules fans. You can’t tell me anyone in SA now gives a toss about the GF. QLD ? Forget about it. WA obviously are involved but if the eagles weren’t in , I doubt there would be obsessive interest in it like there is , and always is , in Melbourne. I know this is going to be pretty unpopular with a few but it is pretty black and white for me. Can anyone who has attended the GF at the MCG honestly imagine that at any other stadium , in any other state in Australia ? It’s a pilgrimage , the buzz in the air is electric , and regardless of whether it is Sydney v west coast , Geelong v St Kilda , freo v hawthorn , that doesn’t change. Again, it is unfair, but for the sake of a magnificent tradition , in a footy obsessed town , in the biggest and oldest and grandest stadium in the country , I’m comfortable with it. The same way I’m comfortable with the rugby league GF being held in Sydney. Despite it disadvantage the storm.


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    GF would have been huge in Adelaide last year and Perth this year rewarding the highest ranked team. Richmond were hailed as heroes but could easily have lost in Adelaide. Same thing happened to Eagles in 2015 after beating Hawks in Perth in QF. Could happen again this year with Eagles v Pies. Disgracefully unfair for a national comp whichever way you slice it. Can't be smoothed over. Minuscule mention of it in Melbourne this week. Joke.

  9. #93
    Quote Originally Posted by Blood Fever View Post
    GF would have been huge in Adelaide last year and Perth this year rewarding the highest ranked team. Richmond were hailed as heroes but could easily have lost in Adelaide. Same thing happened to Eagles in 2015 after beating Hawks in Perth in QF. Could happen again this year with Eagles v Pies. Disgracefully unfair for a national comp whichever way you slice it. Can't be smoothed over. Minuscule mention of it in Melbourne this week. Joke.
    Huge as in exactly half of what it would have been at the G, and factor in corporates then exactly half again of actual fans getting a ticket. Not a great result I wouldn’t have thought.


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  10. #94
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    Quote Originally Posted by Melbourne_Blood View Post
    Huge as in exactly half of what it would have been at the G, and factor in corporates then exactly half again of actual fans getting a ticket. Not a great result I wouldn’t have thought.


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    Integrity of the actual match is what is paramount I would have thought.

  11. #95
    Quote Originally Posted by Blood Fever View Post
    Integrity of the actual match is what is paramount I would have thought.
    So there have been 10 non Vic teams win the flag in the past 20 years , would you argue all the losers from non Vic teams in that time would have won had the game been played outside of Vic ( assuming that it was their right to a home grand final for finishing higher , and then again assuming it wasn’t against a higher ranking non Vic team, who would then assume hosing rights ?)

  12. #96
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    I live in Melbourne and here's what I think.
    The AFL being a 'Victorian sport' is rubbish.
    Regardless of the state of the AFL being a national competition, SA has a thriving competition with the most successful club at that level (Port)
    That the VFL were able to make the leap and take the state game nationwide is due to the size of the population only.

    It's completely fair that the GF is located in another state.
    Whether WC should have it this year because they finished slightly higher on the ladder is much less relevant than two interstate teams playing in a third state.
    To be fair, there should be some other way of defining which state the GF is played in. Perhaps the highest average winning margin in the finals?
    This is however less relevant to me as I really don't like the finals structure much.
    I'm loath to state at this time of year as it can be seen as reactionary to the Swans being booted out of the finals, but I really think there should be a playoff system.
    This whole "play 22 rounds and then lose the next game and you're out" will hold the game back as we move forward, much like 20/20 will kill off one dayers and then tests.
    The AFL needs to keep the excitement pumping, and I'm not necessarily putting forward suggestions, or a model for that, just sayin'
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