The 2016 Fixture

[loges 6,767]

Hawthorn, Port Away, Carlton (win) and Geelong at Kardinia are the last four games.

No way we will make finals.

What about the other 18 games?

[H_T 3,049]

It is incredibly difficult to improve our financial position when we don't have marqee games, friday night games, games against crowd drawing Melbourne clubs, televised games in peak time etc.

What are these then, chop liver?:

Round 5 Sunday, April 24 - Richmond - MCG Home 7.10pm Seven

Round 12 Monday, June 13 - Collingwood - MCG Home 3.20pm Seven

Round 20 Saturday, August 6 - Hawthorn - MCG Home 2.10pm Foxtel

[pitmaster 3,592]

1 Saturday, March 26 - GWS GIANTS - MCG Home 1.40pm Foxtel - Win

2 Saturday, April 2 - Essendon - MCG Away 2.10pm Foxtel - Loss

3 Sunday, April 10 - North Melbourne - Blundstone Arena Away 1.10pm Foxtel - Loss

4 Sunday, April 17 - Collingwood - MCG Away 3.20pm Seven - Loss

5 Sunday, April 24 - Richmond - MCG Home 7.10pm Seven - Loss

6 Saturday, April 30 - St Kilda - Etihad Stadium Home 1.45pm Seven - Win

7 Saturday, May 7 - Gold Coast SUNS - Metricon Stadium Away 5.10pm Foxtel - Loss

8 Sunday, May 15 - Western Bulldogs - MCG Home 3.20pm Seven - Loss

9 Sunday, May 22 - Brisbane Lions - MCG Home 1.10pm Foxtel -Win

10 Saturday, May 28 - Port Adelaide - TIO Traeger Park Home 1.40pm Foxtel - Loss

11 Saturday, June 4 - Hawthorn - MCG Away 1.45pm Seven - Loss

12 Monday, June 13 - Collingwood - MCG Home 3.20pm Seven - Loss

13 Sunday, June 19 - Sydney Swans - SCG Away 1.10pm Foxtel - Loss

14 Bye

15 Sunday, July 3 - Adelaide Crows - MCG Home 3.20pm Foxtel - Loss

16 Saturday, July 9 - Fremantle - TIO Stadium Home 7.10pm Foxtel - Loss

17 Sunday, July 17 - St Kilda - Etihad Stadium Away 3.20pm Seven - Win

18 Saturday, July 23 - West Coast Eagles - Domain Stadium Away 2.35pm Foxtel

19 Sunday, July 31 - Gold Coast SUNS - MCG Home 1.10pm Foxtel - Win

20 Saturday, August 6 - Hawthorn - MCG Home 2.10pm Foxtel - Loss

21 Saturday, August 13 - Port Adelaide - Adelaide Oval Away 7.10pm Foxtel - Loss

22 Sunday, August 21 - Carlton - MCG Away 1.10pm Foxtel - Win

23 TBC - Geelong Cats - Simonds Stadium Away TBC TBC - Loss

6-16 Record

You've cited four losses in games that we actually won this year...take your negativity and shove it.

[The Stigga 1,097]

OK fair enough.

I just don't get the issue Melbourne supporters have with Eithad?

It's a stadium in our CBD, highly accessible from the city and Southern Cross Station.

It was a disgrace from our supporters that just 9,000 people (Melb V GWS rd 23) turned up to see their beloved club play in a home and away game.

Any wonder we get lumped with the bottom of the barrel scheduling the following year with a pathetic crowd like that.

Lets hope far more (people like yourself) bother to turn up to the round 6 home game V St Kilda so we avoid writing another cheque.

If we were challenging for finals, sure may have got 20-22,000. Still would have had to write a cheque.

It's a pity our 'pathetic supporter base' as you call can't muster 25,000 to 30,000 to a meaningless (in the scheme of the season) game at a ground that we never really frequent nor win at.

[The Stigga 1,097]

You've cited four losses in games that we actually won this year...take your negativity and shove it.

Sorry, I can't see through the fog...

[H_T 3,049]

Sorry, I can't see through the fog...

Learn to "multi-quote" pls. Instead of posting after yourself time and again.

[The Stigga 1,097]

What are these then, chop liver?:

Round 5 Sunday, April 24 - Richmond - MCG Home 7.10pm Seven

Round 12 Monday, June 13 - Collingwood - MCG Home 3.20pm Seven

Round 20 Saturday, August 6 - Hawthorn - MCG Home 2.10pm Foxtel

Richmond and Collingwood are really the only big earners next year. Two games.

Hawthorn we may get 40,000. haven't beaten Hawthorn in 10 years.

[The Stigga 1,097]

Learn to "multi-quote" pls. Instead of posting after yourself time and again.

Do I get banned for not multi-quoting?

[deanox 10,071]

Learn to "multi-quote" pls. Instead of posting after yourself time and again.

You can't multi quote on the mobile skin.

[H_T 3,049]

Do I get banned for not multi-quoting?

Of course not. It's a good option though, unless you're on mobile.

[Demon trucker 1,800]

Youtside

I don't get particularly fussed about the draw. I know it's not perfect and that our club will suffer more than others until we show we've improved.

But I thought the AFL had said that they intended that in the 2016 competition they would divide the 2015 finishing ladder into thirds (ie, top third, middle third, bottom third) and that each team would play the teams in their third twice and everyone else once. Clearly that's not the case. Am I mistaken - did the AFL never make such a statement?

you are right that do wees happen but not for dees , whether we are bottom four, we still get a harder draw then every other side that finishes bottom 4, look at last years draw, but we did not finish in the bottom 4. Financially this season is better than last season, we get 3 big drawing games this year as a home team, last year we only got 1 Blockbuster and that was Queen's birthday, this year we get 3 big games as home games one against Collingwoodcollingwood, against Hawthorn, and one against Richmond.

[hells bells 2,023]

I can stomach everything in our fixture except the 2 games at Etihad against the Saints. That is just BS from the AFL, that would never be accepted by another club.

[The Stigga 1,097]

I can stomach everything in our fixture except the 2 games at Etihad against the Saints. That is just BS from the AFL, that would never be accepted by another club.

Unfortunatley I think I read somewhere that every Melbourne club has to play one home game at Etihad as per whatever agreement is in place.

It was either going be the saints game or the GWS game.

Either way we are writing a big cheque.

[The Stigga 1,097]

Also, it is irrelevant where we play the Saints, haven't beaten them in nearly a decade...

[binman 44,869]

We need to earn a better draw. I have no problems with this.

I do. It is a completely ridiculous concept that is often thrown around. For a start the purpose of a fixture (i wish it was a draw) is not to reward a team for its performance in previous years - finals are the reward for success.

Besides it doesn't bear scrutiny as a concept. Look at Collingwood's fixture this year. 5 Friday night games and 5 Saturday night games (we have 0 Fiiday and Sat night games btw). What is this a reward for?They played finals in 2013 but not since. By the the above logic they should be penalsied for poor performance yet are not. Essendon finished second last and get 2 Friday night games this season. Geelong had a poor season yet get a better draw this year. Carlton, despite being woeful for years got 5 night games last year. And on and on.

The fixture is one of the best equalization levers the AFL has at is disposal yet every year it releases a fixture that is about tv ratings not ensuring all clubs have capacity to maximize revenue and exposure. Its a joke - and a short sighted one. Collingwood have a huge fan base which is just strengthened by prime time exposure. Yet the AFL bang on about ensuring all clubs are competitive and can grow. Well its impossible to grow without exposure.

They should follow the NFL lead where the coveted Monday night slot is equally shared among all clubs, big and small - despite pressure from the broadcasters.

[Grapeviney 9,930]

It is incredibly difficult to improve our financial position when we don't have marqee games, friday night games, games against crowd drawing Melbourne clubs, televised games in peak time etc.

Who are these crowd-drawing Melbourne clubs of which you speak? Collingwood-Carlton drew their lowest crowd for 93 years last season, just 40,000, for a game that pulls 85k+ when they're both on song.

I'm pretty sure we've argued this before jnr, but I reckon marquee games are less about scheduling and more about ladder position and performance.

If we're 2nd and St Kilda 3rd when we play them in July next year it'll be match of the round and there'll be 50,000 at Etihad. If they're 18th and we're 15th that becomes 15,000 and they close off level 3.

Even if we apply your parameters as to what constitutes marquee games, then, as HT pointed out, the Anzac Eve and Queens Birthday fixtures are a pretty good result all things considered.

As others have said, win more games = more people want to watch you = better time slots + better gate. Rinse, repeat etc.

[PaulRB 6,436]

Totally agree. This draw is ok as it gives us the opportunity to build momentum with early season wins. If we can build momentum early, memberships and game attendance's will rise.

The AFL has given us the opportunity, we need to convert it.

Though unlikely, its not totally implausible we could hit the bye 9 win 4 losses. If we do, the media will have a story... "Roos last year surge!", "Hogans hero's head for September!" etc... the bandwagon will fill quickly.

This draw is good for us if we're good enough to take it and make it work for us.

[H_T 3,049]

Either way we are writing a big cheque.

I certainly don't see that happening. It's early in the season, Round 6 on a Saturday.

Every chance the crowd will be over 25,000.

What is the break even figure? ~ 21,000?

We won't be writing a big cheque.

[The Chazz 4,077]

What a shockingly uninformed comment. Round 23 on a Sunday (Fathers Day) at 1:10pm against a pathetic club like GWS in a year when we had played poorly in the second half. Great scheduling.

But keep blaming your fellow supporters who pay their money for memberships each year. I buy 6 memberships each year and if I choose not to go its none of your stinking business. Maybe I might not buy memberships next year and see how the club goes.

What I would give to be able to take my father to a Melbourne match on Father's Day. Sadly, I can't as he passed away around 4 years ago.

I long for the day that my kids are old enough to take me to the footy on Father's Day (only if the Dees are playing).

[thailand-demon 26]

I've never read so much negativity. You guys are so depressing expecting the AFL to hand it to us. Who cares about the draw, and nuff nuffs who are to up themselves to go to Etihad are supporters we don't need.

[Demon Disciple 12,539]

I don't know why many are up in arms about the fixture. When we have had softer draws, we have still only been able to finish the season with limited wins.

[beelzebub 23,392]

I've never read so much negativity. You guys are so depressing expecting the AFL to hand it to us. Who cares about the draw, and nuff nuffs who are to up themselves to go to Etihad are supporters we don't need.

Explain please sir how the F an Etihad game can be considered a home fixture when the opposition call it theirs. Its not like were' playing upper Kombucta west is it..

[thailand-demon 26]

Explain please sir how the F an Etihad game can be considered a home fixture when the opposition call it theirs. Its not like were' playing upper Kombucta west is it..

I never said anything about home fixtures. I commented how people complain about going all the way to Docklands. I do a round trip of 20,000km's to watch the Dees play twice a year but so called supporters have a whinge about having to travel all the way to Etihad instead of the G. Grow up!

[binman 44,869]

I've never read so much negativity. You guys are so depressing expecting the AFL to hand it to us. Who cares about the draw, and nuff nuffs who are to up themselves to go to Etihad are supporters we don't need.

Too up themselves.

[The Reverend 1,736]

I like the draw, we've been given every opportunity to win 6 before the bye, and twice against the old enemy, tigers, Dons... should be something to savour there.

If we can win consecutive and even get on a roll early on... the confidence will build quick in a young team.

First nine games should hold few fears with

1. GWS GIANTS (11th)
2. Essendon (15th)
3. North Melbourne (8th)
4. Collingwood (12th)
5. Richmond (5th)
6. St Kilda (14th)
7. Gold Coast (16th)
8. Western Bulldogs (6th)
9. Brisbane Lions (17th)

All winnable.

I see a fixture that presents us with 22 opportunities to show our continued progress. Our win over Geelong this year shows we can win anywhere against anybody. This has to be our belief.