2011 AFL Fixture Discussion

The AFL have just released the full fixture for next season.

Fuller examination will doubtless reveal many sub-plots and sub-texts, but initial points to catch the eye:

As usual, Collingwood have less opportunity to accumulate frequent flyer points than other teams- cue traditional arguments over this issue.

West Coast and Freo will now be playing at some ground called Patersons Stadium.

North Melbourne, the original Friday night kings, must wait until round 19 for their only Friday night appearance (again).

No doubt others will have issues they care to raise.

Fire away folks!

Comments

  1. Andrew Fithall says

    What? Collingwood have to play all the same teams again, plus an extra one thrown in? That is so unfair. I would have thought that there should be some qualifying pre-requisite that the other teams have to meet for the honour of playing the Pies. And what is the idea of playing games away from the MCG? Is that some innovation thought up by those mrons in charge of the AFL? And then there is this interstate thing? Four times are we not only away from the MCG but also have to cross a State border. I am getting sick of Collingwood having to do this. Can’t they come to Victoria?

  2. No surprises here. Cats seen as being a team on the slide so they get shafted by the AFL in favour of the usual born to rule mob – Collingwood, Carlton, Essendon.

    If the Saints slide in 2011 they’ll get the same treatment in 2012.

    The other clubs considered basket cases like the Roos also treated badly.

  3. This made me laugh:

    In announcing the draw, AFL chief operating officer Gillon McLachlan explained the rationale behind giving Essendon the final-round bye, saying the league wanted to give it to one of the bottom-eight sides because it did not want to hand an advantage to one of the top teams on the eve of the finals, by giving them a week’s rest.

  4. What? Collingwood don’t get to play any below them next year. And guess what Jeff Kennet and 15 other club Presidents aren’t pleased with the draw. Who would have guessed.

  5. Steve Healy says

    Very pleased with Melbourne’s draw. 14 games on free to air, 3 friday night games and one thursday night, a couple of twilight games at the MCG and a home game against West Coast at Etihad (could be a record-low crowd) are the only downsides. Also, two games against Gold Coast, round 4 on free to air at the Gabba is a good slot. We only travel interstate four times

  6. Screw the AFL, screw the fixture..

  7. John Butler says

    Josh, I take it that you’re displeased with North’s fixture?

  8. Personally, I love the fact that the Tigers have more Fri/Saturday night matches instead of Sunday games, although we still have the second least free-to-air games out of any Victorian team.

    Not a bad draw either, albeit a tough start with Carlton, St Kilda, Hawthorn and Collingwood.

  9. Just a tad JB.

    One Friday night game. One. Surely after our great win over Carlton last year on the big stage was enough to warrant at least three or four Friday night matches. Seems not.

    Also, just eight (possibly nine) matches on free-to-air. That’s ridiculous.

  10. John Butler says

    Josh, if the AFL decide your box office appeal is lacking, there a many ways they can denude you on the slow drip.

    If I was the Roos, I’d be sceptical of their intentions once they’ve got the new teams established.

    You just know there’s a rationalist bean counter in their ear pointing out North’s relatively small following. The idea that 10 teams in Melbourne is too many will never be abandoned by some.

  11. North’s low free-to-air count is put in perspective when you notice that it’s the same as Adelaide’s…and as small as North’s fanbase is compared to other Vic clubs, it’s about 100 times bigger than Adelaide’s Vic fanbase.

  12. Pamela Sherpa says

    It should be called a Fix rather than a Fixture – as usual, is designed with profits rather than fair competition in mind.
    I can’t believe they actually ask clubs what they want. Each club should get a similar number of Friday night games, travel etc. Where clubs finished on the ladder this year should be totally irrelevant.

  13. Dave Nadel says

    Let’s get this straight, the very same teams that whinge about Collingwood’s large number of games in Victoria are the very same teams that want to play their home games against Collingwood at the MCG. The old VFL used to pool gate receipts and divide the total between the twelve clubs. This meant that the Pies, the Blues, the Bombers and (during the fifties)the Demons subsidised the competition. Then the AFL decided that the home club should get all the takings. As a result smaller Victorian clubs all want home games against Collingwood. Then they have the cheek to whinge about how little Collingwood travels. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you!!

  14. The AFL’s constant mantra that Collingwood don’t get preferential treatment is like the boys from the junta in Burma saying they don’t rig their elections.

    You can say what you want but every one can see it.

    Oompah, oompah stick it up your junta Andrew.

  15. Clearisghted says

    VERY GOOD, Phantom!

  16. Peter Flynn says

    The second sentence of Pamela Sherpa’s remarks are spot on.

    Hence all the hullabaloo.

  17. Hawks-Gold Coast, Carrara, Round 24. Can’t wait. (And the first thing that popped into my head was Peter Knights. What’s that all about?)

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