binman

Just listening to sen about channel 7s cricket coverage. Apparently they are using their influencer to get CA to have aus play Zimbabwe in tbe upcoming test series.

The only figure that matters for broadcasters is ratings. And they are down.

Apologies for being unnecessarily dismissive 1. No one expected them to improve at all is my recollection. Most had them pegged as wooden spoons or thereabouts. They don't have the cattle so improvement was never going to happen. In fact they have gone backwards. The AFL would have known this was a likely scenario. I can't recall Ess, Tigers or Pies getting an unusually high number of prime FTA games in the last few years but might be wrong. But it wouldn't surprise me as the AFL determine the draw and as i have been at pains to say have their own agenda and rationale for choosing low rating Vic sides. I suspect it is to ensure they remain strong barbecue it is critical to the survival of the AFL. All channel 7 would care about is having games that rate well and they have a surfeit of evidence in the last few years that carlton don't rate and fans don't watch boring games between bottom of the table sides. 2. I agree - and have said a number of times - that Foxtel and Channel 7 influence when games are scheduled.

1. What a load of rubbish. They were almost universally picked to be bottom four. Name one football commentator who said they would make the 8 least alone be 'the fairy tale team of 2018'. They are crap and have been for years and since he started at the blues Bolton has them playing a boring defense first style. Add the fact that they have at best two marketable 'stars' and blind freddy could see they were a shocking option to be playing in such ccritical time slots. The critical number is not a teams estimated fan base it is the number of people who tune into the game. Besides, by that list there are middle of the table in fan base with 8 clubs above them an, four of which being Vic clubs. And with nearly 100k memebers surely Richmond have gone past them. 2. Again rubbish. Assuming you mean who is playing in particular matches not when matches are being played. If it were true there is no way they would use that influence to have Carlton playing ANY FTA games given Carlton were given quite a few cherry time slots in in 2015, 2016 and to a lesser extends 2017 (and plenty this year) and, unsurprisingly, they did nod not rate. I do agree however that the AFL are desperate for the blues to be relevant again. Which is why the most logical scenario is that they have made the call, probably in spite of protests from Channel 7, to select Carlton to play so many Friday night games. After all it is their call.

The blues have had a disproportionate number of FTA games over the last few years and the ratings have suffered. Given this evidence you cannot seriously be suggesting that a commercial operation would lobby the AFL to play a team that will ensure low ratings on multiple Friday night games. That if they did have influence they wouldn't use it to have a blockbuster every Friday night and picks teams contending for finals. You know, to make more money. They are a for profit company are they not? Please.

The explanation is obvious. Channel 7 have little to no influence on the the teams selected to play in FTA key time slots such as Friday nights. It is completely illogical to suggest they do - regardless of what 'documents' SWYL alleges to have seen. Why? Because their business model is based on advertising revenue, which in turn is based on ratings. As the ratings have shown this year their Friday nights have been a disaster. Imagine a CEO explaining to his/her board that the reason for the terrible ratings and falling advertising revenue is because you influenced the AFL to schedule one of the worst teams in the modern era with a dwindling fan base who play boring low scoring football and only have two stars to play multiple Friday night games. If they had they any influence on which teams play in the FTA games they would move heaven and earth to have clubs like the Tigers and Hawks (and winning teams) play as often as possible in the prime slots and not have the blues play any FTA games at all. Why? Because these games would rate well and they would result in increased advertising revenue. Simples. Of course they - and Foxtel for that matter - have influence over things such as start times (the sunday 3:20 FTA game leading into the news and the standalone WA game Foxtel get Sunday night being two good examples) and for example the decision to play games on Thursday nights. But clearly little in who actually plays in those games. The real question is why the AFL continue to gift Carlton so many cherry FTA games. The answer might be they want to keep them relevant and its cheaper than pouring equlisation money into their coffers to do so. Or as the conspiracy theorist might argue the AFL is overly influenced by blue supporting power brokers

But if you do don't explain any complex strategies, with the exception of the kaos ball.

Well according to SWYL Channel 7 used their influence to get the blues as many Friday night FTA games as possible. he has seen the paperwork. Apparently they are no interested in ratings or advertising revenue. Such things are so last century. They are hell bent on getting blues the exposure their exciting brand of football demands.

i don't have one. One of the running gags in Get Smart was Max having something complex explained to him and him listening intently only to say after the person had finished something along the lines of 'i got everything up to....(eg listen carefully Mr Smart)' An example from a 1967 episode: "# 99: Now listen carefully. We've got to keep you out of sight for two weeks until after the Tudbury trial. Now we'll pretend to keep you here in Control headquarters. Actually we'll take you on a helicopter to hideout B, which is the penthouse suite in the Warfield hotel. Then we'll take you down an express elevator to hideout C which is the basement suite in the Warfield hotel. Then we'll take you out the back way up the fire escape to hideout D which is a shack on top of the Warfield hotel. Have you got that? Maxwell Smart: Not all of it, 99. # 99: What part didn't you get? Maxwell Smart: The part after 'listen carefully'. A bad joke on my part if it needs explaining, depending as it does on a working knowledge of Get Smart (my all time favourite TV show).

For mine Spar goes and JKH comes in.

But is always greener somewhere else.

I'd love Keilty to get a run DZ

One change from the team that comprehensively beat North Melbourne VFL last week - JKH promoted to the AFL. Likely replacement - Angus Scott

Surely avb would have to play more than 3 vfl games before a call up after so long off? It is worth noting that he only played 3 qs on sat.

Has his form been that good in the VFL? I watched the second half last week and was excellent i thought. Skills in the conditions were top shelf and his 3 golas were match winning. looks fit and strong i wouldn't mind seeing him get a crack

To paraphrase one of the great modern thinkers - Maxwell Smart - i got everything up to Part one:

Add hannebery and it will be a tough midfield to break into

No he's not

Umpire said "umpires call is a goal', meaning the review had to be 100% clear it hit the post (on the disposal BEFORE the goal, which is weird). I was alert to it because i backed Jeffy to kick most goals and that would have given him 2

Seem an ok bloke but embarrassing as a commentator. Makes up words and phrases and mangles the English language in what sounds an attempt to sound intelligent. Any number of examples last night. One being his description of a 50 metre penalty as something like and 'on field territory penalty' . The comment about TMac's mark attempt was plain weird because Tmac should have marked it as in Dermie like words 'tom enginered a clean, unchallenged run at the oval leather transference in such a way that he was unimpeded by the defensive player giving him free access to the ball and statistically a very high chance of stopping the forward motion of the ball long enough to be awarded the mark by the officiating official'

Have to agree with the last paragraph.

Careful. You might get labelled a nuffy by an elite talent spotter

Im picturing bbo on a 100% polyester safari suit with huge sweat pathes under each armpit

You do realise it is 2018 don't you? The modern era? The last time the blues won a flag was nearly a quarter of a century ago. By the by do you still believe that Channel 7 have used their 'influence' to get Blues plum free to air games this year. Because, you know the blues are so successful and all in the modern era that its total winner for a free to air broadcaster to have lots of their games on the tele.

Curnow looks the goods doesn't he. I still have faith weed will be good for us but whilst big blokes take time you would hope he would be pretty close to being a permanent member of our side by the end of this year givwn next year is his fourth at afl level