Demons still $2.95 in a two horse race. Seems generous to me!

Rubbish. North and Port both top 4 last year. Compare their draws to Richmond, Coll and especially Carlton.

I get that we are in for our fair share of dodgy time slots, foxtel coverage etc. But I'd watch Port and North any day of the week over Carlton. Round 1 - Carlton first game of the season. Round 2 - Carlton first Friday night of the season.

Getting Carlton back to 40k crowds and 50k members seems more important than getting Port some ripping free to air coverage so they can sell sponsorships for mega bucks and getting North a fair run so they can build their crowds above 30k and members above 40k.

If you don't reward top 4 then I don't see how clubs will ever get rewards that they need to then funnel more investments in to performance. Hawthorn did it. Geelong did it in a less competitive era really. But it's getting harder and harder and there's no sign of reward unless you strike gold like the Hawks did in several areas (Coach, Tassie deal, multiple successes).

Let me clarify what I meant. I didn't mean earned solely by on-field performance, although that's a contributor. The "earning" comes from the number of eyeballs likely to watch a game on Channel 7. That's determined by a mix of matters including on-field performance, numbers of supporters of that team as well as more ephemeral matters such as Channel 7 wanting Mick Malthouse media conferences for the "car crash TV factor".

In my view, one of the AFL's responsibilities is to manage Channel 7's expectations to ensure the smaller and poorer teams get some decent free-to-air timeslots, but the AFL can't expect big dollars for TV rights if it doesn't give Channel 7 a fair bit of what it wants in return. On balance, I think Channel 7 gets too much in return for its dollars which is why I would love Channel 10 to get back into the game. Pity it doesn't have any money to do so, though.

Demons still $2.95 in a two horse race. Seems generous to me!

geez, they are some juicy odds. We were much more impressive than them last week and its at a neutral venue

I get accused of derailing threads and topics and this training report has turned into a pissing contest about other clubs and gambling

I'd get on them under 39.5 add a bit extra to it .

I'd get on them under 39.5 add a bit extra to it .

Paying $15 over 39.5

I am not a gambling man, but......

Let me clarify what I meant. I didn't mean earned solely by on-field performance, although that's a contributor. The "earning" comes from the number of eyeballs likely to watch a game on Channel 7. That's determined by a mix of matters including on-field performance, numbers of supporters of that team as well as more ephemeral matters such as Channel 7 wanting Mick Malthouse media conferences for the "car crash TV factor".

In my view, one of the AFL's responsibilities is to manage Channel 7's expectations to ensure the smaller and poorer teams get some decent free-to-air timeslots, but the AFL can't expect big dollars for TV rights if it doesn't give Channel 7 a fair bit of what it wants in return. On balance, I think Channel 7 gets too much in return for its dollars which is why I would love Channel 10 to get back into the game. Pity it doesn't have any money to do so, though.

Demetriou had a 2 million dollar bonus for consistent increases in revenue. Tom Boyd gets 1 mil per year at 19. Even Roosy gets his 1.5mil a season. Essendon have so much money they employ a dodgy biochemist!

There's no reason to sell the game out so much for the most lofty broadcast deal. 250mil per year is enough money to easily stock 18 teams. So I think you're spot on. The TV networks can work out value for money but giving them Coll, Carl or Rich so much isn't it. We are all getting sick of watching Mick and Stevo. More fans will keep watching footy long term if they put the best games on and this year that should be more Port and more North and much less Carl. I must admit it's natural human interest to follow the big clubs more. I found myself tuning in to Coll v Bris instead of WB v WCE. But after a quarter the dogs game was the much better product so I watched it until the Pies game got close down the stretch. But had they been Friday night games the Pies game may have rated more but the Dogs-Eagles game would've been the one that left fans enthralled in AFL at the end of the contest.

Demetriou had a 2 million dollar bonus for consistent increases in revenue. Tom Boyd gets 1 mil per year at 19. Even Roosy gets his 1.5mil a season. Essendon have so much money they employ a dodgy biochemist!

There's no reason to sell the game out so much for the most lofty broadcast deal. 250mil per year is enough money to easily stock 18 teams. So I think you're spot on. The TV networks can work out value for money but giving them Coll, Carl or Rich so much isn't it. We are all getting sick of watching Mick and Stevo. More fans will keep watching footy long term if they put the best games on and this year that should be more Port and more North and much less Carl. I must admit it's natural human interest to follow the big clubs more. I found myself tuning in to Coll v Bris instead of WB v WCE. But after a quarter the dogs game was the much better product so I watched it until the Pies game got close down the stretch. But had they been Friday night games the Pies game may have rated more but the Dogs-Eagles game would've been the one that left fans enthralled in AFL at the end of the contest.

Hear, hear

Re-read the comment. Did I say I hope someone's form drops? No, I said wait until it does. I would have thought in the modern game it is inevitable that player's form will fluctuate throughout the season. Not sure why you need to go for personal attacks. I certainly didn't - my comments were a generalisation about the Grimes bashing on here. Not sure what it is you have taken exception to.

Nothing personal against you, I took exception to the way people jumped down CBDees throat for his Grimes comment, I was pointing out how easy it is to twist people's words.

He said he hopes Grimes and the others get a premiership at Casey, big deal, someone has to do it, and if they did get a premiership they'd enjoy it.

Blah blah blah.... nice avatar! Who is she?

Allison Stokke. I'm pretty sure she was 16 when this photo was taken.