2 hours ago, Demons11 said:

Geeze lots of people carrying on about nothing here.   Playing in nice warm weather, away with the boys, the club makes some cash, there is a crowd and we smash Adelaide by 90 pts. We also haven’t travelled much this year 

“Nice warm weather” have you ever been to a Darwin game? It’s hot and humid and drains the players…

Well there goes the season. 
Sorry but what a way to absolutely [censored] us right before finals with top 4 hopes hanging by a thread. 
Just a complete and utter joke. 

3 minutes ago, Jaded said:

Well there goes the season. 
Sorry but what a way to absolutely [censored] us right before finals with top 4 hopes hanging by a thread. 
Just a complete and utter joke. 

Is it official?

We must be near insolvent and ready to hand the keys back to the AFL if we're voluntarily agreeing to host Adelaide in Darwin given the following factors:

1) Home quarantining from Thursday lunch time to Saturday morning in preparation for a game day arrival for Gold Coast.

2) Hub/quarantine in Perth for a full week in preparation for the West Coast game.

3) Play Adelaide the week after in Darwin in energy sapping conditions just 3 week prior to finals, while at the same time alienating Melbourne's heart and soul (VIC crowds could well be 25% on 14 August) who have had just 7 opportunities to see their side play since round 1 2020 despite paying good money for a membership.

4) Then facing Geelong at the most difficult venue in the AFL in a presumed top 4 win or bust game - with the likes of Jackson, Jordon, Spargo, Rivers, and Pickett being physically and mentally destroyed after a 3 week circus over the country.

I just cannot fathom why our club would be jeopardising everything other than that we are near broke and diabolically need a cheque from the NT.

Struggling to grasp this news.

 

10 minutes ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

We must be near insolvent and ready to hand the keys back to the AFL if we're voluntarily agreeing to host Adelaide in Darwin given the following factors:

1) Home quarantining from Thursday lunch time to Saturday morning in preparation for a game day arrival for Gold Coast.

2) Hub/quarantine in Perth for a full week in preparation for the West Coast game.

3) Play Adelaide the week after in Darwin in energy sapping conditions just 3 week prior to finals, while at the same time alienating Melbourne's heart and soul (VIC crowds could well be 25% on 14 August) who have had just 7 opportunities to see their side play since round 1 2020 despite paying good money for a membership.

4) Then facing Geelong at the most difficult venue in the AFL in a presumed top 4 win or bust game - with the likes of Jackson, Jordon, Spargo, Rivers, and Pickett being physically and mentally destroyed after a 3 week circus over the country.

I just cannot fathom why our club would be jeopardising everything other than that we are near broke and diabolically need a cheque from the NT.

Struggling to grasp this news.

 

Every club is struggling now BBP.  Saints struggling to keep the lights on. Even the powerhouses. Richmond losing tens of millions after boosting resources following success. Melbourne one of a few clubs last year that didn't need AFL assistance so suspect we're still better off than most but the NT game will net us 1 million.

I hate it and don't want us to go but I sympathise with the decision. Interstate clubs have won flags off the back of 4-5 weeks on the road across the end of the season and finals. We can do it. But I don't think we will, and it will be the hot topic when we're knocked out of finals. Hope to be proven wrong.

Edited July 29, 20214 yr by praha

2 minutes ago, praha said:

Every club is struggling now BBP.  Saints struggling to keep the lights on. Even the powerhouses. Richmond losing tens of millions after boosting resources following success. Melbourne one of a few clubs last year that didn't need AFL assistance so suspect we're still better off than most but the NT game will net us 1 million.

I hate it and don't want us to go but I sympathise with the decision. Interstate clubs have won flags off the back of 4-5 weeks on the road across the end of the season and finals. We can do it. But I don't think we will, and it will be the hot topic when we're knocked out of finals. Hope to be proven wrong.

I get all that but it really is an extreme example of jeopardising you top 4 hopes in exchange for finances. GC, Perth and Darwin in the space of 3 weeks is just next level imposition.

Couldn't we seek 2 home NT games next year to balance things out??

I think I'll wait to see if this is officially happening before I throw the toys out of the cot.

Is it based on anything other than Eddie McGuire's speculation at this stage?

AFL really know how to [censored] a team's season up. GC/Perth/NT/Geelong compared to Hobart/Geelong/Geelong/Geelong or Ballarat/Marvel/Launceston/Marvel. Guess Gil does not want us in the Grand Final or even the Top 4.

So the last game I attended was the round 9 win over Carlton , with the exception of GWS home game I missed, the next time I could realistically go to the footy will now be finals if we manage to score a home final in Victoria. (Assuming it’s not relocated interstate)

the timings of lockdowns and fixture changes have royally screwed us, but the cats get to play at home 3 games into finals (as usual)

if we make top 4 from here it will be massive effort - this fixture just has a real cairns feel about it all 

If the players were truly upset at how last year ended , this is their opportunity to make a statement - but in fairness it’s [censored] the cards that we’ve been dealt though. 
 

I have spoken with the club and have been assured that the Round 22 Adelaide match will be played in Melbourne at the MCG.

32 minutes ago, Clintosaurus said:

AFL really know how to [censored] a team's season up. GC/Perth/NT/Geelong compared to Hobart/Geelong/Geelong/Geelong or Ballarat/Marvel/Launceston/Marvel. Guess Gil does not want us in the Grand Final or even the Top 4.

I wonder if Pert is raising it. Geelong's armchair ride stinks.

4 minutes ago, Demonland said:

I have spoken with the club and have been assured that the Round 22 Adelaide match will be played in Melbourne at the MCG.

Nice work mate, hopefully that alleviates some stress on here. I was getting pretty angry about the thought...

4 minutes ago, Demonland said:

I have spoken with the club and have been assured that the Round 22 Adelaide match will be played in Melbourne at the MCG.

Let's not get too excited, we could still lose to Adelaide at the G #amirite?

 

insert sky falling emoji

12 minutes ago, Demonland said:

I have spoken with the club and have been assured that the Round 22 Adelaide match will be played in Melbourne at the MCG.

And also on the afl website.

All good everyone 

24 minutes ago, Demonland said:

I have spoken with the club and have been assured that the Round 22 Adelaide match will be played in Melbourne at the MCG.

If only Eddie showed the same initiative...

 

 

27 minutes ago, Demonland said:

I have spoken with the club and have been assured that the Round 22 Adelaide match will be played in Melbourne at the MCG.

You are a dead set legend!

Eddie is...not

15 minutes ago, Demon17 said:

And also on the afl website.

All good everyone 

The article on AFL site does not mention the Adelaide game

https://www.afl.com.au/news/655064/pack-your-bags-dees-and-get-set-for-a-whirlwind-tour-of-oz

17 minutes ago, Demon17 said:

And also on the afl website.

All good everyone 

Don't see anything about this game on the website? Only the next two rounds.

Well, that was an interesting thread…

Lot of demonlanders looking for an easy excuse to ‘excuse’ the team falling off a cliff 2004 style…

No, the fixture is not an excuse, no COVID isn’t either, training loads 6 weeks ago are not either…

2 hours ago, Swooper1987 said:

Is it official?

No, but that won't stop the panic attacks, the usual suspects go off half cocked on rumors and spit all type of vitriol at the club.

 

FWIW, if the rumour was at any point true, and at any time the club had considered playing in Darwin a commercially sensible option, whilst I would understand that I would disagree with it.

We have to have faith that our 2021 season is going to be indicative of medium term success, which will mean medium term financial benefits. If we finish top 4 and win a final, thereby making at least a prelim, our early-2022 fixturing should provide us with opportunities to help recoup our 2021 losses. As will increased membership/sponsorship opportunities.

Quarantine from today into a GC trip into hard and difficult quarantine in Perth into Darwin into a possibly season-defining game in Geelong (on what could very easily be a 7 or even 6 day break) will be brutal.

Thanks a bunch AFL! 

Not happy Jan?

This article says that our quarantine in Perth isn't going to be as straightforward as previous teams have had, because Joondalup resort is booked out: https://www.sen.com.au/news/2021/07/29/melbourne-thrown-covid-curveball-ahead-of-perth-trip/

Apparently we'll be in a Perth CBD hotel, but we will have some access to Optus Stadium for training and some corporate space to hang out, and Red Bull (a sponsor) is going to install some things to make our time easier (eg. a basketball ring in the corporate space).

But still, not going to be as easy it seems as the Dogs, Saints and Tigers have had.

9 minutes ago, titan_uranus said:

This article says that our quarantine in Perth isn't going to be as straightforward as previous teams have had, because Joondalup resort is booked out: https://www.sen.com.au/news/2021/07/29/melbourne-thrown-covid-curveball-ahead-of-perth-trip/

Apparently we'll be in a Perth CBD hotel, but we will have some access to Optus Stadium for training and some corporate space to hang out, and Red Bull (a sponsor) is going to install some things to make our time easier (eg. a basketball ring in the corporate space).

But still, not going to be as easy it seems as the Dogs, Saints and Tigers have had.

I do like the idea of access to Optus for training though.