Pretty sure gate sharing was in place until as recently as the late 90's! I assumed it changed due to the non-Vic clubs kicking up a stink?

It still takes two clubs to put on a match FCS. Both gave to pay their players.

Need to put a whopping big circle around the two Hawthorn fixtures.

Can either look upon it as 8 points in the bin, or an opportunity to make a statement to the competition that the Melbourne they have come to love is gone.

No team has treated the club with complete and utter disregard quite like the Hawks. All I get from Hawthorn supporting friends is pity. It's sickening.

Their bogey side is [censored] Richmond. That alone shows how fallable they can be.

Don't make outlandish statements prior to the match about them being "vulnerable". Just go out there and beat them. There are two opportunities to do so.

I think I would enjoy beating the Hawks more than I enjoyed our win at Mordor last year...and I enjoyed that A LOT.

everyone seems to forget how we finished 2015. nothings changed except the inclusion of 3 C graders. we are 2 years of being consistently competitive and the AFL has given us a draw to reflect that

At least our Etihad home game's early in the season this time.

I believe part of the Etihad contract is that every Victorian team has to play 1 home game there. Second hand info, so don't take it as gospel.

I think actually the situation is that the contract requires a certain minimum number of games to be played at Etihad per year. Carlton and Essendon no longer play all their home games at Etihad plus NM and WB sell home games, so to make the difference up the MCG tenants usually have to host one. This year Hawthorn doesn't have one which may come from St Kilda not selling a game to NZ this year.

I fear that without a new contract we will continue to be forced to have one game at Etihad unless the Dogs or North stop selling home games which probably isn't going to happen.

I haven't read all the pages but why isn't there a Pink Ladys match anymore? Absolute disgraceful they have scrapped a charity match that raises alot of cash for Cancer.

Once again the AFL has failed again. Wake up to yourself Gill.

I haven't read all the pages but why isn't there a Pink Ladys match anymore? Absolute disgraceful they have scrapped a charity match that raises alot of cash for Cancer.

Once again the AFL has failed again. Wake up to yourself Gill.

This one also has me a little miffed.

Surely the Pink Lady game on a Saturday night, with the women playing a curtain raiser is a no brainer. But it wasn't specifically requested by the club, so perhaps there is a reason that we are unaware of.

Who's going to be the easy beat next season?

Essendon and Carlton?

Home game at Etihad v Saints ?????

WTF x 100 !!

Home game at Etihad v Saints ?????

WTF x 100 !!

Agree!

A home game at Etihad should not be vs an Etihad tenant.

It should be a neutral venue for both teams...

Agree!

A home game at Etihad should not be vs an Etihad tenant.

It should be a neutral venue for both teams...

Commercially we would prefer it be against a tenant of Etihad.

Just sayin...

As others have said, its simple: our attendance must get bigger if we are to have any clout in negotiating a "fairer" or "more equitable" fixture.

Sorry but this get more people to games and get better slots is a joke.

http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/attendances?year=2015&t=A&h=A&s=A

North have how many friday night games next year?

Doga average less than us to a game and have all these friday night games.

We get stuck with [censored] timeslots and get the same average crowds.

Every team that gets beaten by Melbourne is "IN CRISIS"!!!!!

Well there's going to be about 11 teams in crisis next year , I'm really looking forward to the season it's actually Roos side next season and I think we are going to win at least 12 games.

Sorry but this get more people to games and get better slots is a joke.

http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/attendances?year=2015&t=A&h=A&s=A

North have how many friday night games next year?

Doga average less than us to a game and have all these friday night games.

We get stuck with [censored] timeslots and get the same average crowds.

North and the Dogs getting better fixtures is a good thing. It means the AFL is willing to bend for the smaller Vic Clubs if they are making finals.

Win games and, ideally, play attractive footy while doing it.

I haven't read all the pages but why isn't there a Pink Ladys match anymore? Absolute disgraceful they have scrapped a charity match that raises alot of cash for Cancer.

Once again the AFL has failed again. Wake up to yourself Gill.

I believe the "pink lady" thing is actually very difficult to organise logistically speaking, I'm pretty sure I've heard they only want to do it every second year or so. It also makes an impact as a bigger event as opposed to it being annually.

But that shouldn't stop us from holding a "pink match" where we can don our striking Pink and Navy top to raise money for breast cancer, and surely the logical club to do it against would be the bulldogs with the women's game being the curtain raiser. I'll wait until the season draws closer before getting to up in arms about it.

On the fixture itself, because I haven't had my 2 cents. It's very similar to this years, in terms of the teams we face we've done pretty well (except 2 games vs the Hawks in not much time ). But commercially we've been dealt a pretty crappy deal. No Friday night despite performing well in our 1 and only this year, and only 1 night game in Melbourne (Tigers ANZAC eve). Our sponsors will get very little prime time exposure which weakens our position in negotiating with them.

That said I do understand the reasoning, don't agree with it but I understand it. Going into a new TV rights deal I think the AFL wants to make up for such a terrible year in the prime time slots and we are still far from a guarantee for an entertaining product. When we start winning games and Jesse Hogan starts kicking 100+ goals a year, then we will get the good times. Until then we have a lot more to prove.

Oh and Essendon away at the MCG with no return fixture, this has become a lock every goddamn year it's getting ridiculous. Just wear your home top Melbourne, it's our bloody ground!

At least our Etihad home game's early in the season this time.

Yes...and weve broken the hoodoo now and in fact would have broken it twice were it not for a 40 second brain fade.....bring it on I say.

From a financial viewpoint I'd rate our "draw" at about C+/B- ... extra home games against the Dons, Blues & Cats would bring things up to an 'A' but at least we've received 3 potential blockbusters as opposed to only one (which is what has happened in previous seasons)

The QB clash & the ANZAC eve game against the Tiges will almost certainly help the club's coffers in a big way and the Hawks home game later in the season is a potential big money earner (regardless of how we perform in that game)

As for prime time, free-to-air games ... we need to start winning consistently in order to hope to get some favourable outcomes in that area (that's the brutal reality - right or wrong) I'd expect PJ to push hard if that (winning consistently) were to happen.

From a footy dept. standpoint we could rate our draw at about a B+ ... 9 winnable games in the first 9 games is about all a club could ask for, all things considered. We've been given an opportunity to get away to a decent start so here's hoping the club is up for the challenge.

Here are those first 9 games again ...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

.

. Ah yes, but Carlton when playing well have big crowds, Melbourne less so, Carlton playing well has channel 7 wanting them in prime time due to big ratings, Melbourne less so.

If we change that so we get big numbers to games and big numbers in ratings we will play Friday night etc.

That is why Carlton have none this year, last year they got lots and put up poor numbers.

Not misguided at all. Simply reality.

Kick up a fuss, I'm sure the AFL will care. They don't care if we are strong, or saints, or bullies, etc, the want pies, Tigers, blues, bombers big as they get better numbers to games and to the TV.

When Melbourne plays well we get big crowds. When Melbourne gets a decent fixture and time slot we get decent crowds. When Melbourne plays the big Vic clubs we get big crowds.

Its a circular argument.

If the argument for Friday night games is performance, Carlton does not deserve them.

As for "That is why Carlton have none this year, last year they got lots and put up poor numbers." Why did they get them in 2015?? They finished 13th on the ladder?

The bottom 6 clubs do not exist to make the top 12 clubs bigger. The system is designed to ensure every team has a chance of winning a flag regularly. The system is failing and entrenching imbalances and distortions like fixturing and TV exposure on an ad hoc basis only serves to make the wek weaker.

As others have said, its simple: our attendance must get bigger if we are to have any clout in negotiating a "fairer" or "more equitable" fixture.

TV moguls don't care about attendances.

When Melbourne plays well we get big crowds. When Melbourne gets a decent fixture and time slot we get decent crowds. When Melbourne plays the big Vic clubs we get big crowds.

Its a circular argument.

If the argument for Friday night games is performance, Carlton does not deserve them.

As for "That is why Carlton have none this year, last year they got lots and put up poor numbers." Why did they get them in 2015?? They finished 13th on the ladder?

The bottom 6 clubs do not exist to make the top 12 clubs bigger. The system is designed to ensure every team has a chance of winning a flag regularly. The system is failing and entrenching imbalances and distortions like fixturing and TV exposure on an ad hoc basis only serves to make the wek weaker.

Agree it's circular.

We are just at the wrong end and the circle starts with good performances, the rest follows. If we were playing like we did under Neeld but every Friday night, we would not get good numbers to the game, nor ratings.

The reason Carlton got them was the thought they were going to rise up the ladder again and be pushing the eight and when they are playing well they draw big numbers to the games and to the ratings.

Agree it's circular.

We are just at the wrong end and the circle starts with good performances, the rest follows. If we were playing like we did under Neeld but every Friday night, we would not get good numbers to the game, nor ratings.

The reason Carlton got them was the thought they were going to rise up the ladder again and be pushing the eight and when they are playing well they draw big numbers to the games and to the ratings.

There you have it.

So its not based on performance but perceived performance by the powers that be. I assume you will then agree with me that the farce has to stop. That lip service to an equal competition will have to stop.

As others have said, its simple: our attendance must get bigger if we are to have any clout in negotiating a "fairer" or "more equitable" fixture.

Circular argument - we would get better attendances at better time slots.

If I recall Collingwood had some sort of record low on a late Sunday afternoon slot - give them that every week and their aggregate attendances would be worse. Give is lots of Friday nights and Saturday afternoons at the G and I guarantee our would rise significantly.

As others have said, its simple: our attendance must get bigger if we are to have any clout in negotiating a "fairer" or "more equitable" fixture.

Just don't tell that to a section of Melbourne supporters who refuse to go to MFC home games at Etihad, for no apparent reason.

Theres a very good reason many don't / won't go to Etihad.

It's a hole.