On 29/10/2015 at 00:41, The Stigga said:

The Northern Territory deal must cease.

Id like to see us play a Nab game there a year...keep the NT in the back pocket sts. But for real points...nah !!

I've never like the 'home' games in Darwin, but I'm a lot more comfortable with Alice Springs. The climate is far more conducive to AFL football and the ground is in a spectacular location. The effects on the players should be no greater than any other interstate match and it should, over time, build a supporter base that will make it a clear home ground advantage. That is dependent on our club handling the NT football supporters well and getting them signed-up and decked-out in red and blue.

  On 29/10/2015 at 02:22, The Stigga said:

Again, those clubs have nothing to do with us.

Besides the money, name a single other positive about this arrangement?

We should have 14 games at the MCG, not 12.

Why does there need to be another positive?

The issue of money is important. If we don't get it from selling home games where does it come from? We already have two poker machine venues which some people don't like; we charge people to attend the B & F which others don't like. We used to have an arrangement with a betting company (perhaps we still do) which some people don't like.

Before criticising the selling of games, you need to identify another sustainable revenue stream to replace the money which would be lost. Once you've done that, I'll back you all the way to abolish the game in Darwin.

  On 29/10/2015 at 02:22, The Stigga said:

Again, those clubs have nothing to do with us.

Besides the money, name a single other positive about this arrangement?

We should have 14 games at the MCG, not 12.

Those clubs have everything to do with your argument of us having a guaranteed 4 losses this year, all due to our NT commitment. Other clubs have shown you can do it, we haven't. It (the venue/location argument) is irrelevant. And while you are dismissing it, which is your prerogative, the attitude of "we should win anywhere" is 100% correct, and will go a long way to abolishing the NT commitment.

For some reason I don't think you will be going to watch our home game at Etihad? Just get the feeling you're one of "those" supporters that can be partially blamed for us needing to play in Darwin in the first place.

  On 29/10/2015 at 02:36, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

Before criticising the selling of games, you need to identify another sustainable revenue stream to replace the money which would be lost. Once you've done that, I'll back you all the way to abolish the game in Darwin.

Don't the club employ people to do this?

  On 29/10/2015 at 02:41, billy2803 said:

Those clubs have everything to do with your argument of us having a guaranteed 4 losses this year, all due to our NT commitment. Other clubs have shown you can do it, we haven't. It (the venue/location argument) is irrelevant. And while you are dismissing it, which is your prerogative, the attitude of "we should win anywhere" is 100% correct, and will go a long way to abolishing the NT commitment.

For some reason I don't think you will be going to watch our home game at Etihad? Just get the feeling you're one of "those" supporters that can be partially blamed for us needing to play in Darwin in the first place.

Its an away game for those clubs, they would be playing in Melbourne had we not sold these games.

We are at a disadvantage by having to play an extra two interstate games because the powers that be cannot think of any other ways of bringing cash into the club.

I don't go to Etihad because it a shithole for the great unwashed.

I support what is best for the football club. This arrangement is detrimental, in my view.

On the positive side of things............:

*Two blockbuster games = Home games - Anzac Eve & Queens Birthday.

*One team out of the top eight from 2015 we play twice (Hawthorn).

*Twelve (12) games at the MCG.

*Play the Giants once, at Home MCG (Round 1). Open the season with a Home Game.

*Two day games on Saturday afternoon v Hawks at G.

*We travel to Perth ONCE.

*We travel to Adelaide ONCE.

*We have just one home game at ETIHAD. One.

*We don't travel to the GABBA. At all.

*We play a Saturday game at Geelong, not a Sunday. BONUS!

*We play Sydney, Fremantle, West Coast (other top 4 sides from '15) ONCE.

I thought the home game v Bulldogs could have been scheduled better like a Saturday or Friday night prime time (PINK LADY - Breast Cancer), to help raise funds and awareness rather than a 3.20 Sunday game.

  On 29/10/2015 at 02:42, The Stigga said:

Don't the club employ people to do this?

Quite right. Probably the same people who extracted the money from the NT Government as sponsorship. I'm pretty sure they did this in the knowledge that we'd be playing games in Darwin and Alice Springs.

  On 29/10/2015 at 02:48, The Stigga said:

I don't go to Etihad

I support what is best for the football club.

I would've thought supporting what is best for the football club would be attending games, particularly home games at Etihad.

  On 29/10/2015 at 02:54, H_T said:

On the positive side of things............:

*We have just one home game at ETIHAD. One.

Actually its 2 games.

  On 29/10/2015 at 03:00, Bring-Back-Powell said:

I would've thought supporting what is best for the football club would be attending games, particularly home games at Etihad.

Who are you to tell me how to best support my club?

  On 29/10/2015 at 02:58, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

Quite right. Probably the same people who extracted the money from the NT Government as sponsorship. I'm pretty sure they did this in the knowledge that we'd be playing games in Darwin and Alice Springs.

It's time to think of some new initiatives.

  On 29/10/2015 at 03:02, The Stigga said:

Who are you to tell me how to best support my club?

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.

  On 29/10/2015 at 03:00, The Stigga said:

Actually its 2 games.

Actually it's ONE.

  On 29/10/2015 at 03:07, Bring-Back-Powell said:

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.

Let's just say there is an 'air of negativity' around the joint.

  On 29/10/2015 at 03:08, H_T said:

Actually it's ONE.

Apologies, didn't notice you said home games, as opposed to games et al.

What a terrible draw from a commercial stand point...

Anyway - we take our lot and hope to improve it, and you improve it by getting people to want to watch your team.

Hogan being fit, our midfield being more competitive and the team winning some games of footy and we will be a chance to get a decent draw and make some money.

10 Sunday games...so great...

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

No way we will make finals.

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

  On 29/10/2015 at 02:05, Grand New Flag said:

Stop whinging people. Our fixture is reasonable and fair for a team that finished 13th with 7 wins and has won just just a handful of games in the last few season.

We have a soft draw for the first half of the season, played mostly at the MCG and thus a massive opportunity to build some confidence and excitement. We should be in the 8 at the break. We need to earn a better draw. I have no problems with this.

No we don't. That is farked logic. It is our right as a fundamental tenet of the competition to have an equitable draw. Stop the bulltish about 'we have to earn it'.

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.

As it stands West Coast and Coll spend $300k a week - a week - more than us on their footy departments. That is massive in terms of player development, recover, training methods, coaching etc. They get that because the have better stadium deals, get more televised games etc. The current system simply entrenches the existing status quo.

7 out of the last 9 grand findals have been won by 3 teams. If that is equalisation, I'll eat my hat.

The competition is rigged. Even Carlton had 6 Friday night games and 2 Saturday night games this year, totally undeserved.

We need to fight for an equitable draw and better stadium deals to get on a level playing field.

All our interstate games are on Foxtel.

  On 29/10/2015 at 03:07, Bring-Back-Powell said:

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.

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.

  On 29/10/2015 at 03:24, jnrmac said:

No we don't. That is farked logic. It is our right as a fundamental tenet of the competition to have an equitable draw. Stop the bulltish about 'we have to earn it'.

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.

As it stands West Coast and Coll spend $300k a week - a week - more than us on their footy departments. That is massive in terms of player development, recover, training methods, coaching etc. They get that because the have better stadium deals, get more televised games etc. The current system simply entrenches the existing status quo.

7 out of the last 9 grand findals have been won by 3 teams. If that is equalisation, I'll eat my hat.

The competition is rigged. Even Carlton had 6 Friday night games and 2 Saturday night games this year, totally undeserved.

We need to fight for an equitable draw and better stadium deals to get on a level playing field.

Yep, we are massively behind the eight ball (most of it self-inflicted).

A non-equitable draw does not help us be more competitive.

It's much more complex than 'just be good, just get better'.

  On 29/10/2015 at 03:18, The Stigga said:

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

No way we will make finals.

Why?

Three of the four are wins!