The 2015 fixture thread

[Bring-Back-Powell 14,939]

Agree with some of this Titan but 4 home games at 110 on a Sunday is brilliant for those of us with young kids. Home at a reasonable hour for tea and bed! Mine are mad keen demons so hopefully we can jag a few wins this year.

Agree.

1:10pm Sunday games are a great time slot for families and for those that want to do stuff after 4pm.

I like it better than the 3:20 Sundays.

[45HG 1,559]

Someone tell me we are splitting the gate against the Tiges.

We need wins next year like Winona Ryder needed to play whinge adolescents in the late 90s.

[What 18,810]

4 games vs the Dogs-Saints

I'll be [censored] if we don't win at least 3 of those but we better bloody win all 4 of them

[nutbean 8,838]

Man so much whinging in this thread! You'd swear we supported the Dees on the stock exchange not on the footy field

I, for one want to see footy and want to see wins. The money side is taken care of by the club. 13 games at the G, less twilight rubbish and double shots at poor teams - good draw.

would people prefer playing hawks twice instead of St kilda if it meant more money? I prefer wins. the money will follow

I agree that they only way to get more favorable treatment is to become winners

But to suggest that the money side is taken care of by the club - actually not. It is taken care of by the members and paying public. And the fixturing hinders this. Sponsors look at not only wins but crowd size and attendances to get their message across which will be also hindered by this fixturing.

From a pure footballing sense it is not a bad draw but I just can't see how posters can just disconnect from the financial aspect of the draw and suggest "the club will take of it".

So when we struggle to make money without handouts don't be scratching your head and wonder why - the club can "handle" lots of things but this fixturing just makes it harder.

[Demoneyes 562]

Only 7 games on free to air. Will have to get Foxtel I guess, will have to cut down on the skiiing to afford it!

[whatwhat say what 22,946]

Can someone please at all explain why Carlton get 6 Friday night games. Seriously. They were awful this year. Not much better last year. They'd be close to bottom 4 for teams I'd want to see on FTA. They get commercially looked after every single year.

The answer has been and remains 'Mike Fitzpatrick'.

[Bring-Back-Powell 14,939]

4 games vs the Dogs-Saints

I'll be [censored] if we don't win at least 3 of those but we better bloody win all 4 of them

Going by recent meetings with these rubbish clubs, we'll go 0-4.

[Dee tention 617]

The AFL can suck my nuts!

We only play 2 home games at the G against opposition that will welcome a crowd.

Our traditional Queens Birthday game against the Pies and another against the Swans!

Our Richmond, Essendon, Hawthorn, Carlton and Geelong games are all away...

Pfft...

And now I live on the Gold Coast they can't even give the Dee's one game in Qld.

Suck my balls AFL because because you suck!

[beelzebub 23,383]

The answer has been and remains 'Mike Fitzpatrick'.

I for obe cant accept its just sheer luck here.

Blues do a deal with Etihad and later dont like it so much. Ironically the deal was with Collins.. They want to play at the G more. There wish granted. They play crap but still get a look in to prime time and fta telly. ..yeah...all just dumb luck

We have to play this game. We nned someone at the AFL whos a Dee.

[Pipefitter 2,168]

First comes the wins, then comes the money, then comes the power.

[Oneday 248]

Only 7 games on free to air. Will have to get Foxtel I guess, will have to cut down on the skiiing to afford it!

Or downgrade from that expensive shiraz to cleanskins

[binman 43,762]

First comes the wins, then comes the money, then comes the power.

unless you are Carlton or collingwood

[DubDee 26,117]

I agree that they only way to get more favorable treatment is to become winners

But to suggest that the money side is taken care of by the club - actually not. It is taken care of by the members and paying public. And the fixturing hinders this. Sponsors look at not only wins but crowd size and attendances to get their message across which will be also hindered by this fixturing.

From a pure footballing sense it is not a bad draw but I just can't see how posters can just disconnect from the financial aspect of the draw and suggest "the club will take of it".

So when we struggle to make money without handouts don't be scratching your head and wonder why - the club can "handle" lots of things but this fixturing just makes it harder.

I take your point. I wasn't trying to downplay the role we play in raising money for the club.

In essence I just much prefer to talk about footy and potential wins rather than making money. I think it's sad when the fixture comes out and most posts are about sponsors and gates

Where's the excitement!?

[PaulRB 6,411]

The Age rates us as having the best draw - http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/2015-afl-fixture-the-winners-and-losers-20141030-11ebww.html

[Je Roos Salem 661]

It's the second year in a row we play Hawthorn, Essendon, Richmond and Carlton all once, all away at the G, Seriously? At least we play 2 of those + Collingwood away on Saturday afternoons as well as the Friday night Richmond game, we have some decent time slots. But we should get our fair share of decent home games like every other Victorian club does. If we are gonna play all those clubs just once every year, why can't the home team alternate? It's not giving much value for members or making us much money. Plus, we can't even beat interstate teams at the G anymore, it's not an advantage.

Also, I hate the 3:20 sunday slot, our Round 23 match has the potential to be the biggest piece of rubbish a professional sport has ever seen

[Je Roos Salem 661]

I take your point. I wasn't trying to downplay the role we play in raising money for the club.

In essence I just much prefer to talk about footy and potential wins rather than making money. I think it's sad when the fixture comes out and most posts are about sponsors and gates

Where's the excitement!?

The last couple of years have proved that easy fixtures don't help us, though. Most of our worst recent games have been against interstate sides at the G

[Macca 17,033]

From a financial viewpoint, the fixture is a disaster. It's almost a carbon copy of previous seasons.

7 home games against the interstate clubs and only one home game (again) where we can make some real coin (QB clash)

The Victorian clubs who have home games against us would all probably prefer if we had those home games ... they'd be looking at their home games against us as we view our home games against the Doggies or North. Conversely, we would welcome those home clashes against Richmond, Hawthorn, Carlton, Essendon & Geelong.

Who we play in terms of winnable games doesn't concern me all that much ... if we're going to play finals sometime in the future, we'll need to defeat all comers. I'd prefer to see the team being tested constantly.

[The Song Formerly Known As 6,479]

why do we deserve anything better? People crying about this, remind me of the people on here who cry about Denham's comments. They don't want to face the truth.
We are crap, and deserve only crap until we get better. Suck it up.

[PaulRB 6,411]

Financials aside.

This is a great draw!!!

We play 14 games against teams that finished 9th or lower!

We could finish 5th (like Port this year) with 14 wins* without having to beat a team that finished in the 8 in 2014.

Its like a free run, if we can take it.

*FYI, I am not suggesting we will win 14.

[Macca 17,033]

What has "deserve" got to with anything? Have people here been so brainwashed that they're now believing the carp that comes from the AFL and the media? The AFL has the most "fixed" fixture in world sport. Fact.

If it wasn't for our poker machines, we'd be in all sorts of trouble as a club.

Last financial year we made just over 3 million from our home games (which, coincidentally, contained 7 home games against interstate teams. In that same financial year, Collingwood made a clear profit of over 16 million dollars.

These are real numbers and as time goes on, we're falling further and further behind.

We are severely disadvantaged against with regards to the fixture. Those clubs that are "advantaged" by the fixture are able to grow their club in ways that we can't.

Some examples ...

We've rarely been able to pay 100% of the salary cap in recent years.

We were stuck with substandard training facilities for far too long.

Football department spend - often a lot less than the "profitable" clubs.

Previously, we haven't had the money to splash on free agents or a top line coach.

There are other examples.

Money is key in pro sport ... the bygone days are over with.

[Macca 17,033]

Is there another league in the world (in any sport) that has a "deserve" factor when their schedules are released? I've never heard or come across anything that compares with how the AFL manipulates things.

EPL ... Crystal Palace, Leicester, Burnley & Hull get to play home games against Man City, Man Utd, Chelsea, Tottenham, Arsenal, Newcastle & Chelsea ...

Every.Single.Season.

The NFL scheduling is about as fair as it comes. Same goes for the NHL, NBA & MLB. All the teams get a fair crack at it with regards to being able to make excellent profits from their home games.

We've been getting rubbish fixtures for close on 20 years. When we played finals, the same sort of thing was happening.

We're the designated club to play H&A against the interstate clubs whilst the "big" Victorian clubs get to play each other H&A every season.

All because of the AFL's manic desire to "maximise" crowds.

[rjay 25,088]

Well...as a Melbourne supporter my interest in the game of football is sustained by Friday night football. Like a lot of us we watch our club but don't get a real payoff from that, it's what we do.

Looking at the fixture the only Friday night game that interests me is not until round 21.

Collingwood, Richmond and Carlton have a mortgage on Friday night in 2015 and all 3 teams are average at best.

As has been pointed out numerous times Mike 'conflicted' Fitzpatrick is a disgrace and brings the game in to disrepute again. Mike 'I leave the room' Fitzpatrick, Mike 'I see no tanking at my old club, Schulz Fitzpatrick.

Watch the Friday night ratings drop this year.

[Je Roos Salem 661]

Is there another league in the world (in any sport) that has a "deserve" factor when their schedules are released? I've never heard or come across anything that compares with how the AFL manipulates things.

EPL ... Crystal Palace, Leicester, Burnley & Hull get to play home games against Man City, Man Utd, Chelsea, Tottenham, Arsenal, Newcastle & Chelsea ...

Every.Single.Season.

The NFL scheduling is about as fair as it comes. Same goes for the NHL, NBA & MLB. All the teams get a fair crack at it with regards to being able to make excellent profits from their home games.

We've been getting rubbish fixtures for close on 20 years. When we played finals, the same sort of thing was happening.

We're the designated club to play H&A against the interstate clubs whilst the "big" Victorian clubs get to play each other H&A every season.

All because of the AFL's manic desire to "maximise" crowds.

The least they could do is ensure that matchups between teams are fairly split (home and away) over a period of time. Of course, this is never a problem for the teams who always play each other twice a year. Something like Essendon's 9 out of last 10 games against us have been their home games, Carlton is now 4 in a row, Richmond 3, and I think Geelong were 6/7 up until last season

[Macca 17,033]

Well...as a Melbourne supporter my interest in the game of football is sustained by Friday night football. Like a lot of us we watch our club but don't get a real payoff from that, it's what we do.

Looking at the fixture the only Friday night game that interests me is not until round 21.

Collingwood, Richmond and Carlton have a mortgage on Friday night in 2015 and all 3 teams are average at best.

As has been pointed out numerous times Mike 'conflicted' Fitzpatrick is a disgrace and brings the game in to disrepute again. Mike 'I leave the room' Fitzpatrick, Mike 'I see no tanking at my old club, Schulz Fitzpatrick.

Watch the Friday night ratings drop this year.

Yep, rjay, the fixture is largely based on how popular the clubs are and how big their support bases are.

I can fully understand the broadcasters wanting a big say in the 'prime time' games but It's not those games that I'm concerned with.

The fact is that we just don't make any "real" money when playing our home games against low drawing teams. Next season we've been handed 10 home games against 10 teams who are in the bottom 11 in terms of drawing numbers at the gate (for our home games specifically)

And, that happens nearly every year.

Give that sort of schedule to Collingwood for 10 years and we'd see their profits drop (obviously, they'd still make money but not as much)

Oh, and how about we get the Pies schedule for 10 years? ... this year they've got home fixtures against Geelong, Hawthorn, Carlton, Richmond, Essendon and us ... all with a potential million dollar+ profit attached ... and, that happens nearly every year.

Collingwood also only play 3 home games against interstate teams next season ... we again play 7 home games against interstate teams (27 in total in the last 4 years)

[The Stigga 1,094]

Collingwood made a clear profit of over 16 million dollars..

Yeah because they have lots of supporters that are also members of the public that turn up to their home games.

We don't have these things because at the moment we are [censored].