The 2013 fixture thread

[Bring-Back-Powell 14,817]

Fixture to be released on Wednesday

Please post anything you have heard, in regards to Melbourne's 2013 fixture.

So far we know:

• Melbourne V Port Adelaide - round 1 MCG. I assume Sunday at 1:10, Fox Footy game
  
• Melbourne V Collingwood - round 11 MCG. I assume we'll still get this game next year.
  
• We do not feature in any Friday night game, according to the Herald Sun. (Harsh but fair, considering our brand of footy in 2012.)
  

Speculation:

• Despite playing Port at the MCG, the Herald Sun still suggests we'll play a Darwin game next year.
  
• Greg Swan announced on SEN that we'll be playing Carlton in round 5 , no further details.
  

[biggestred 5,081]

• We do not feature in any Friday night game, according to the Herald Sun. (Harsh but fair, considering our brand of footy in 2012.)
  

disagree that this is fair. it is a joke. having only a handful of "bigger" teams play multiple times on friday nghts only increases their fan bases and thus their revenue - which in turn increases their football departments which improves their football and then they get to play more friday night games, which increases their fan bases and thus their revenue (etc).

if youre going to have a salary cap and a draft to make the competition even, the afl should not be allowed to turn around and say, youre a big club you get 9 games on friday night, youre a small club you get none.

[Chook 15,013]

In a 23 round season with 18 teams, one team not featuring in even one Friday night game is hardly fair. In fact, it is the very definition of unfair.

[ox_5 163]

I have heard that we have drawn a home game at Etihad against North. And that we are working to get it changed but I doubt we will. They are an Etihad tenant club, makes no sense.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

if youre going to have a salary cap and a draft to make the competition even, the afl should not be allowed to turn around and say, youre a big club you get 9 games on friday night, youre a small club you get none.

There is a thing called the AFL TV rights and ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[_H_ 37]

We finished third last! Why would the AFL give us anything but the Queen's B'Day? Looking foward to the years where we are competitive and we fill the G on Fri night with 80+ K fans, but till' then, we'll have to suck it up.

[Sir Why You Little 37,034]

We are lucky to have QB why would the AFL give us Friday nights?

That we must EARN.

[Pates 9,660]

I heard something about our Hawthorn Friday night match this year that after half time the audience dropped by like 30%, Seven paid a lot for the rights so I don't blame them not giving us one. It sucks but we need to start showing we're worth it.

[Born to Run 204]

It's a bloody disgrace if we don't get ONE Friday night game. A disgrace.

I can't believe that will be the case. I won't explode just yet, I will wait and see if it eventuates first.

Benno you are spot on and I have been on about the self fulfilling prophesy the AFL is creating by helping the bigger clubs get bigger for a few years.

I will be wild if this occurs. Wild.

[Sir Why You Little 37,034]

It's a bloody disgrace if we don't get ONE Friday night game. A disgrace.

I can't believe that will be the case. I won't explode just yet, I will wait and see if it eventuates first.

Benno you are spot on and I have been on about the self fulfilling prophesy the AFL is creating by helping the bigger clubs get bigger for a few years.

I will be wild if this occurs. Wild.

you gotta earn it mate.

[Barney Rubble 1,576]

Friday is a privilege not a right.

You have to earn this. I'm happy that we don't play Fridays until we deserve it.

"Tough Love" by the AFL. I'm totally all for it. I've had enough of the hand outs.

The Culture is changing earn what you get.

[Chook 15,013]

you gotta earn it mate.

Many Friday night games is a privelege. None is an insult.

[The Big Ticket 94]

I have heard that we have drawn a home game at Etihad against North. And that we are working to get it changed but I doubt we will. They are an Etihad tenant club, makes no sense.

Sigh. Another year of being Norf's [censored]'s.

[Sir Why You Little 37,034]

Many Friday night games is a privelege. None is an insult.

bruise Free Footy was an insult. Pretty sure that was a friday night.

[Born to Run 204]

You do not have to earn ONE out of 23 rounds where two teams play each week.

If we dont deserve it neither do port, GWS or GC. Meaning that 14 teams share 23 Friday night games. 23 rounds gives re opportunity for 46 spots to fill. 14 teams implies rach team gets at least three if shared. What a joke.

We deserve at least one! It's not about being good enough, it's about being part of the AFL. It's about showing the fans of each club they are part of the big picture.

If the broadcasters are worried about blowouts on Friday, make sure the match ups are suitable. Simple.

[Chook 15,013]

bruise Free Footy was an insult. Pretty sure that was a friday night.

Wow. How irrelevant that point is.

[Sir Why You Little 37,034]

Wow. How irrelevant that point is.

not if you are Ch7 it isn't.

[titan_uranus 25,016]

I'm upset that we're not getting any Friday night games, but it's to be expected. Seven paid a lot of money for those games and they don't want crap games. If we play decent football in 2013 then we'll get them back in 2014.

We really aren't in much of a position to whinge about timeslots. We get QB each year, despite it frequently being a mismatch/non contest, with no real significance (unlike ANZAC day).

We'll get better, and then we'll get given timeslots that reflect our standing in the AFL world.

[Roger Mellie 4,019]

A lot of you guys should work for the AFL.

Now you can sell the dream of playing all the interstate sides at the G because we must deserve it

[Chook 15,013]

not if you are Ch7 it isn't.

That was last year. If it was such a big deal, then why did we get a Friday night game this year?

[Sir Why You Little 37,034]

That was last year. If it was such a big deal, then why did we get a Friday night game this year?

look at our results in 2012. We deserve no A Grade spots yet.

I am sick of handouts.

We win We get.

[Jaded No More 68,913]

I know how much we pay to advertise our brand during a Friday night match.

Frankly, given that even Melbourne supporters could hardly stand watching the garbage we served each week, it's no surprise they won't feature us.

This is the biggest revenue pulling game of the week, and our ratings based on last year would be horrendous.

Hate it all you want, but the AFL is a business, making it's money from TV rights.

We may disagree with the fairness of the draw, which is not actually a draw but a marketing exercise, but that's the reality.

[Chook 15,013]

look at our results in 2012. We deserve no A Grade spots yet.

I am sick of handouts.

We win We get.

As an equal member of an 18 team competition, and in the interest of (token) fairness, surely we can count on one Friday night game every year. To get zero is absolutely insulting and represents more than simple commercial realities. Edited October 28, 2012 by Chook

[Jaded No More 68,913]

As an equal member of an 18 team competition, and in the interest of (token) fairness, surely we can count on one Friday night game every year. To get zero is absolutely insulting and represents more than simple commercial realities.

Not if you're the big boss counting the dollars.

As a supporter, it pisses me off, but as a person who lives and works in the real world, I get it.

We need to get better as a club before we are afforded such luxuries, because like it or not, we have no pulling power and our brand is shizen.

Even when they are crap, Collingwood pulls numbers and ratings. We don't.

The only way to fix it, is hope our club can finally get its sh*t together and start winning some games, instead of being a laughing stock.

Nobody wants to watch a loser.

[deejammin' 2,370]

I miss the days where I would have said "yeah but what about the fans, don't demons fans deserve the atmosphere of a Friday night match as much as any other club?", but now I know the AFL is just a commercial brand that doesn't care about the fans so..... whatever

Edited October 28, 2012 by deejammin'