Well the worst possible outcome of yesterday’s AFL grand final was not seeing Collingwood and its fans come away with the win, but in fact the game ending in a draw. Why you may ask? Well there is a pretty big game on next Saturday night, involving two new rivals.
Many of you ‘neutral’ supporters, or ‘non soccer’ supporters may not know this game is even happening, with all the media coverage being focused on the AFL this past week. Now with the grand final being replayed, unfortunately all this will happen again.
The game I am talking about, by the way, is the first ever Melbourne derby, between the Melbourne Victory and new boys Melbourne Heart. I’m guessing you had no idea it was on.
Well this game may now be moved, either a day before or after the AFL.
If this is true, it’s absolutely ridiculous.
This game should not be postponed, just because the AFL grand final is being replayed. Yes there are many issues with having the game on next Saturday, the same day as the AFL grand final, but why should the FFA change the date of the game?
A main worry might be the amount of people who will be in the city after the game. The grand final will finish at approximately 5.15pm, just a bit more than two hours before the derby game kicks off at AAMI Park.
Transportation as well is a key issue. Parking in and around the stadium will be a nightmare, and there will be less trains going towards Richmond Station. There are many more transportation issues as well.
Another key issue is resources. With the grand final now on next week, police resources will be scarce. Are there enough police to cater for both games? In my opinion, I don’t think so, especially with the extra amount needed with the massive nature of both these games.
Probably the most important issue, in the eyes of the FFA, is media exposure. One would think the derby game was scheduled for October 2nd because the grand final would have been over by then, thus more of the attention of the media would have been focused towards the derby. Now with the grand final being replayed, it will dominate the media for the next seven days.
The FFA had waited until round nine to pit the two Melbourne rivals against each other specifically to get ”clear air” following the conclusion of the AFL season.
So now with the grand final on the same day as the derby game, the game will receive hardly, I mean, no attention whatsoever. This is exactly what the FFA did not want to happen.
But, even with all these pretty good points in favour of postponing the derby, I think it should still go ahead next Saturday. No, no, I am not crazy.
Why should the FFA postpone this match just because it clashes with the AFL anyways? In fact, you could hardly argue that is ‘clashes’. They are to different codes, and one game finishes at 5.15pm and the other doesn’t start until 7.30pm. Logistical and safety reasons aside – if the date of this game is moved – it demonstrates a very unhealthy level of defeatism.
With all the people still in the city after the grand final, who knows, it might even encourage them to go watch the football. Media exposure will be minimal, but if Melbourne Heart markets this game properly then they could definitely get much more people through the gates.
The next few days regarding this issue are going to be very interesting to say the least. I for one hope this game goes ahead next Saturday, because to postpone a game just because of the AFL grand final is absolutely ridiculous.
jimbo
Roar Guru
This is the atmosphere in the cove in a normal weekly Sydney FC game with less than 10,000 fans - better than any AFL GF with over 100K. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZW83ZX9PG4&feature=related
Zac Zavos
Editor
BigAl - it's still there as no-one has reported the comment. We receive a lot of comments and don't read them unless they're reported. Up to you guys to help by reporting comments you feel are inappropriate. You can also vote-down comments which hides them from others. Regarding your comment re: Kurt, his comments are simply on moderation. They will all be approved so long as they are within our comments policy; we also lift moderation when it's not required. You say I "publicly criticized, humiliated and moderated out of existence poor old Kurt". All I did was point out his comment was not within our terms. If we don't do this, how do people know? We don't want to humiliate anyone; we just want great sports debate and we want to avoid the same old code-v-code debates which people complain about. If you have better suggestions, please contact us: http://www.theroar.com.au/contact-us
Mister Football
Guest
Those 102,000 were so mesmerised by the spectacle of a gold medal soccer match, that they ultimtely made the game what is in Australia today.
Australian Football
Roar Guru
"It’s not the world’s fault for Aussie Rules not catching on to Aussie Rules but Aussie Rules’ failure for not selling it properly to the rest of the world." What on earth are you referring to BigAl..? That was not me saying that funny line. That was a quote from an Aussie Rules commentator that I heard and saw on the 60 Minute's programme on Sunday night on Channel 9 (QLD) (last night). My apologies for not including the quote marks but that was what was stated by him in the viewer's mailbag section. And yes it did make me giggle too when it came up.. I can't quite remember who the Aussie Rules personality was exactly, but I think his name was Kevin Sheedy? But, it could've been Domenico (?) Please don't think it was an attempt by me trying to be humorous.. I asure you, I can do far better then that...
BigAl
Guest
. What I don't understand is (Zac Zavos, I'm lookin' a choo !) - how come this sort of stuff is let through yet you publicly criticize, humiliate and moderate out of existence poor old Kurt - whose comments are always well thought through and usually tongue in cheek ??? Not that I would want anything of AF's 'moderated' - I do get the occassional giggle from his attempts at . . . humour ? But my question still stands ??!
Daniel
Guest
The derby will be better than the grand final and the sad thing is 70% of Melbourne won't know about it.
Australian Football
Roar Guru
Yes that is very true I remember the 1956 Olympic Football final I was only a youngster at the time, but there was an exhibition match of Aussie Rules played for the world to see. However, it did not make an impression on the rest of world. It sort of makes a mockery of the statement that it's not the world's fault for Aussie Rules not catching on to Aussie Rules but Aussie Rules' failure for not selling it properly to the rest of the world. But what bigger stage at the time in Australia then the 1956 Melbourne Olympics for the world to catch on? I envisage if the 2022 Football world cup was held in Australia and the AFL staged another exhibition match as a precursor to the Football Final it would not make one iota of a difference. In fact it would be an embarrassment for them I would expect.
AGO74
Guest
+1
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
MF- Perhaps, the precedent you're looking for occurred in 1956 during the Summer Olympics in Melbourne when Aussie Rules was played as a curtain raiser to a major global football match. The Aussie Rules hierarchy wanted to show the world how "great their game was" and an exhibition Aussie Rules match was played at the MCG ... I'm pretty sure it was as a curtain raiser to a Football match; perhaps, it was a "curtain raiser" to the Football Final? Anyway, 102k people packed the G to watch the USSR & Yugoslavia play for the Football Gold Medal, and the USSR won 1-0 Now, 54 years later... ... the world still remembers that historic goe-political & sporting moment between 2 giants of the time - both on and off the football ptich. Perhaps, the greatest goalkeeper to ever play football - the late, great Lev Ivanovich Yashin - was on the park that day. ... alas, judging by the popularity of Aussie Rules around the world, that Aussie Rules match has been confined to history's dustbin ... does anyone even know, who played in the match or who won?
Mister Football
Roar Guru
the idea has a lot of merit decades ago, there was a short period when baseball games were played as a curtain raiser to VFL games - so there is a precedent for this sort of thing
Brendo51
Guest
Sorry but 100% correct move by FFA. This is a 1 in 30 years event in Melbourne and as we had a free weekend following the FFA have done the sensible thing and shifted the game. I for one think this is the smart thing to do, all credit to the FFA for acting quickly and decisively on this.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Qlder- You've provided one of the more asinine thoughts on this subject, so well done. Not sure where you've been for the past 20 years but there hasn't been a "curtain raiser" before an AFL GF - or, indeed, any AFL match - for a long long time. I realise AFL fans do enjoy watching football - many spent thousands of dollars to go to the WC in Germany & Sth Africa - but, in recent times, none of the MVFC or Heart supporters that I know would pay a cent to see an AFL match and the MCG is one of the worst pitches in Australia to watch a football match.
Qlder
Guest
Here's an idea - there'll be a spare couple of hours at the G on Saturday because there will not be a curtain-raiser. Play the Vic v Heart game at midday, and they'll actually play in front of a crowd rather than the gathering most A-League games are getting this year. -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
Tortion
Guest
That is wishful thinking re. the atmosphere. I am not an AFL fan either but I am yet to go to a sporting event with such passion.
David V.
Guest
I have a sneaky suspicion that you are quite familiar from the past ;) Let me guess- Bulldogs fan, knows quite a lot about the round ball game, am I right in suspecting who this might be???
agga78
Guest
"The NRL kept the Melbourne vs Brisbane game at Etihad last year on the Saturday night" If the game was at Etihad, I believe the game would of still been on Grand Final day, the main reason for the delay is the absolute nightmare it would be to get any where near the stadium on the night of the game, Etihad is 5km from the G not across the road.
constantine
Guest
the game will be rubbish anyway. look at what ffa did with the victory away fans seating. another example of incompetent and rubbish administration which keeps football in decline. i want ben buckley to go back to afl, lyall gorman to bo back to a retirement village and archie fraser to stay out of a job. this derby will be th biggest pile of garbage ever. the atmosphere could have been amazing, but instead it will be as silent as the afl grand final due to moronic restrictions on active fans (no offense to the alf grand final, but in comparison to football its pretty quite).
Whites
Guest
The NRL kept the Melbourne vs Brisbane game at Etihad last year on the Saturday night. It still had a crowd of 27,687. Granted it was a finals game so it was harder to move. But I believe there was some talk of moving it to the Sunday. It was also shown live in Melbourne and had 324,000 viewers.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
Whilst postponing the derby match is annoying and inconvenient and, I already know of fans, who aren't able to attend on the new date, the build up to the match, and the match itself, could be similar to a an A-League Semi-Final or Grand Final. There will be no other A-League match on that week-end, due to the international friendly scheduled for 9-10-10 against WC2010 quarter finalists, Paraguay. Additionally, the NRL season, too, will have ended. The whole Football community in Australia can focus purely on one domestic football match ... and, AAMI Park will be bursting. I've got my ticket and I've always found Friday night to be the best time to watch live football.
moo cow
Guest
Phew, luckily there are no games being played.