Will be good to get our worst road trip out of the way in the opening round, then we have 22 consecutive weeks to start our run in to the finals.

2 hours ago, spirit of norm smith said:

Saints at Etihad

Two neutral games in NT

Not a great fixture so far !!

On the contrary, I'd much prefer our MCG home games to be against Victorian-based teams. So far we have two NT games where we MAKE money against interstate sides (the Suns are particularly low drawing in Melbourne) and another away game at Etihad that we don't lose on. That's a win so far.

All of the prime-time games we've featured in over the past two years - Friday nights and public holidays - have been entertaining affairs, with only the one MFC loss. We've proven we're not a liability in this regard. We're a young team on the rise with lots of energy, and there's a good deal of media and public buzz about us. The AFL would absolutely love for us to a successful, consistently competitive club and dramatically boost our membership as the Hawks have managed over recent times. The MFC back in the finals and then pushing all the way would be a huge relief at HQ, and they've been working favourably with PJ since his arrival. Don't be surprised if we get a fantastic draw, both financially, and as a path to the finals. All signs so far are positive. Although I'm sure we'll all find something to complain about regardless.

3 hours ago, spirit of norm smith said:

Saints at Etihad

Two neutral games in NT

Not a great fixture so far !!

Not saying we'll just rock up and beat GC in Alice Springs (we all know that never works for the MFC!), but it's a hell of a lot better than playing Port there which is essentially a genuine away game given Port's massive support up there. That and they play their best footy up there for some reason.

Playing GC in Alice Springs is actually a fixture win in my opinion. Let's hope the win eventuates.

22 minutes ago, Skuit said:

All of the prime-time games we've featured in over the past two years - Friday nights and public holidays - have been entertaining affairs, with only the one MFC loss. We've proven we're not a liability in this regard. We're a young team on the rise with lots of energy, and there's a good deal of media and public buzz about us. The AFL would absolutely love for us to a successful, consistently competitive club and dramatically boost our membership as the Hawks have managed over recent times. The MFC back in the finals and then pushing all the way would be a huge relief at HQ, and they've been working favourably with PJ since his arrival. Don't be surprised if we get a fantastic draw, both financially, and as a path to the finals. All signs so far are positive. Although I'm sure we'll all find something to complain about regardless.

not sure this is very easy to do. if we play the bog teams that draw big crowds the draw will be tougher (as opposed to lions, freo at home for example)

usually its one or the other or neither!

If you're fair dinkum, you gotta beat top teams when everything else is against you. 

24 minutes ago, DubDee said:

not sure this is very easy to do. if we play the bog teams that draw big crowds the draw will be tougher (as opposed to lions, freo at home for example)

usually its one or the other or neither!

So far - GC and Adelaide in the NT. Games we wouldn't draw a big crowd for at home anyway, but probably a better draw than Port and - as originally expected - Freo in terms of winning chances (though I imagine MFC v GC in Alice will draw about 3500 - but really it's much of a muchness if down from 5500-6000). Saints away when no-one is watching anyway. And then I hope they double us up against Collingwood, Richmond and maybe Essendon; under-performing Vic teams where we can still draw a sizeable crowd at home. It's doable.  

What's the odds of them making our round 1 game a replacement game for members for the N.T games so they get a semi decent crowd, or do they only do replacement games for MCG Away matches 

The Western Bulldogs just won a premiership with one of the most difficult runs seen in a finals series and people here are complaining about a couple of games in the Northern Territory and a game at Etihad.

4 hours ago, Demon Jack said:

It'd be an absolute disgrace If the Monday night against Richmond is the only real free to air prime time game we get. We haven't had a Friday night game since 2012. Surely we're deserving of one now considering we're one of the many teams expected to push for finals next year.

Is that right?

28 minutes ago, Clint Bizkit said:

The Western Bulldogs just won a premiership with one of the most difficult runs seen in a finals series and people here are complaining about a couple of games in the Northern Territory and a game at Etihad.

Until we play 22 games at the MCG we will always be unhappy with the fixture  

1 hour ago, Clint Bizkit said:

The Western Bulldogs just won a premiership with one of the most difficult runs seen in a finals series and people here are complaining about a couple of games in the Northern Territory and a game at Etihad.

I think there is two issues. I agree that to win flags you need to be in Ross Lyon parlance an anywhere, anytime side. So that is one issue

But the second is the strange way the AFL go about equalisation. Yes you can hand out a sliding scale of money but that is not a logical model in terms of maximising the financial stability of struggling clubs,  increasing their fan base and attractiveness to sponsors.

Instead of giving the Hawks and the EFC a leg up by giving them one of the most valuable free to air slots all year (opening round)  it makes much more sense to give that leg up to the saints and the dees, two up and coming sides that play exiting footy. Or what about saints or dees versus bulldogs.

The AFL might argue a EFC Hawks game might draw more people and perhaps bigger ratings so that's all good. But it infuriates me how short term this thinking is (and don't get me started on EFC getting any favours in this regard). Besides i'd argue we would pull a pretty big crowd against  the Saints round one and comparable ratings. 

It is plain stupid.

11 minutes ago, binman said:

I think there is two issues. I agree that to win flags you need to be in Ross Lyon parlance an anywhere, anytime side. So that is one issue

But the second is the strange way the AFL go about equalisation. Yes you can hand out a sliding scale of money but that is not a logical model in terms of maximising the financial stability of struggling clubs,  increasing their fan base and attractiveness to sponsors.

Instead of giving the Hawks and the EFC a leg up by giving them one of the most valuable free to air slots all year (opening round)  it makes much more sense to give that leg up to the saints and the dees, two up and coming sides that play exiting footy. Or what about saints or dees versus bulldogs.

The AFL might argue a EFC Hawks game might draw more people and perhaps bigger ratings so that's all good. But it infuriates me how short term this thinking is (and don't get me started on EFC getting any favours in this regard). Besides i'd argue we would pull a pretty big crowd against  the Saints round one and comparable ratings. 

It is plain stupid.

Not only does the MFC rarely see a Friday night slot we do not even get a prime time Saturday night slot. Our only night games last year were the Anzac eve and the non free to air televised games in Darwin and Alice Springs

Clearly the people who want us to get a bunch of Friday night games don't have children. Our best chance of maximising attendance is playing a Victorian team on a Saturday afternoon at the MCG.

Its a pity we have to play Adelaide in the NT - it would be better to play Brisbane or Freo up there. A home ground advantage would be handy against the Crows.

59 minutes ago, Diamond_Jim said:

Not only does the MFC rarely see a Friday night slot we do not even get a prime time Saturday night slot. Our only night games last year were the Anzac eve and the non free to air televised games in Darwin and Alice Springs

Pretty sure I remember eating lunch during that Alice game. Though I have been known to get out of bed late.

On 24 October 2016 at 11:04 AM, DemonLad5 said:

Draw is released Thursday

 

It is not a draw - it is a fixd'ya.

Yes we need to beat whom ever wherever but it is a shocking time, clash and venue from a marketing point of view.  The 'lesser clubs' will remain just that if they are never given decent exposure for marketing.

26 minutes ago, Skuit said:

Pretty sure I remember eating lunch during that Alice game. Though I have been known to get out of bed late.

sorry my mistake.... it was against Port but it was the game at the Adelaide oval

The live free to air game shown in Melbourne that night was Western Bulldogs v Geelong

(underscores my point..... we get very low coverage........ other than Richmond we did not play one night game in Melbourne)

2 hours ago, poita said:

Clearly the people who want us to get a bunch of Friday night games don't have children. Our best chance of maximising attendance is playing a Victorian team on a Saturday afternoon at the MCG.

 

Here is each club's 'Wish Llist'.  http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2016-10-26/your-clubs-fixture-wish-list

They actually all look reasonable -  except Essendon wanting 4 HOME games at the G.  It is NOT their HOME ground!!  I bet they will be against other Vic power clubs with lots of members so Ess can get great revenue.  Meanwhile, we will get i/state clubs and low member clubs to our home games.  Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!

3 hours ago, poita said:

Clearly the people who want us to get a bunch of Friday night games don't have children. Our best chance of maximising attendance is playing a Victorian team on a Saturday afternoon at the MCG.

Its a pity we have to play Adelaide in the NT - it would be better to play Brisbane or Freo up there. A home ground advantage would be handy against the Crows.

Our best chance of giving value to our sponsors as we hopefully move up the ladder is by being broadcast on free to air Ch7 more often. Huge difference in ratings for games broadcast on Ch7 v those on Foxtel.

Wish list 

at least 1 Friday night game 

for it to be our home game against Essendon and/or Carlton

Brisbane twice

north Melbourne twice 

2 hours ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

Here is each club's 'Wish Llist'.  http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2016-10-26/your-clubs-fixture-wish-list

They actually all look reasonable -  except Essendon wanting 4 HOME games at the G.  It is NOT their HOME ground!!  I bet they will be against other Vic power clubs with lots of members so Ess can get great revenue.  Meanwhile, we will get i/state clubs and low member clubs to our home games.  Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!

They've been having 4 home games at the G for years now.

Interestingly, with Hawthorn being one of their MCG home games, they'll only have three left between Carlton, Collingwood, Richmond, us and Geelong (who they want to host there for their "country game", whatever that is). It might be the case that they don't get a home game at the G against us which could, in turn, mean we host Essendon for the first time since 2010 and only second time since 2005!

A few more tidbits before the release tomorrow: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/afl-fixture-2017-sam-mitchell-to-tackle-hawks-in-round-five-20161026-gsbk4e.html

We play Hawthorn at the MCG in Round 7 (doesn't say if it's our home game or not).

Hawthorn has a home game at Etihad (avoided that this year, possibly means Richmond or Melbourne could avoid having an Etihad home game next year?).

Hawthorn has lost 3 Friday night games - at least one will go to GWS but could mean some more sharing of the Friday night pie.

1 minute ago, titan_uranus said:

A few more tidbits before the release tomorrow: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/afl-fixture-2017-sam-mitchell-to-tackle-hawks-in-round-five-20161026-gsbk4e.html

We play Hawthorn at the MCG in Round 7 (doesn't say if it's our home game or not).

Hawthorn has a home game at Etihad (avoided that this year, possibly means Richmond or Melbourne could avoid having an Etihad home game next year?).

Hawthorn has lost 3 Friday night games - at least one will go to GWS but could mean some more sharing of the Friday night pie.

Its our home game.

AFL website reporting that we're hosting Hawthorn in round 7 on either the Saturday or Sunday 3:20pm timeslot. A free to air game.