1 hour ago, Sir Why You Little said:

The NRL went to Vegas last week 

there is no point having Round Zero 

Good point

It was explained last year that they were taking advantage of no NRL in Sydney or Brisbane.

Obviously it's now a television/money play which just makes the long season another week longer

 

4 hours ago, Demonland said:

I don't understand the hostility toward the Opening Round concept, especially with people using the cyclone as supposed evidence against it.

My problem is that round one is the second round.

Round zero is ridiculous.

Opening round has always been round one. I don't care if it's a split round.

 

8 minutes ago, ManDee said:

My problem is that round one is the second round.

Round zero is ridiculous.

Opening round has always been round one. I don't care if it's a split round.

You were expecting a good naming convention from the organisation that gave us this?

1 minute ago, Demonland said:

You were expecting a good naming convention from the organisation that gave us this?

Didn't we win that?

Edited March 5, 20251 yr by ManDee
And I think we remain undefeated champions!

3 minutes ago, ManDee said:

Didn't we win that?

My enthrallment with that achievement has no hold over me anymore.

1 hour ago, Demonland said:

You were expecting a good naming convention from the organisation that gave us this?

Aren't we Premiers forever?

GWS/Pies hard to tip considering the Giant outs.

But last year taught us that the NSW teams are more favoured by the extreme humidity of early March.

Edited March 5, 20251 yr by Bring-Back-Powell

5 hours ago, seventyfour said:

Soooo many reasons!

• Adds further imbalance to already unfair fixtures. Look at us last year - 5 games in 28 days to start the year.
• Why should some teams get one less week of preparation than others?
• Why should more than half of the AFL's fanbase have to wait an extra week to see their team play?
• It ruins the excitement of Round 1, whether it's for going to the games, watching on TV, and even tipping comps.
• I also get annoyed trying figure out where teams actually sit on the ladder when some have played less games than others.

agreed!

It also means there are more bye round than non-bye rounds in the season!

3 hours ago, Demonland said:

 

So the options are before round 1 or after the season is finished?

Who is running the AFL, Benny Hill?

Most likely will be a dead rubber for both teams and a waste of time.

AFL as usual trying to grab the headlines and cash for another week of the year.

And again the inconsistency, 2 teams lose their bye and the other 2 don't?  farkkn hell

3 hours ago, Demonland said:

You were expecting a good naming convention from the organisation that gave us this?

 

3 hours ago, Demonland said:

My enthrallment with that achievement has no hold over me anymore.

Did you get the AFLX Premiers arze tatt removed as well?

Tropical Cyclone Alfred has wreaked havoc on AFL Round 0 having caused the cancellation of two of the round’s four matches which stand directly in its path as it slowly meanders its way towards the SE Queensland coast. 

The season opener is now taking place in Sydney tomorrow night at 7:40pm -

The second match of the truncated opening round will take place on Sunday afternoon at 3:20pm at a venue called Engie Stadium. 

How will the AFL respond with the quandary created by the postponement of the Brisbane Lions vs Geelong and Gold Coast Suns vs Essendon games without causing major disruptions to the fixture?

Swans and Pies comfortably (unfortunately)

With my MFC hat on two draws would be nice but I might even be happier with a 100 point loss by the Pies

Can’t go past the favourites in this Round. Sydney and Collingwood by a clear margin in each of the two games. Hawks did well last year coming off an easy fixture in the last half of the season before they beat the Doggies dealing with some internal issues in the elimination final. They limped out against Port Adelaide in the semi. Giants have been playing below par in the practice matches and while I usually take no notice of practice matches, I can’t see them beating the Pies who have a point to prove.

The AFL can slot Brisbane vs Geelong into Round 3 where they both currently have byes. The Gold Coast vs Essendon game will be hard to fit in but who cares? 

Hopefully GWS play in heavy rain on Sunday so they're a bit tired for our game. A fair bit or rain is forecasted for Sunday.

In round 1 2021 St Kilda went up to GWS and beat them in extremely wet conditions. We were able to beat St Kilda (when Uncle Dan let us attend games that year) the following week so hoping history repeats itself with GWS.

19 minutes ago, rumpole said:

Can’t go past the favourites in this Round. Sydney and Collingwood by a clear margin in each of the two games. 

My only reservation about Collingwood beating GWS is that the away teams last year struggled with the Sydney humidity in opening round last year - particularly us against Sydney.

 

 

Rescheduled Opening Round matches

The AFL has announced that Brisbane and Geelong will play in Round 3 on Saturday, March 29 at 6:35pm (local time) at the Gabba. 

The Gold Coast Suns and Essendon will play an additional game as part of a “floating” Round 24 fixture.

This isn’t going to be a particularly satisfactory way for the Suns and Bombers to approach the finals if they’re still in the running. And if they’re not in the race, then playing two meaningless games in the last round of the season would be a complete drag.

A better option would have been to move Geelong vs Essendon from Round 14 to Round 16. That would have opened up the space for Gold Coast Suns vs Essendon in Round 14, a far more logical and less disruptive outcome but logic and the AFL don’t necessarily always go hand in hand.

Swans and Collingwood for me this weekend.

And the season opens with a whimper

Hopefully the last ever opening round before round 1

40 minutes ago, Whispering_Jack said:

Rescheduled Opening Round matches

The AFL has announced that Brisbane and Geelong will play in Round 3 on Saturday, March 29 at 6:35pm (local time) at the Gabba. 

The Gold Coast Suns and Essendon will play an additional game as part of a “floating” Round 24 fixture.

This isn’t going to be a particularly satisfactory way for the Suns and Bombers to approach the finals if they’re still in the running. And if they’re not in the race, then playing two meaningless games in the last round of the season would be a complete drag.

A better option would have been to move Geelong vs Essendon from Round 14 to Round 16. That would have opened up the space for Gold Coast Suns vs Essendon in Round 14, a far more logical and less disruptive outcome but logic and the AFL don’t necessarily always go hand in hand.

 

An idea would be for Gold Coast and Essendon to:

1) play Port and Carlton respectively on Thursday and/or Friday night of round 24.

2) then play each other in the postponed game on the following Wednesday night - 10 days before the Saturday of week 1 finals.

3) ensure either or both teams (GC and Essendon) play on the Saturday of week 1 finals to ensure they have a 10 day break into finals - should one or both of them qualify for finals.

1 hour ago, DistrACTION Jackson said:

Swans and Pies comfortably (unfortunately)

Yep, same with me.

So Essendon and GCS will be one game behind for the full season.

Will make ladder calculations just that more difficult but good training for the never ending bye we will see if a nineteenth team joins the league

21 minutes ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

An idea would be for Gold Coast and Essendon to:

1) play Port and Carlton respectively on Thursday and/or Friday night of round 24.

2) then play each other in the postponed game on the following Wednesday night - 10 days before the Saturday of week 1 finals.

3) ensure either or both teams (GC and Essendon) play on the Saturday of week 1 finals to ensure they have a 10 day break into finals - should one or both of them qualify for finals.

AFL would be very happy and would be hoping the Ess vs GCS will be a playoff for a finals spot. 

It is a defacto test of their much vaunted idea of having pre finals playoffs between teams 6th to 10th.

25 minutes ago, Lucifers Hero said:

AFL would be very happy and would be hoping the Ess vs GCS will be a playoff for a finals spot. 

It is a defacto test of their much vaunted idea of having pre finals playoffs between teams 6th to 10th.

I think this is the soft launching pad towards a wild card weekend from next year, to get people used to football again in the weekend prior to finals.

I know the thought of a wild card upsets and angers people greatly, but I think this is where we are heading. 7 v 10 and 8 v 9. Essentially the top 8 will become the top 6 in terms of having a genuine crack at the flag, which is fine.