The 2018 Fixture Thread

[Macca 16,173]

12 minutes ago, DaveyDee said:

Not sure the AFL agree with you on that they have kicked us in the guts - Its up to the MFC members and supporters now, ball is firmly in our court. 

However, only time will tell if the AFL was right or wrong. 

Well,  we're the ones who take the whack but to my way of thinking,  we've always played our part and will always continue to do so. 

Blaming of supporters is just childish & a puerile way of thinking.  And that's right across the board in any sport. 

We're mere onlookers who effect very little.  It's a minor miracle that we have in excess of 42.000 members.  We are nothing but resilient.

Edited October 31, 2017 by Macca

[old dee 22,807]

10 minutes ago, Macca said:

Well,  we're the ones who take the whack but to my way of thinking,  we've always played our part and will always continue to do so. 

Blaming of supporters is just childish & a puerile way of thinking.  And that's right across the board in any sport. 

We're mere onlookers who effect very little.  It's a minor miracle that we have in excess of 42.000 members.  We are nothing but resilient.

Spot on Macca. As you say we are not the ones on the field. Just the one who cough up the membership fees year in year out.

[Demon17 4,530]

3 hours ago, hardtack said:

I think you'll find that it balances absolutely nothing for us Sydney or Hobart based members who are essentially paying a lot of money to watch the games on TV.

Fair comment and I hear you Hardtack.

 

I was obviously meaning I can't remember ever winning at either Hobart or Sydney venues, whereas as I have seen all recent wins in Adelaide and that could continue hopefully.

[Demon17 4,530]

1 hour ago, buck_nekkid said:

Sunday afternoons at 3:20 are usually the televised Sunday game on 7.  We may get more coverage than many here expect.

Agree. and  few 7.25 games on Seven on Saturdays evening will go into Melbourne live also.

[Binmans PA 25,890]

Wow, it's really a terrible draw. Not only is it a [censored] tough one, only 11 MCG games!? Are they serious? I know we'll probably get two make up home games at Etihad, but it's heinous. 

It's funny how you look at a draw and suddenly finals looks a far trickier prospect.

Certainly more Saturday games and a few Saturday night games in there, but Friday nights are the holy grail. 

[Jack son 5 162]

1 hour ago, bingers said:

I'm sorry if someone has already pointed this out. But between Rounds 6 - 19 there are only 4 MCG matches.

Not good.

This is the one that got me. That's 13 games in a row away from our home ground. Even if you add the NT games back to the total, that's 6 / 13.

Last year in 2018 for the NT contract and imo Melbourne will drop 1 (most likely Alice) for 2019.

[sue 8,409]

Ah Demonland...  Comment on any negative aspect of the draw and you will be sure to be told that the draw is irrelevant "good teams win anywhere anytime anyone", etc etc.  So let's volunteer to play the top 4 teams from last year 5 times and play the games at Geelong. 

And then the posts which assume things supporters say on this forum actually have an effect on how the team will perform.

So I'll whinge on behalf of another club.  Why has Noprth got zero Friday night games and Carlton which finished below them on the ladder got 4.  No prize for the answer.

[beelzebub 22,225]

Thanks Gil...is this payback for calling you out as "insert word of choice"  ??

That fixture is a bucket of shlt.

Anyone would think Carlscum had influence ??

A couple of decent days...and that's all.

Just rubbish year after year.

[jnrmac 18,914]

Carlton being rewarded for being crap with FOUR Friday night games.......

[TGR 1,367]

Hardly any Friday night games in 2018.  Surely somehow connected to Jack Watts.

[Dee Zephyr 17,302]

3 minutes ago, TGR said:

Hardly any Friday night games in 2018.  Surely somehow connected to Jack Watts.

I think he might be the reason we got one.

[thailand-demon 26]

Can't see us losing a game, and with the time difference I love the time slots.

Great fixture

[trout 385]

Seven of our first eleven matches are away games, that seems very odd.

[DaveyDee 421]

1 hour ago, Macca said:

Well,  we're the ones who take the whack but to my way of thinking,  we've always played our part and will always continue to do so. 

Blaming of supporters is just childish & a puerile way of thinking.  And that's right across the board in any sport. 

We're mere onlookers who effect very little.  It's a minor miracle that we have in excess of 42.000 members.  We are nothing but resilient.

I dont disagree with you ... but the AFL on the other hand ... its clear the AFL and the TV stations dont rate or trust us to deliver the crowds and the atmosphere that suits their agenda accept against some teams ie Richmond & Collingwood - who just happen to be the biggest drawing clubs anyway.

Again, I 100% agree we have a certain resilience factor from a membership point of view.

 

Edited October 31, 2017 by DaveyDee

[Lucifers Hero 36,983]

32 minutes ago, DaveyDee said:

I dont disagree with you ... but the AFL on the hand ... its clear the AFL and the TV stations dont rate or trust us to deliver the crowds and the atmosphere that suits their agenda accept against some teams ie Richmond & Collingwood - who just happen to be the biggest drawing clubs anyway.

Again, I 100% agree we have a certain resilience factor from a membership point of view.

Not sure that will be the case this year  See this thread:

A poor FTA fixture wont' help the cause. 

There is a reason the AFL has given Carlton their prime time FTA in the first months of the season:  get members, sell merchandise and help them get a major sponsor.

Pity they didn't give us the same considerations.

Edited October 31, 2017 by Lucifer's Hero

[titan_uranus 22,218]

2 hours ago, Macca said:

Any game is winnable ... especially round 1 against the Cats. 

The Tigers will fall away too - they'll come right back to the field unless they get an extremely good run with injuries again.  Hangovers happen too.

I just ran across our first dozen games to a mate (a non Demon) and he has our toughest game being Essendon in round 6 followed by the Crows in round 10.  Then the Tigers and then the Cats. 

A better way to look at it is nominating an absolutely certain loss in that fixture.

Our fixture is not a tough one ... unless we regress.

It always ends up being futile trying to analyse a fixture in October based on the previous season. 

There’ll be at least one bottom 10 side who becomes much more difficult next year (Saints? Pies? Lions even?) and at least one finalist who slumps (Swans? Eagles?). 

It’s easier at this point to analyse based on commerciality, timeslots, prime time and things like six-day breaks. And on those metrics we’ve been handed a pretty average draw IMO. 

11 minutes ago, trout said:

Seven of our first eleven matches are away games, that seems very odd.

I reckon that hurts us too. I don’t know if there is any correlation at all but I reckon home games earlier in the year help build membership momentum (more people seeing our branding, advertising, messages at the ground and more opportunities to sell memberships).

[Macca 16,173]

3 hours ago, DaveyDee said:

I dont disagree with you ... but the AFL on the other hand ... its clear the AFL and the TV stations dont rate or trust us to deliver the crowds and the atmosphere that suits their agenda accept against some teams ie Richmond & Collingwood - who just happen to be the biggest drawing clubs anyway.

Again, I 100% agree we have a certain resilience factor from a membership point of view.

 

Absolute,  not certain.  That's the word I'd use.

We should never be included in the argument.  And by us I mean the supporters & members.  But unfortunately,  we will bear the brunt of the blame. 

It's bs but that's the way people think.  It's all part of the whole bragging rights stuff that goes on in sport.  From the top down so you're right about the AFL & the TV stations. 

As previously stated,  the club will need a sustained period of success before we start getting any favours.  And that's out of our hands.  Whatever will be,  will be. 

As for us members & supporters,  we'll always be there.

 

 

Edited October 31, 2017 by Macca

[Macca 16,173]

1 minute ago, titan_uranus said:

It always ends up being futile trying to analyse a fixture in October based on the previous season. 

There’ll be at least one bottom 10 side who becomes much more difficult next year (Saints? Pies? Lions even?) and at least one finalist who slumps (Swans? Eagles?). 

It’s easier at this point to analyse based on commerciality, timeslots, prime time and things like six-day breaks. And on those metrics we’ve been handed a pretty average draw IMO.

Well,  what do we say then?  Nothing?

It's a bit of speculation based on what we think might happen.  You do it yourself when it suits.

[Emerald 1,683]

That's a 3 game membership fixture.

[demonzz 102]

5 hours ago, M_9 said:

Does it start with 'c' and end in 's'?

All these puzzles are doin' my head in.

I would of thought it starts with pro and ends in stitution.

[Return to Glory 7,682]

Essendon and Carlton have always had influence within the AFL .i.e. Fitzpatrick and Ron Evans previously and I have little doubt that these clubs still carry disproportionate influence. It's a compromised draw and, once more, we've got the rough end of the pineapple. Carlton with four Friday night games is nudge, nudge, wink, wink stuff. The sooner that polo playing poonce moves on the better. 

[titan_uranus 22,218]

33 minutes ago, Macca said:

Well,  what do we say then?  Nothing?

It's a bit of speculation based on what we think might happen.  You do it yourself when it suits.

I quoted you because I agree with you - every game is winnable (as we sit here in October).

But the consequence of that is that analysing the draw based on difficulty is less meangingful as inevitably we’ll be wrong about teams (eg 2017 Richmond or 2017 Dogs). 

And because of that, I think analysing any club’s draw at this point is more about those other factors and less about the 5 repeat match ups each team gets.

[John Crow Batty 8,221]

The Carlton Navy gets the gravy and the Demons get the beans.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/afls-fixture-blue-why-carlton-shouldnt-be-playing-to-many-friday-night-games-20171031-gzbvkg.html

[Spirit of '87 321]

McLachlan's comment about Carlton being allocated 4 Friday night games:

"There's clearly a bit of risk in them if you took the end of 2017 (as a guide on their form next season) but I think Carlton are building a strong team and they're well coached."

The inference from that comment would be that in contrast, Melbourne, despite coming off 12 wins and finishing ninth, are not building a strong team and are not well coached, therefore warrant only 1 Friday night game! 

And giving Carlton 4 games is based on the AFL's somewhat subjective and speculative assessment of Carlton's "strong team", being "well coached" and how they'll go next year. 

[binman 37,736]

3 minutes ago, Spirit of '87 said:

McLachlan's comment about Carlton being allocated 4 Friday night games:

"There's clearly a bit of risk in them if you took the end of 2017 (as a guide on their form next season) but I think Carlton are building a strong team and they're well coached."

The inference from that comment would be that in contrast, Melbourne, despite coming off 12 wins and finishing ninth, are not building a strong team and are not well coached, therefore warrant only 1 Friday night game! 

And giving Carlton 4 games is based on the AFL's somewhat subjective and speculative assessment of Carlton's "strong team", being "well coached" and how they'll go next year. 

It is so ridiculous. I would have thought taking the end of the season just gone would be a pretty reliable guide as to a sides chances of success, particularly if a crappy end mirrored a crappy middle and beginning.

It is competency unjustifiable to give them four, a decision made worse by that fact they did the same thing two years ago and the blues were woeful.

I hope the blues get smashed every Friday game they play and no one watches.

Sunday 3:20 games rate much lower but i guess it is a positive that we get a few free air to Sunday games in terms of some neutrals watching us. But i hate going at that time. Not home before 8pm on Sunday sucks.