14 minutes ago, leave it to deever said:

More like 15 hours on a good run.

Overnight from Sydney to Melbourne is pretty much always 10 hours and runs to the timetable.  The same is not true of the reverse, often gets in an hour or so late.

Travelling during the day... always delayed!  Also, too aggravating!

Nothing surer than us getting the hardest draw EVER as the AFL'S Whipping boys! Bank on it!

2 hours ago, Rab D Nesbitt said:

With the new 40k capacity down at KP and the enormous match day revenue the Cats rake in you'd think they'd now be at a point where they'd rather play the best sides down there rather than give away their big home ground advantage to the likes of Collingwood, in particular. I'm sure that given a choice they'd play 11 games there a year so the away games at the G thing must be an AFL directive. 

Good points.  McLacklan obviously would have changed nothing so we'll just have to wait to see if Dillon does some rejigging.

I wont hold my breath i have low expectations.

The positive media story about new CEO Dillon means nothing. Of course they will cosy up to him. 

They need access to AFL people same as media need access to politicans. Its just a game.

 

2 hours ago, picket fence said:

Nothing surer than us getting the hardest draw EVER as the AFL'S Whipping boys! Bank on it!

Thanks Pf. We did get to play a couple of easybeats a few times this year. The main issue, I thought for us was travel.  In particular Kardinia and Tasmania. Add our self imposed Nt game which is a long hike and that's three more trips the pies didn't make.

Playing Devil's advocate, you could make the case we travel less interstate clubs though.  With that in mind , I don't think ours was woeful but we were certainly at a distinct disadvantage compared to clubs like league pet the pies , blues, Geelong and Dons. No surprises there I guess.

1 hour ago, Deebauched said:

Good points.  McLacklan obviously would have changed nothing so we'll just have to wait to see if Dillon does some rejigging.

I wont hold my breath i have low expectations.

The positive media story about new CEO Dillon means nothing. Of course they will cosy up to him. 

They need access to AFL people same as media need access to politicans. Its just a game.

 

With the increased capacity there also needs to be a larger % of seating assigned to the visiting support. Particularly Melbourne based opponents. There should be a section of the ground where seats are not allocated to season ticket holders and instead are sold on a game by game basis, say 3,000 perhaps. These are first offered to the away side and can be purchased through the club by their own members, one bay at a time. Any that remain unsold by the Thursday of a Saturday game for example can then be purchased by home fans. 

On 06/10/2023 at 09:04, defuture15 said:

More 1.10 games please!

Back in the bad old days mo more please we deserve marquee games on free to air 

16 minutes ago, leave it to deever said:

Thanks Pf. We did get to play a couple of easybeats a few times this year. The main issue, I thought for us was travel.  In particular Kardinia and Tasmania. Add our self imposed Nt game which is a long hike and that's three more trips the pies didn't make.

Playing Devil's advocate, you could make the case we travel less interstate clubs though.  With that in mind , I don't think ours was woeful but we were certainly at a distinct disadvantage compared to clubs like league pet the pies , blues, Geelong and Dons. No surprises there I guess.

You are assuming that travel games are harder which isn’t the case all the time. WC and North at Blundstone are easy games It often depends on the time that are played at. 

4 hours ago, Rab D Nesbitt said:

With the new 40k capacity down at KP and the enormous match day revenue the Cats rake in you'd think they'd now be at a point where they'd rather play the best sides down there rather than give away their big home ground advantage to the likes of Collingwood, in particular. I'm sure that given a choice they'd play 11 games there a year so the away games at the G thing must be an AFL directive. 

How do you know that in 2024 ? Draw not out yet. Cats may still make more out of 80/90,000 at G . 

Gees have a winge!
 

Why will Pies love it? They may still not be drawn to play at the Cattery.

Also better to see a grandstand opened than a flag unfurled !!! 

Just now, 58er said:

Gees have a winge!
 

Why will Pies love it? They may still not be drawn to play at the Cattery.

Also better to see a grandstand opened than a flag unfurled !!! 

Above post for Debauched. 

10 minutes ago, 58er said:

You are assuming that travel games are harder which isn’t the case all the time. WC and North at Blundstone are easy games It often depends on the time that are played at. 

The fact is we fared much better at the Mcg than our interstate games. Also it disrupts routines and fatigues a little more. But yea Wc and Norf were easy ones but we still have to play them. 

8 minutes ago, 58er said:

How do you know that in 2024 ? Draw not out yet. Cats may still make more out of 80/90,000 at G . 

I don't know. I never said I did. It's a thought using Collingwood as an example. 

Given that small percentages can be the differences between a win and a loss, would Geelong rather....

$1 million profit (ie) & play reigning premiers at Kardinia Park.

$1.2 million profit (ie) & play your allocated home game against the reigning premiers at their home ground. 

 

Sounds like we will play Bulldogs again in round 1

 

Edited November 3, 20231 yr by Mickey

Cant we get a tougher game than the puppies! ??? I know ... lets play them at Whitten Oval!!! What a Hoot that would be, now lets see shades of 87 reimagined!!!!

1 hour ago, Mickey said:

Sounds like we will play Bulldogs again in round 1

 

Again? Id rather play Essendon and get maybe 70,000.

Missed the news but what is meant by "Round Zero"?

1 hour ago, Diamond_Jim said:

Missed the news but what is meant by "Round Zero"?

Round Zero is a code/acronym that clubs are using to refer to the four northern state games to open the year, prior to the actual 9 games of proper round 1 on March 14-17.

Obviously we’ll be one of the teams involved in round Zero (against Sydney) and we will get a bye before or after Anzac round to even the ledger.

 

 

On 03/11/2023 at 20:41, Diamond_Jim said:

Missed the news but what is meant by "Round Zero"?

It's going to be played in Nhill.

42 minutes ago, binman said:

It's going to be played in Nhill.

Very good you win the prize for the best comment today. 

Edited November 6, 20231 yr by old dee

2 hours ago, binman said:

It's going to be played in Nhill.

As long as it is not played in the parish of Bumbang

We could have a round 1 prequel and all participants get a bye in round 9 and 3/4. 

I wonder if the 2024 fixture will have a new flavour about it? For example:

1) Playing West Coast at the MCG for the first time since 2014.

2) Not playing Geelong as the away team for the first time since 2014. (2020 doesn’t count as we were originally scheduled to play them in the pre COVID fixture)

3) Playing Essendon twice in a year for the first time since 2005.

4) Playing GWS at Giants stadium for the first time since 2014.

 

5 hours ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

I wonder if the 2024 fixture will have a new flavour about it? For example:

1) Playing West Coast at the MCG for the first time since 2014.

2) Not playing Geelong as the away team for the first time since 2014. (2020 doesn’t count as we were originally scheduled to play them in the pre COVID fixture)

3) Playing Essendon twice in a year for the first time since 2005.

4) Playing GWS at Giants stadium for the first time since 2014.

 

Will likely strike out on most of those. Maybe Essendonx2 but we did bomb out in the finals again.

Id play dees against that lot in R1 not the Bulldogs.

Will Melb get a rest from playing at the Gabba and Norff in Tas.? Wishful thinking.

20 hours ago, Deebauched said:

Will likely strike out on most of those. Maybe Essendonx2 but we did bomb out in the finals again.

Id play dees against that lot in R1 not the Bulldogs.

Will Melb get a rest from playing at the Gabba and Norff in Tas.? Wishful thinking.

It's almost getting to the point where I wonder if it's us as a club that requests to play in Hobart rather than the AFL forcing us to go down there. Presumably to play in front of our Tassie faithful.

2016, 2017, 2019, 2020 (pre COVID fixture), 2021 and 2023 seems more than just a coincidence. We've either lost close games in Hobart or had almighty scares while North were worse than bad.

GABBA - 5 of last 6 years if you include the pre covid 2020 fixture which ended up being in Metricon.

Edited November 7, 20231 yr by Bring-Back-Powell