With the first week of the finals approaching those at AFL house have some important decisions to make. As the ladder currently stands (or without Essendon) all four matches of week one will be played in Victoria, more specifically Melbourne.
Presently Hawthorn, Geelong, Collingwood and one Essendon or Richmond will ‘host’ finals as a reward for their first, second, fifth or sixth place finish.
Four games in Melbourne is something the AFL doesn’t want. The MCG, while capable of hosting four games will only host three, leaving Etihad to host the final match.
Of the hosts Hawthorn, Collingwood and Richmond call the MCG home, while Geelong split their Melbourne home games.
The Essendon situation will become clearer, most likely tomorrow but its unlikely James Hird’s men will be required for finals this September.
This creates one big dilemma in assessing the finals draw. Fairness and finishing position tells us that the lowest ‘home’ team will be Richmond, and they will play a low drawing non Victorian club, Port Adelaide.
Good luck selling that to the 60,000 member of the Yellow and Black faithful that after 13 years of live without finals football they will play at Etihad.
This simply won’t happen.
The other options, Hawthorn and Collingwood are not an option to play at Etihad. Both teams are drawcards to the AFL and will attract big crowds to the home of football.
Both clubs have access to big membership bases, and call the MCG home. Both will be cash cows for the AFL, and they will be hoping both clubs go deep into September.
That leaves Geelong, the power club of the last seven years. Even though the club have played arguably the best football ever produced by a group of players in the modern era they don’t attract the same numbers as the other clubs.
The game on the weekend against last season’s premiers Sydney attracted 28,459 which is an attractive figure, but not the type of numbers the AFL are looking for.
This year the club will again play Fremantle in the finals, a fixture that only attracted less than 45,000 fans. This will concern the league, especially when a Richmond fixture can attract more than 60,000 fans.
So what’s the solution? The accountants at AFL house would say to play Geelong v Fremantle at Etihad and allow Hawthorn, Collingwood and Richmond to play at the MCG. Geelong play the occasional game at Etihad, they seem the perfect fit.
Here comes the curve ball, why not play at Kardinia Park, Simonds Stadium?
The stadium now has the capability to host twilight and night matches and is a jewel in the Geelong crown. The stadium renovations may not be fully complete, but what the club currently has is more that viable to be a finals venue.
Geelong will finish second on the ladder, and deserve a home final, but this won’t happen.
Fairness and integrity are hardly strong suits of the AFL.
Each year we (the fans) deal with a lopsided fixture built around blockbuster and derby matches.
We all know Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon will play each other twice, its worth too much to the AFL not to do this. Fairness would be a full home and away fixture where all teams play each other twice, something that won’t happen.
The Essendon saga had also left its mark on the league and will do for many years to come.
The tanking fiasco at Melbourne, handing down a $500,000 fine without a guilty verdict was just a stark reminder about who runs the game.
The AFL will choose who plays finals matches where and when and fairness of the finishing place won’t come into play.
Geelong will be forced to play Fremantle at a virtual neutral venue, Etihad stadium because this is what is good for the AFL and will attract the most fans in week one.
If this was a fair playing field Geelong would be playing Fremantle at Simonds Stadium, the league toughest road trip; but we know fair isn’t on the AFL’s agenda.
Matt G
Guest
or maybe you could just be a good team and win a game of footy regardless of where you play
Cat
Roar Guru
AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou has confirmed that it was likely that Geelong would host a home final at Simonds Stadium if four finals were scheduled to be played in Victoria in the opening week of the series. Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/cats-likely-to-host-home-final-20130830-2suoz.html#ixzz2dPpaPb00
Cat
Roar Guru
AFL scheduling boss Simon Lethlean says he is looking at the possibility that Geelong could host an opening-week final at Simonds Stadium. Lethlean said the option "was always a possibility" of Simonds Stadium being utilised when he talked on radio station RSN about the league's upcoming scheduling issues. Probably won't happen, but nice as a Cats fan it is at least finally being considered.
Swanny
Guest
Makes sense i guess. Being a Freo fan i dont mind it because we would get to play at Subi if we finished 2nd. However when teams like Collingwood complain about having to travel down the road to Etihad that annoys me. When was the last time the Pies travelled to Kardinia Park, Launceston or Darwin. So i believe that Cats should play at MCG which is fine with them, and then one of Collingwood or Richmond should play at Etihad because they finished lower
Nomonous
Guest
Do you want games with 15K at the G???
Nomonous
Guest
Connor The SCG is undergoing renovation and holds 30K at best. Its important the AFL keep the competitive pressure on the SCG as the SCG used to screw the AFL when the SCG was the monopoly oval provider in Sydney. keeping a few games at ANZ means the SCG wont take them for granted. Just as NRL teams swap home grounds often to get the best deal. And this childish "the AFL is money hungry" is so last century. The AFL is an association that raises money for game development etc which is why Auskick is so cheap esp in the northern states when compared to other codes to expand the interest in the game so the fan doesn't have to pay too much because they get good broadcasting deals.
peloton
Guest
Geelong have an unfair advantage of being a better run club with better players
Steve J
Roar Guru
Yeah Freo love that they get to play at York Park and Kardinia Park, I'm sure Port loves playing at TIO stadium as well, and the Eagles even headed to Hobart. Interstate teams have it easy
Docker from the hills
Guest
Freo only play better at Etihad because they get more practice there. In 2010 v Cats was the first time the Dockers had visited the MCG. But then again we know the AFL isn't fair.
Samual Johnson
Guest
What a load of BS. It is just greedy profiteering at the expense of the ratepayers. The very least should be that Melbourne clubs should be forced to play matches in Geelong to pay off their debt to Geelong's citizens. This private profits public losses scamming needs to be weeded out of our society. They got the land at Etihad for practically nothing and they still cannot make a buck. Really lousy business people, that is the problem.
me, I like football
Guest
Thats wrong Brian, geelong make more at Kardinia Park then a full house at Etihad and 70,000 odd at the MCG. It's the AFL that make Geelong play home games in Melbourne
me, I like football
Guest
Why? What if Geelong finishes higher on the ladder than Collinwood?
me, I like football
Guest
so Geelong would have lost to Collingwood this year if they played it at Kardinia park because it would not of made the one goal difference?
me, I like football
Guest
The GFC home ground is Kardinia Park, just because the AFL forces the GFC to play home games at the MCG/Etihad does not make it less so
me, I like football
Guest
no more money is spent at Kardinia park then any other stadium by the Governments plus they get less from the AFL in Unequal payments then everyother club. and equal with one other club
me, I like football
Guest
Too good? It geelongs Home game they can play where they would like, though the AFL stops them playing at Symonds Stadium more then they want due to deals the AFL have with etihad/MCG
Jack Smith
Roar Guru
The home team should be able to choose where they play- in every match, including home and away. - agree entirely.
Jack Smith
Roar Guru
You cannot find a neutral ground unless you have two Melbourne teams at the MCG. Anytime it is an interstate team you will not get a neutral ground for the Grand Final.
Peter Care
Guest
Wrong ! 50,000 crowd in Melbourne, generates less money than 25,000 in Geelong. Unless the crowds are 60,000 plus Geelong loses money playing in Melbourne. They do it, to increase attendences, not to make extra money.
Peter Care
Guest
Don't blame Geelong, blame Collingwood. Many years ago, Collingwood got agreement from the AFL that they never have to play at Kardinia Park. It's a Collingwood deal that they not play at Kardinia Park.