20 hours ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

Totally agree. Would rather play them at the SCG. 

Sydney have given us sorts of problems over the years, especially at the MCG and we've beaten them just twice since 2006...Twice!!

We've beaten them once at the MCG between 2002 - 2020.

2018 they cost us a top 4 spot when we lost to them at the G.

2019 they beats us by 9 goals in that horrid Friday night game despite them being horribly out of form.

2020 they cost us a top 8 spot.

Does Longmire have a special desire to beat Melbourne more than any other side?? You would think so given they always rise to the occasion against us.

 

I'm not sure of the numbers but my intuition tells me that interstate teams pick up a gear when they get the rare chance to play at the MCG, The additional motivation of playing there plus the fact Melboure are known as a flakey team means interstate sides are often pumped and jump out of the blocks against us.

It goes without saying that we need to somehow make the MCG a fortress.

Over to you Simon.

4 hours ago, jnrmac said:

I'm not sure of the numbers but my intuition tells me that interstate teams pick up a gear when they get the rare chance to play at the MCG, The additional motivation of playing there plus the fact Melboure are known as a flakey team means interstate sides are often pumped and jump out of the blocks against us.

It goes without saying that we need to somehow make the MCG a fortress.

Over to you Simon.

Some how but Good luck with the last line jnr.

19 hours ago, DeeZone said:

Personally I hate Friday night games always a rush, no parking and a late night home after walking back into the city to pick up the car and driving back to Doreen.!!!! 

Merry Xmas all on Demonland,,,!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wish you DZ and all of your loved ones the very best. Hope that 2021 is something back to normal and sanity for all of us.

Well, State Premiers have shown in the last week how trigger happy they are with borders. 

What are chances of getting a remotely 'normal' season played?

The biggest risk to the fixture is WA:

• To get unquarantined entry a State must have zero local transmission cases for 28 days.  No chance of all the eastern states achieving and maintaining that.
• They retrospectively imposed border/quarantine restrictions to people already in the state.
• They are dead set stubborn on trying to make (any type of) sporting fixtures work.

Wouldn't be surprised if the AFL is doing a deep dive into where to place the hubs for 2021.

Hopefully, sanity prevails and state premiers find a way of allowing people movement without shutting borders every time a dozen people get ill.  Not optimistic on this at all.

Well, I like our fixture: while it lasted ?

Edited January 2, 20214 yr by Lucifer's Hero

On 12/21/2020 at 3:50 PM, JTR said:

Only 2 games at Marvel.  ?

I base this on nothing other than memory, but that seems less than usual?

Pencil us in for 2 wins at Marvel, dead set specials at our fortress.

2 hours ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

Well, State Premiers have shown in the last week how trigger happy they are with borders. 

What are chances of getting a remotely 'normal' season played?

The biggest risk to the fixture is WA:

• To get unquarantined entry a State must have zero local transmission cases for 28 days.  No chance of all the eastern states achieving and maintaining that.
• They retrospectively imposed border/quarantine restrictions to people already in the state.
• They are dead set stubborn on trying to make (any type of) sporting fixtures work.

Wouldn't be surprised if the AFL is doing a deep dive into where to place the hubs for 2021.

Hopefully, sanity prevails and state premiers find a way of allowing people movement without shutting borders every time a dozen people get ill.  Not optimistic on this at all.

Well, I like our fixture: while it lasted ?

100% correct.It just stuns me with the borders. It is a virus and there will be a vaccine in march. if WA wants to play hardball then sit out eagles and dockers for the season. mcgowan can get stuffed.

5 hours ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

What are chances of getting a remotely 'normal' season played?

Zero

There will be at least one more outbreak in one of the 5 States in which AFL teams are based before July which is probably the earliest month by which we will have around 20-30% of the population vaccinated.

After July the vulnerable will have been vaccinated so the Premiers might be prepared to be a bit more lenient with their border closures.

No more than 50% crowds until May at the earliest is my guess in Victoria.

TBH the AFL might be better delaying the season openers until May. I'm sure the players are sick of hubs.

As it has started, 2021 will be a sputtering year where we take a few steps forward and then get belted back. By September we should have a fair idea of the world's roadmap to exit this mess.

Anyway it's only footy...many overseas are now fighting for their lives

 

 

Edited January 2, 20214 yr by Diamond_Jim

I really hope we’re not hubbing in QLD again this year.

 

17 hours ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

I really hope we’re not hubbing in QLD again this year.

I prefer no hubs.  And, I wonder whether the industry would accept another year of hubs? 

From known and rumoured tales the hubs took quite a personal toll on some coaches, some players, absent family and solo attendees.  Not to mention rumours of unreported and unsanctioned breaches of AFL and covid protocols - the old its ok just don't get caught!

The AFLPA and AFLCA may take some convincing to set up hubs, especially clubs from NSW and Vic who had no opportunity to get home during the hub regime.

Lets hope the vaccine arrives early and is effective (and Premiers get sensible on border closing) so that the season can continue as featured without hubs, even with reduced crowds.

17 hours ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

I really hope we’re not hubbing in QLD again this year.

 

Conversely , and looking how the current Vic - NSW originated outbreak is being managed by all states, I think there is a reasonable chance if a hub is needed it will be a combined WA/SA/Vic bubble, and NSW and QLD (unfortuantely and unfairly  for Lions and Suns) teams will relocate here.

 

I have hope of seeing our great club play at the  Gee in front of a crowd in 2021 and in front of their members waving  red and blue flags and cheering the boys on. Twenty thousand or  so mostly members   and singing the song  as they venture out onto the ground. So be it to start with.

The adrenalin pumping through your veins   and being loud just supporting the boys in that famous jumper. I won't miss it for the world. Ending the day with a big win singing the song again and again,

Bring  on the opening round against Freo. 

 

Edited January 3, 20214 yr by nosoupforme

This will send shivers thru the AFL fixture planners:  "A person with coronavirus has visited the MCG on day two of the Melbourne Test...making it an exposure site...Importantly, the state government says the man is believed to have not been infectious when he attended the test".

"Anyone seated in the great southern stand at the MCG on December 27 - day 2 of the Boxing Day test - is being asked to get a test and go into isolation, the state government says".

victoria-records-one-new-local-case-of-coronavirus

If he wasn't infectious at the G not sure why they want people tested.  Insurance, I guess, in case more info comes to hand.

NSW take note for the SCG test tomorrow - should it go crowd less?.

Edited January 5, 20214 yr by Lucifer's Hero

12 minutes ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

This will send shivers thru the AFL fixture planners:  "A person with coronavirus has visited the MCG on day two of the Melbourne Test...making it an exposure site...Importantly, the state government says the man is believed to have not been infectious when he attended the test".

victoria-records-one-new-local-case-of-coronavirus

And a very good reason for the SCG test tomorrow to be made crowdless.

The exact reason I won't be going to a game this side of July at the earliest. 

.

Edited January 5, 20214 yr by Lucifer's Hero

I think relocating the 2 WA teams to SA (where the quarantine requirements have been less stringent) and the 2 NSW teams to Queensland (where the infection rates have been low) would cut down the variables considerably.  I recognise it's very hard on those 4 teams but IMO it's the least disruptive / most effective measure that could be taken.

On 1/3/2021 at 10:12 AM, Demon17 said:

Conversely , and looking how the current Vic - NSW originated outbreak is being managed by all states, I think there is a reasonable chance if a hub is needed it will be a combined WA/SA/Vic bubble, and NSW and QLD (unfortuantely and unfairly  for Lions and Suns) teams will relocate here.

 

Why unfairly for  Lions and Suns?
They had the advantage in 2020 now it's our turn!!!

 

On 1/2/2021 at 11:09 AM, dl4e said:

100% correct.It just stuns me with the borders. It is a virus and there will be a vaccine in march. if WA wants to play hardball then sit out eagles and dockers for the season. mcgowan can get stuffed.

Beyond the AFL, and I'm a Lib voter McGowan's border closures have been fantastic for those of us living in WA.

We went hard early and have pretty much been living normal lives since May

Kids missed 5 weeks of school (2 of which were school holidays)

Work is pretty much back to normal with the main impact being the job keeper payments are making it hard to attract staff for some businesses 

Gyms, swimming pools etc all operating normally for several months

Pubs restaurants etc functioning pretty normal 

Junior and Community sport all got seasons in and summer sports still continuing.

I'm sure we will get a  cluster, but for now very happy with how things are going 

Sorry but life goes beyond the AFL

with Qld having its first hotel quarantine virus breakout case today that only leaves WA of all the football playing States to experience that happening. 

2021 will be interesting to say the least

On 1/6/2021 at 12:48 PM, Pollyanna said:

I think relocating the 2 WA teams to SA (where the quarantine requirements have been less stringent) and the 2 NSW teams to Queensland (where the infection rates have been low) would cut down the variables considerably.  I recognise it's very hard on those 4 teams but IMO it's the least disruptive / most effective measure that could be taken.

Agree in principle but I’d send Qld to NSW. The Lions had a big home field advantage last year so not fair they get the same advantage 2 years in a row. Perhaps the QLD restrictions preclude this (Gladys and Anastasia having been butting heads for months). And if i'm not mistaken I don;t think Port or the Crows had to hub anywhere last year either so sending them to WA seems fair.

On 1/6/2021 at 5:03 PM, Pennant St Dee said:

Beyond the AFL, and I'm a Lib voter McGowan's border closures have been fantastic for those of us living in WA.

We went hard early and have pretty much been living normal lives since May

Kids missed 5 weeks of school (2 of which were school holidays)

Work is pretty much back to normal with the main impact being the job keeper payments are making it hard to attract staff for some businesses 

Gyms, swimming pools etc all operating normally for several months

Pubs restaurants etc functioning pretty normal 

Junior and Community sport all got seasons in and summer sports still continuing.

I'm sure we will get a  cluster, but for now very happy with how things are going 

Sorry but life goes beyond the AFL

I originally thought there must be a middle ground whereby a controlled border approach with some crossings allowed could be established. Tourism has been badly impacted so why not try to keep that and similar sectors afloat?

Once Victoria reached zero transmission and life returned to normal (or at least a lot closer to normal) I changed my mind. I enjoyed having my liberties back and would prefer to keep them.

1 hour ago, Better days ahead said:

I originally thought there must be a middle ground whereby a controlled border approach with some crossings allowed could be established. Tourism has been badly impacted so why not try to keep that and similar sectors afloat?

Once Victoria reached zero transmission and life returned to normal (or at least a lot closer to normal) I changed my mind. I enjoyed having my liberties back and would prefer to keep them.

Yep, must say we've been very lucky over here.

Hate to think of the mental health implications with lockdown 

On 1/6/2021 at 4:18 PM, 58er said:

Why unfairly for  Lions and Suns?
They had the advantage in 2020 now it's our turn!!!

 

Absolutely.

I would have no sympathy for Brisbane if they had to hub in VIC this year.

They played just 3 games outside of QLD in 2020 and played a bunch of away games in the comfort of Metricon. And interestingly they lost 2 of their 3 interstate trips.

They had one of the biggest fixture advantages in recent history and only have themselves to blame for not making the grand final when they had the inside running.

15 hours ago, Better days ahead said:

Agree in principle but I’d send Qld to NSW. The Lions had a big home field advantage last year so not fair they get the same advantage 2 years in a row. Perhaps the QLD restrictions preclude this (Gladys and Anastasia having been butting heads for months). And if i'm not mistaken I don;t think Port or the Crows had to hub anywhere last year either so sending them to WA seems fair.

Port and Adelaide certainly bubbled in SE Queensland between rounds 3 and 7.

On 1/6/2021 at 5:03 PM, Pennant St Dee said:

Beyond the AFL, and I'm a Lib voter McGowan's border closures have been fantastic for those of us living in WA.

We went hard early and have pretty much been living normal lives since May

Kids missed 5 weeks of school (2 of which were school holidays)

Work is pretty much back to normal with the main impact being the job keeper payments are making it hard to attract staff for some businesses 

Gyms, swimming pools etc all operating normally for several months

Pubs restaurants etc functioning pretty normal 

Junior and Community sport all got seasons in and summer sports still continuing.

I'm sure we will get a  cluster, but for now very happy with how things are going 

Sorry but life goes beyond the AFL

I agree but what I find amusing is whilst scrolling through social media this morning the first thing I see is....

FB (9 News) : Greater Brisbane entering three day lockdown to prevent the spread of the UK virus strain.

Insta (Melbourne AFLW) : A photo of the three Irish female players with the caption “En route to Aus”.

 

Sutton's warning for new AFL season

"While the permits will be easily secured should the virus be under control, Premier Dan Andrews said on Monday he would not hesitate to change the status of an interstate city from green to red within hours, potentially meaning teams would have to scramble home, thereby adding more fixture drama".

Does not bode well.  Having whole teams stranded interstate would be a terrible situation and would really derail a fixture, even a condensed one.

As I mentioned in an earlier post the personal toll of the 2020 hubs may make it difficult for the AFL to get buy in from the AFLPA and the AFLCA to set up hubs again.