Diamond_Jim

The attached article talks about data usage and more importantly for those of us still on ADSL, required internet speed. It's suggesting a minimum speed of 7.8mb/s for high definition at a data useage rate of 7Gbs per hour. Just did a speed test and I'm showing 2.8mb/s for my old ADSL line so probably no go until NBN arrives in 2020. Potential category killer if Foxtel gets it right. The flip side is that it may well destroy the "normal Foxtel" as one the sports discriminator is reduced. https://www.finder.com.au/kayo-data-usage

apparently the difference between standard and premium subscriptions are the number of devices. Two for standard... three for premium. Sharing the service between friends/family members makes it attractive. Anything about quality on the big (70-80 inch) TV's and internet speed needed to get a good stream. As Binman says this could be worthwhile and that coming from someone who hates Foxtel is a BIG concession.

Just went to look up what channel the opening T20 match against India is on this evening to find that it too is behind the paywall. As part of the search I came up with foxtel's new sports streaming product called Kayo. I see it includes AFL and has a price of $25 per month with a premium price of $35. Would be very interested in reviews and comments. In particular is it streamable to my TV and is it HD? Is there an app that I can put on my smart TV or is it simply a glorified version of phone streaming. Also what about contracts. Many thanks https://www.comparetv.com.au/kayo-sports/

Agree... it's mainly the gym and admin complex that we need to locate near an oval. I think it's important in the longer term simply because the other clubs will have great facilities and it will be a possible discriminator in player choices.

thought it might be but it does underscore what few alternatives are left. Perhaps we could encourage North to relocate to Tassie and take over Arden Street. Royal Park and Albert Park would be worth a look. They are designated sporting precincts. A little further out is Fairfield/Yarra Bend park

I almost put that suggestion in but I don't think we could stomach it. The black and white stands along with the big magpie are heritage listed as I understand it.

There has to be a fee otherwise Richmond would be mad to agree. I was very surprised that this was the replacement game as it is a designated blockbuster. Would love to hear from someone who understands the financials.

Agree OD this always had a very low chance of success and one wonders why they even announced it without getting some form of indicative advance approval. Taking a step back there is just no support for impacting public space to the relatively exclusive benefit of an elite sporting code. Need to find an existing structure that a council no longer wants to pay for its upkeep. There will always be a problem with sharing especially with cricket. One thing is for certain it won't get easier finding a suitable location.

pardon my ignorance but what are the rules these days for rookies playing in the AFL side. Do you still need a long term injury and then an elevation etc

Think of MFCSS as a shield ... not a sword and then the syndrome is clear

Interesting take... the other way is to stretch the finals series itself and have less games each weekend. As said I'm not sure what the right answer is but the AFL certainly snookered itself with the 40 year MCG deal.

Must say I tend to agree but perhaps with a twist. It's a national game and the GF should perhaps rotate. Two years out of four/five in Melbourne and one year out of four in either Adelaide or Perth. Brisbane and Sydney could be added if and when they have 60k plus stadiums. It has become obvious that the interstate clubs were blindsided by the GF at the MCG for the next 40 years deal and the 3 GF is the way of amending the monopoly position the AFL has got themselves into. One of the biggest problem with interstate GF's for home teams is that you don't really have the opportunity to preplan and book for attending. Many of us would have loved to have been in Perth (well as it turned out I was glad I missed it) but the last minute nature of the fixture precludes it. Perhaps we play the prelims in Perth and Adelaide permanently and then the GF in Melbourne. Not sure what is the right balance but I don't think we have it at present. And on topic.... definitely no to a best of three finals system.

Enjoy a day at the VFL immensely but it is such a compromised competition on so many levels. Personally I think it is in its death throes as we know it except that no one can come up with a better idea. It might seem strange but I don't think the clubs want to encourage greater attendances as that would require facility upgrades at many stadia that the providers cannot afford. Enjoy it while we may is my suggestion especially the Burra Burgers, the Coburg craft beer and of course the Casey egg and bacon roll. FWIW my favourite grounds are Coburg, Frankston and Williamstown with a special mention for Port.

hard to see this thread getting to the mythical status of 500 pages but perhaps a few instagrams from young Hogan in Perth could get us another ten pages and then who knows

"SYDNEY has delisted Kurt Tippett, but the former ruckman will be placed on the club's rookie list next year as part of his retirement settlement with the Swans." http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-11-09/contract-quirk-sees-swans-delist-retired-ruck-then-rookie-him Must have something to do with salary cap or he could be trying to average his tax. Fascinating but one has to ask if it's within the spirit of the game. Not a big issue. Retirement through injury does seem to be a very murky area.

Pass mark is realistically the same I set for last year... namely finals and win one final. Expectations and hope are different but luck is so important. In our two final wins we should have blasted Geelong off the park by half time and against Hawthorn if Gunston had kicked 8:3 instead of 3:8... well. We saved our worst performance for the prelim and it bought back memories of our GF's in 1988 and 2000. I am confident about 2019 simply because in the home and away season we had little if any success against the top 8 teams yet we won well (Saints aside) against the other teams. If we can step up our performance and get some wins against the top teams a 17 or 18 game winning season is not beyond us. Make no mistake the next two to three years as Brayshaw, Oliver etc hit their peaks are the best we will be for quite a while.

doubt that it will happen in 2019 ... but if so I would like a Richmond type win where you get to savour the joy of winning for the last quarter. Too much to hope for perhaps but after fifty plus years one is entitled to be choosy

one of the driest winters on record and we get a wet Cup. Fantastic to have the rain but such a bad day to have it. The race course train station has been closed due to flooding and the trains are stopping at the showgrounds which means a walk of over a kilometre in the rain

Point taken but the article also compares it with amongst others a dead rubber where England had already won the series. Such a bad decision. If you want another comparison look what has happened to cricket in England since it went behind the paywall.

Anyone who needs reminding of the differnecess between FTA and Foxtel ratings have a look at what happened with yesterday's ODI in Perth. On so many fronts an own goal by Cricket Australia and a reason to insist that MFC have decent FTA coverage. "Sunday's coverage of the first One Day International (ODI) in Perth between Australia and South Africa on Foxtel's new Fox Cricket channel attracted an average audience of just 205,000 viewers across the five major cities. To put that in perspective, Foxtel scored higher ratings in recent weeks with its coverage of Gold Coast Supercars (212,000 viewers) and an NRL test between Australia and Tonga (231,000 viewers). The figures represent an almost fourfold drop when contrasted with last season's ODI in Perth between Australia and England on Nine – the fifth game in a series England had wrapped up early – which attracted an average audience of 956,000 viewers for the free-to-air network. For a further comparison, the last time South Africa toured Australia for an ODI was in November 2014, with the opening game, at the time also played in Perth, attracting just over one million viewers for Nine." https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/foxtel-s-first-tilt-at-cricket-takes-massive-ratings-hit-20181105-p50e2r.html

definitely agree. The cricket season has just gone crazy. As I understand it the interstate one day comp has been run and won already. The series against Pakistan was so under the radar that it may as well have been underwater. South Africa are here for some one dayers but because of the new TV deal we won't see any of them on FTA. O well life goes on. I shall continue planning my holiday to Bangladesh... proving to be a slight challenge so far.

not sure that we will yo yo but if the top ten teams are separated only by 2-3 games as they were this year we could end up anywhere between 2 and 10.

makes so much sense on so many fronts. The only people it might upset are the stadium owners but with less games you would probably see a 10% increase in crowds per match is my guess.

you can have two or three split rounds that would extend the season to 20/21 weeks in length. It would also give a little less competition for the prime time TV spots

Collingwood is a bit of an unknown in my opinion. They could easily do an Essendon and finish around 10th. Sidebottom and Pendlebury had great seasons. Can they do it yet again. Forward structure is not quite there and of course Cox could be a star or a bust. In 2018 they were the quiet achievers who had a good September... sound familiar. If your prediction of 6 wins for the bottom team is right the top ten or so will be incredibly tight.