The Melbourne supporters I know think playing our home games anyware but our home ground is ridiculous. There aware (some more than others) that there's a financial reason for this. Victorian clubs seem to have to sacrafice something important every year just to survive in the AFL. Briefly, I think the AFL is distancing the game from the fans.

I simply want to hear other supporters feeling about trying to support our team, when our home game is played on the other side of the country.

Don't like it at all, mainly because of the conditions we have to play in at Darwin always leave us flat for the following week. Obviosuly there's financial reasons behind it,

I'm just dirty that we missed out on Hobart. If we have to play home games anywhere outside Melbourne, I'd take Hobart over Darwin. I'd even take Wellington over Darwin! Hopefully in a few years time we'll be able to play them all at the G!

You do what you have to do. Hawthorn have done it and they've managed to get something like an extra 8,000 members out of it. Hopefully we can do the same in NT. Even 5,000 would be a great result.

Tasmania would be better than Darwin I agree. Still don't want to become like Hawthorn. But Melbourne should play in Melbourne. Tazmanian teams should play in Tazmania. The more members we get from all over country may make us less Melbourne. The Melbourne Football Club's been around 150's plus. It seems ridiculous that we have to chase out of state fans to survive! The MCG keeps growing, and more clubs are calling it home.

Ps; The AFL grates on the nerves!

Melbourne is not rated by the AFL and we are given a fixture that is primarily low supporter drawing matches. There is a minimum number of matches required to be played at the Docklands and unfortunately the MCG based clubs are forced to fill the gap. The more clubs like Essendon and now Carlton want to play at the G these matches need to be made up. It appears MCG based clibs that paly home games interstsate have a reduction of make up home games at Docklands. Hence play games at Docklands against interstate clubs that will not draw a crowd and pay a huge loss or play in Darwin and make a Huge profit. We do not win at the Docklands any way.

Our performances over the past 7 years has seen us allocated "home" games against interstate sides, and neglibible "home" games against Victorian sides.

We "scored" 7 of those this year! And only 4 home games against Victorian sides...St.Kilda, North, Collingwood and Bulldogs....3 of which will draw low crowds!

A home game against Fremantle, GWS, Suns, Port, or WCE would be lucky to see $25K attend the game at the MCG. The financial break even is about this number. If it is a twilight game or a day of lousy weather, as happens in winter, the Club loses money.

We make a profit of at least $500k playing in Darwin.

It is the only viable option for the club, until it gets a draw which will make money at the gate for us at home.

And it's not about members. They can't provide the same amount of money that the government of the NT pays us annually.

And Hawthorn has a good number of "members" in Tassie, because with the small ground at Launceston, unless you have a membership, you don't get in the gate.

Melbourne is not rated by the AFL and we are given a fixture that is primarily low supporter drawing matches. There is a minimum number of matches required to be played at the Docklands and unfortunately the MCG based clubs are forced to fill the gap. The more clubs like Essendon and now Carlton want to play at the G these matches need to be made up. It appears MCG based clibs that paly home games interstsate have a reduction of make up home games at Docklands. Hence play games at Docklands against interstate clubs that will not draw a crowd and pay a huge loss or play in Darwin and make a Huge profit. We do not win at the Docklands any way.

I fully agree!

The fact that we were prepared to play two games in the NT should exempt us by having to play a single "home" game at Etihad! Irrespective of the financial and promotional advantages of the NT vs. Docklands, we more importantly have a superior win/loss ratio there. The fairest thing IMHO would be for the AFL to exempt us from Etihad and gIve the MFC exclusive rights over the recruitment of any NT indigenous players (think Flash, Jurrah, Wheels and Aussie)!

This is old ground. Until we win enough games and have enough clout to dictate back to the AFL where to go, we have to wear it.

Unfortunately we need the Darwin games to survive financially, at this stage. As I said some years ago on this subject, it is sort of a case of Darwin or Darwinism.

But as long as this goes on I think the club should insist that any Darwin game is played immediately before a bye (for both clubs involved). It is ridiculous and totally unjustifiable for the AFL to schedule otherwise.

It is ridiculous and totally unjustifiable for the AFL to schedule otherwise.

Sp the unfailingly even-handed, never arbitrary, and non-vindictive AFL ought not do this?

Its commercial, pain and simple

OP could have probably read the 374 threads there are on this already...

Us:

I posted in another thread about a year ago when the AFL was looking at one team playing 6 or 8 matches across Hobart & Launceston that I wouldn't be against that being us as long as it was under the right circumstances.

For example if we played one away game in Launceston against Hawthorn giving them the gate.

One away game in Hobart v North Melbourne giving them the gate.

And given St Kilda are likely to walk away from Wellington and previously played some games in Tassie, we could play one away game against them also in Launceston giving them the gate.

Then we could play one home game in Launceston & two home games in Hobart, giving us 6 games down there for the year.

8 Home games still at the G

Kiss any home games at Etihad or NT goodbye.

Be granted access to a Tasmania academy and then I reckon it works. We can grow our membership down there, with Robbo a great ambassador and we still keep the same amount of home games at the G that we have now.

Don't know on the likelyhood or realistic chances of it happening. But under those circumstances, I certainly wouldn't be against it.

I posted in another thread about a year ago when the AFL was looking at one team playing 6 or 8 matches across Hobart & Launceston that I wouldn't be against that being us as long as it was under the right circumstances.

For example if we played one away game in Launceston against Hawthorn giving them the gate.

One away game in Hobart v North Melbourne giving them the gate.

And given St Kilda are likely to walk away from Wellington and previously played some games in Tassie, we could play one away game against them also in Launceston giving them the gate.

Then we could play one home game in Launceston & two home games in Hobart, giving us 6 games down there for the year.

8 Home games still at the G

Kiss any home games at Etihad or NT goodbye.

Be granted access to a Tasmania academy and then I reckon it works. We can grow our membership down there, with Robbo a great ambassador and we still keep the same amount of home games at the G that we have now.

Don't know on the likelyhood or realistic chances of it happening. But under those circumstances, I certainly wouldn't be against it.

Cool story bro, but what about our VisitNT sponsorship? And why exactly would we be giving away the gate? And how many more members do you think we're going to get from that small market that Hawthorn and North already have a massive head start on?

Cool story bro, but what about our VisitNT sponsorship? And why exactly would we be giving away the gate? And how many more members do you think we're going to get from that small market that Hawthorn and North already have a massive head start on?

As I said, would all be circumstantial.

For example, if we were to be playing 6 games a year in Tassie compared to Hawthorn's one, you'd be looking at Tasmania coming on board as a sponsor and replacing NT.

We'd be giving the gate away as the away team. Home team gets the gate. Need to leave some incentive for Hawthorn, North and Saints to play a home game down there each year. Sure we could make all 6 home games and keep the gate, but that would leave us only 5 home games at the G. I wouldn't be happy with that at all.

As I said, would all be circumstantial.

For example, if we were to be playing 6 games a year in Tassie compared to Hawthorn's one, you'd be looking at Tasmania coming on board as a sponsor and replacing NT.

We'd be giving the gate away as the away team. Home team gets the gate. Need to leave some incentive for Hawthorn, North and Saints to play a home game down there each year. Sure we could make all 6 home games and keep the gate, but that would leave us only 5 home games at the G. I wouldn't be happy with that at all.

Sooooooo we lose a major sponsor, give away the gate takings, and play more than a quarter of our games in Tassie....

Yeah not sure I'd be taking that deal.

As I said, would all be circumstantial.

For example, if we were to be playing 6 games a year in Tassie compared to Hawthorn's one, you'd be looking at Tasmania coming on board as a sponsor and replacing NT.

Not sure that Tassie would see the same potential in us as in Hawthorn (or more particularly, North). What Tassie really wants to promote their state is a full-fledged Tassie AFL team of their own. I am sure that at the back of their mind they visualise the Tassie Kangaroos or even (but more fanciful) the Tassie Hawks. They know that they could never envisage the Melbourne FC relocating away from their spiritual and historic home ground, the MCG or dropping the name MELBOURNE.

Sooooooo we lose a major sponsor, give away the gate takings, and play more than a quarter of our games in Tassie....

Yeah not sure I'd be taking that deal.

Your clearly not following and it's not worth trying to explain any further.

We didn't get the gate when we played saints at etihad the other week. Nor would we under what i suggested. You do get the concept of home & away games right?

Your clearly not following and it's not worth trying to explain any further.

We didn't get the gate when we played saints at etihad the other week. Nor would we under what i suggested. You do get the concept of home & away games right?

So where exactly are we getting money from?

So far your plan is...

1. Play games in Tassie

2. ???

3. Profit

I can see why we had to give our games to other venues a few years ago and hey its great going to darwin in winter to watch the footy but when we played port earlier on at Alice I wished it was at the G instead.

Playing west coast next week in darwin isnt a bigger concern because they have smashed us at teh G but it would be nice down the track where we get into a position where we dont have to do this. Although i reckon we get a bit of money from the NT government from doing this.

The Melbourne supporters I know think playing our home games anyware but our home ground is ridiculous. There aware (some more than others) that there's a financial reason for this. Victorian clubs seem to have to sacrafice something important every year just to survive in the AFL. Briefly, I think the AFL is distancing the game from the fans.

I simply want to hear other supporters feeling about trying to support our team, when our home game is played on the other side of the country.

Interesting point. Playing games away from traditional areas, where supporters go back generations, and presenting it to people who have no history with the game. Yeah I dunno. We know they are more about expansion but a lot of that expansion is just that, hot air. Mind you if Melbourne played all its home games at the MCG, you may well have another 5k members.

So where exactly are we getting money from?

So far your plan is...

1. Play games in Tassie

2. ???

3. Profit

Ummm, maybe from the other three games we'd have down there where we're the home team and would get the gate. And a sponsorship deal with Tourism Tasmania to counter the loss of NT.

As I said,it's not a deal I'd be entering into for no reason. You'd need to have certain conditions in place to make it worth while.

So why would Hawthorn or North want to play us in Tassie instead of the MCG?

I'd hate for us to drop the Essendon game in a fortnight because we play in Darwin next week.