Dr. Gonzo

No way, it will be over 80k easily

I hope so - it seems GA, AFL Members and MCC reserved seats are mostly sold out so the only spots left would be Melbourne membership reserved areas and MCC walk up. I bought my tickets weeks ago, bottom level southern stand wing and I'll be cheering and hopefully giving it to the Richmond supporters around us as we tear them apart

Anyone who can go but chooses not to is doing a great disservice to the club. If we want these blockbusters and to be treated like we matter by the AFL then it is on the supporters to actually turn up and support. We need to get over 80k, preferably over 85k again.

At least we're not Sydney https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/apr/18/vegemite-on-toast-gets-deconstructed-and-the-internet-is-not-happy

The zone is either side of the man on the mark but not behind. As long as the player is slightly behind the parallel line of the mark when the player with the ball plays on it's fine.

Alcoholic journalists on the other hand...

Probably looking for a similar MCG deal that Collingwood have (minimum 17 games, whole Ponsford stand reserved for both home and away etc)

Today's Age article indicates we're getting something for facilities but not sure if this is just Casey. Also with new MCG deal tenant clubs should get around $170k extra per home game, so for us about $1.2-$1.3m per year. https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/inside-story-how-the-mcg-won-the-grand-final-for-the-next-40-years-20180413-p4z9jq.html But the MCG returned serve with an offer of about $8 million each year for its tenant clubs, roughly guaranteeing an extra $170,000 for each tenant club and every home. The only Victorian clubs overlooked in the complex multi-stadium deal were Essendon, whose government submission came in late, North Melbourne and Richmond. Hawthorn, which spent much of 2017 in an administrative black hole and is still finalising plans for its new Dingley home, did not apply.

We need to get to a baseline of 50k hopefully finals this year will help that.

Ponsford stand is all Collingwood reserved areas for all their MCG games (home and away). So those empty spaces are due to Collingwood supporters no showing.

There was 85k last year and 88k at ANZAC Day. There was steady rain for both games from memory.

The only reason it won't get 85k is if the weather is a torrential downpour or MFC members don't turn up. I don't think either will be the case.

Plenty are. Can't play one on one. Not worth what we paid. Is struggling on the bigger ground (MCG). Poor disposal. Etc etc

If we can pull wins out over the next couple of weeks we should be aiming at 45k. Shouldn't underestimate the value of Anzac Eve as a home game (every 2nd year) moving forward either, being a member may be the only way to get a decent seat.

He's 22. He's still 2 or 3 years off his peak. Maybe we should give him more than 3 games before writing him off hey

That's what I thought - so the fact we are getting the arms up in tackles to get a handball away means even when we are "tackled" on those occasions it does not count towards the tackle count as we are able to get away an effective disposal.

That's a good point, tackles only count if you don't get a possession off don't they? (Or do they break the tackles stat down to effective and ineffective tackles?) We seem to be raising our arms to get handballs off in a tackle far more this year (and Petracca just bulldozing through tacklers) which would result in fewer effective tackles.

Was going to say the same thing. We're more prepared to move the ball forward at all costs, knock ons, kick off the ground, quick handballs over the top of a tackler. Previous years we've more inclined to handball backwards then sideways and around in a circle. I'd say moving it forward and getting a kick off quicker would result in being tackled less.

This guy seems to have gone to another level this year. He seems to be really enjoying his footy and the freedom that had come from playing further up the ground and being allowed to play his natural game rather than sitting in the goal square with defenders hanging off him. His body language has improved exponentially and he is in career best form. This is a credit to a young man who endured a year of hell in 2017. I look forward to watching the rest of his season and career play out, he will be a key piece to our 13th flag when we finally get there.

I've read somewhere that Adelaide Oval has narrow pockets (ie when you're standing on the boundary to have a shot at goal the goal face is wider than at other grounds. This is the opposite of Subiaco which had deep pockets and made shots from there much harder). I wonder if this had an effect of making it easier to zone off in defence and get to contests quicker. Obviously being able to read the play is necessary as well but playing in a wider defensive 50 may be having an impact.

What were we at this stage last year?

Haha "ass-burgers" 13 disposals, 1 goal, 0 tackles today. Just sayin

I don't necessarily disagree with that. I don't think the MFC needs to be a martyr to the cause though.

You just described marketing, advertising and capitalism.