Jump to content

Winners & Losers of the 17 Round Draw

Demonland
Demonland
in Melbourne Demons

Featured Replies

 

I can’t read the article (paywall), so I don’t know how they come to their conclusions, but I would have thought that early rounds being played to empty stadiums could have a big bearing on results, particularly in SA and WA where the crowds have typically had a big impact on umpiring decisions.

Another consideration is the fact that there will be no VFL competition (is that right?), meaning that the clubs who can keep their best 22 on the field deepest into the competition may have an edge, due to replacement players, despite training, possibly not being at full match fitness.

  • Quote
    15 minutes ago, hardtack said:

    I can’t read the article (paywall), so I don’t know how they come to their conclusions,

    I can't read either, but it's fairly easy logic Tigers would have had a hard draw because they finished on top and would have had more of the top teams from last year as their double ups and the inverse for the MFC.  Having an easy draw was certainly one factor which helped Brisbane in 2019 and to some extent the Tigers in 2017.

  • Quote
    • Like 1
     

    As much as it sucks, there’s an argument that we should only want the same draw as every other club - not easier or harder - just the same.

    I’m ultimately cool with this. I just hope we manage to play at least 17 games this year.

     

  • Quote
    • Like 1

    I will preface this by saying this is not something I would want but only a suggestion should we get a completely bastardised version of a season. 

    Instead of a proper season we have conferences based off ladder positions from last year so you get 9 teams playing playing a round robin of sorts (perhaps shortened game time and shorter time between matches) then you have conference finals with a grand final between the winners of the conferences (though I would prefer they call it something other than Grand Final). 

    For clarity conference A would be: Geelong, Melbourne, Richmond, Sydney, West Coast, Freo, Bulldogs, Adelaide, Hawthorn

    Conference B would be: Brisbane, GC, Collingwood, Carlton, GWS, St Kilda, Essendon, North Melbourne, Port Adelaide

    As a laugh, get Corona beer to sponsor it and call the final the "Corona Bowl" particularly if it's at Marvel Stadium!

    Just a random idea, and I will say this that conference A would look a hell of a lot harder than conference B!

  • Quote

    Perhaps the lower nine teams from 2019 could get the 9 home games and top sides only 8?

    That  would in a small way be an evener upper for the 17 game draw.

     

  • Quote
    • Like 1
    7 hours ago, hardtack said:

    I can’t read the article (paywall), so I don’t know how they come to their conclusions, but I would have thought that early rounds being played to empty stadiums could have a big bearing on results, particularly in SA and WA where the crowds have typically had a big impact on umpiring decisions.

    Another consideration is the fact that there will be no VFL competition (is that right?), meaning that the clubs who can keep their best 22 on the field deepest into the competition may have an edge, due to replacement players, despite training, possibly not being at full match fitness.

    I cannot read the article either, so one must assume that Fate is playing her hand, once again for the MFC.

  • Quote
    • Haha 1
    11 hours ago, hardtack said:

    I can’t read the article (paywall), so I don’t know how they come to their conclusions, but I would have thought that early rounds being played to empty stadiums could have a big bearing on results, particularly in SA and WA where the crowds have typically had a big impact on umpiring decisions.

    Another consideration is the fact that there will be no VFL competition (is that right?), meaning that the clubs who can keep their best 22 on the field deepest into the competition may have an edge, due to replacement players, despite training, possibly not being at full match fitness.

    HT, I would imagine it is based on the fact that finishing 17th had gifted us more games against lower teams from last year whereas Richmond don't have to play theirs against the top teams from last year.

  • Quote
    • Like 1
     
    19 minutes ago, Salems Lot said:

    HT, I would imagine it is based on the fact that finishing 17th had gifted us more games against lower teams from last year whereas Richmond don't have to play theirs against the top teams from last year.

    Correct. Hence Richmond are winners and we are the losers ( along with GC )

  • Quote
    • Like 1

    Wont matter much, its all such a different environment, soft draws hard draws are the least of clubs concerns id imagine. To me it almost feels like an even playing field, tall teams affected by this, all players, all competition. 

    It may not even matter at all as there may be next to no footy played. 

  • Quote

    1 hour ago, Salems Lot said:

    HT, I would imagine it is based on the fact that finishing 17th had gifted us more games against lower teams from last year whereas Richmond don't have to play theirs against the top teams from last year.

    Yes, but I don’t subscribe to the idea that we are the AFL’s “whipping boy”; we get what we get courtesy of poor performances. However, I do think that the other considerations I mentioned will come into play, making it a very unpredictable season (much more so than usual).

  • Quote

    There is no-one better off using the H-S methodology.  

    Would playing Brisbane last year be seen as easier, because they finished near the bottom the previous year?  Tell that to the teams that lost to them.

    Same this year.  In the Marsh series, GC, St.Kilda, Melbourne and Fremantle filled 4 of the top 5 positions. Yes I know it is only 3 games, but all of those teams are not going to be bunnies in 2020.

    The real analysis should be WHERE you play the other sides in the overall picture.  You only play each other once.  Would you prefer to play Port in Adelaide or the MCG?  WCE in Perth or in Victoria?  Geelong in sleepy hollow or the MCG?

     

  • Quote
    • Thanks 1
    11 hours ago, Pates said:

    I will preface this by saying this is not something I would want but only a suggestion should we get a completely bastardised version of a season. 

    Instead of a proper season we have conferences based off ladder positions from last year so you get 9 teams playing playing a round robin of sorts (perhaps shortened game time and shorter time between matches) then you have conference finals with a grand final between the winners of the conferences (though I would prefer they call it something other than Grand Final). 

    For clarity conference A would be: Geelong, Melbourne, Richmond, Sydney, West Coast, Freo, Bulldogs, Adelaide, Hawthorn

    Conference B would be: Brisbane, GC, Collingwood, Carlton, GWS, St Kilda, Essendon, North Melbourne, Port Adelaide

    As a laugh, get Corona beer to sponsor it and call the final the "Corona Bowl" particularly if it's at Marvel Stadium!

    Just a random idea, and I will say this that conference A would look a hell of a lot harder than conference B!

    Too soon !!

  • Quote
    3 hours ago, george_on_the_outer said:

    The real analysis should be WHERE you play the other sides in the overall picture.  You only play each other once.  Would you prefer to play Port in Adelaide or the MCG?  WCE in Perth or in Victoria?  Geelong in sleepy hollow or the MCG?

    With no crowds, I think a lot of the “where you play” aspect is taken out of the equation. They are inside a stadium that could be anywhere, but without the crowd influencing umpiring decisions.

  • Quote
    1 minute ago, hardtack said:

    With no crowds, I think a lot of the “where you play” aspect is taken out of the equation. They are inside a stadium that could be anywhere, but without the crowd influencing umpiring decisions.

    Agree except for the narrow Cattery and the compact SCG

     

  • Quote
    • Like 1

    Join the conversation

    You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

    Guest
    Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
    Reply to this topic...
    Go to topic listing

    Featured Content

    • PREVIEW: Essendon

      As the focus of the AFL moves exclusively to South Australia for Gather Round, the question is raised as to what are we going to get from the  Melbourne Football Club this weekend? Will it be a repeat of the slop fest of the last three weeks that have seen the team score a measly 174 points and concede 310 or will a return to the City of Churches and the scene where they performed at their best in 2024 act as a wakeup call and bring them out of their early season reverie?  Or will the sleepy Dees treat their fans to a reenactment of their lazy effort from the first Gather Round of two years ago when they allowed the Bombers to trample all over them on a soggy and wet Adelaide Oval? The two examples from above tell us how fickle form can be in football. Last year, a committed group of players turned up in Adelaide with a businesslike mindset. They had a plan, went in confidently and hard for the football and kicked winning scores against both home teams in a difficult environment for visitors. And they repeated that sort of effort later in the season when they played Essendon at the MCG.

        • Thanks
        • Like
      • 0 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • PREGAME: Essendon

      Facing the very real and daunting prospect of starting the season with five straight losses, the Demons head to South Australia for the annual Gather Round, where they’ll take on the Bombers in search of their first win of the year. Who comes in, and who comes out?

        • Thanks
      • 416 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • NON-MFC: Round 05

      Gather Round is here, kicking off with a Thursday night blockbuster as Adelaide faces Geelong. The Crows will be out for redemption after a controversial loss last week. Saturday starts with the Magpies taking on the Swans. Collingwood will be eager to cement their spot in the top eight, while Sydney is hot on their heels. In the Barossa Valley, two rising sides go head-to-head in a fascinating battle to prove they're the real deal. Later, Carlton and West Coast face off at Adelaide Oval, both desperate to notch their first win of the season. The action then shifts to Norwood, where the undefeated Lions will aim to keep their streak alive against the Bulldogs. Sunday’s games begin in the Barossa with Richmond up against Fremantle. In Norwood, the Saints will be looking to take a scalp when they come up against the Giants. The round concludes with a fiery rematch of last year's semi-final, as the Hawks seek revenge for their narrow loss to Port Adelaide. Who are you tipping this week and what are the best results for the Demons besides us winning?

        • Thanks
      • 110 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • CASEY: Geelong

      There was a time in the second quarter of the game at the Cattery on Friday afternoon when the Casey Demons threatened to take the game apart against the Cats. The Demons had been well on top early but were struggling to convert their ascendancy over the ground until Tom Fullarton’s burst of three goals in the space of eight minutes on the way to a five goal haul and his best game for the club since arriving from Brisbane at the end of 2023. He was leading, marking and otherwise giving his opponents a merry dance as Casey grabbed a three goal lead in the blink of an eye. Fullarton has now kicked ten goals in Casey’s three matches and, with Melbourne’s forward conversion woes, he is definitely in with a chance to get his first game with the club in next week’s Gather Round in Adelaide. Despite the tall forward’s efforts - he finished with 19 disposals and eight marks and had four hit outs as back up to Will Verrall in the second half - it wasn’t enough as Geelong reigned in the lead through persistent attacks and eventually clawed their way to the lead early in the last and held it till they achieved the end aim of victory.

        • Like
      • 0 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • REPORT: Geelong

      I was disappointed to hear Goody say at his post match presser after the team’s 39 point defeat against Geelong that "we're getting high quality entry, just poor execution" because Melbourne’s problems extend far beyond that after its 0 - 4 start to the 2025 football season. There are clearly problems with poor execution, some of which were evident well before the current season and were in play when the Demons met the Cats in early May last year and beat them in a near top-of-the-table clash that saw both sides sitting comfortably in the top four after round eight. Since that game, the Demons’ performances have been positively Third World with only five wins in 19 games with a no longer majestic midfield and a dysfunctional forward line that has become too easy for opposing coaches to counter. This is an area of their game that is currently being played out as if they were all completely panic-stricken.

        • Thanks
        • Like
      • 0 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • NON-MFC: Round 04

      Round 4 kicks off with a blockbuster on Thursday night as traditional rivals Collingwood and Carlton clash at the MCG, with the Magpies looking to assert themselves as early-season contenders and the Blues seeking their first win of the season. Saturday opens with Gold Coast hosting Adelaide, a key test for the Suns as they aim to back up their big win last week, while the Crows will be looking to keep their perfect record intact. Reigning wooden spooners Richmond have the daunting task of facing reigning premiers Brisbane at the ‘G and the Lions will be eager to reaffirm their premiership credentials after a patchy start. Saturday night sees North Melbourne take on Sydney at Marvel Stadium, with the Swans looking to build on their first win of the season last week against a rebuilding Roos outfit. Sunday’s action begins with GWS hosting West Coast at ENGIE Stadium, a game that could get ugly very early for the visitors. Port Adelaide vs St Kilda at Adelaide Oval looms as a interesting clash, with both clubs form being very hard to read. The round wraps up with Fremantle taking on the Western Bulldogs at Optus Stadium in what could be a fierce contest between two sides with top-eight ambitions. Who are you tipping this week and what are the best results for the Demons besides us winning?

        • Thanks
      • 273 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland
    View All