The first thing to be said about Saturday’s grand final is that we’re all very lucky to be following footy at a time when there are so many engrossing, even seasons.
Both of the grand finalists have been written off at times, endured tough injury runs, and will have thoroughly earned the premiership should they win.
The second thing to be said about this match-up is that it’s not entirely fair.
For the fifth Grand Final in a row a non-Victorian team will have to travel to Melbourne to play a Victorian team that finished below them in the regular season.
For the second time in four years, West Coast will have earned a home final and won it, only to have to face that same team again at the opposition’s home ground.
The obvious inequality in a permanent grand final venue never seemed all that significant until recently, as it didn’t seem to hinder teams from all parts of Australia claiming the flag.
But we’ve now had five Victorian triumphs over interstate sides in the big game consecutively since Sydney won the last non-Victorian premiership in 2012.
Whatever factors that might have limited home ground advantage in the past don’t appear to have the same significance in the present.
There are those who argue that playing Grand Finals at the MCG makes no difference at all to the outcome, but this is hard to swallow.
In all football codes – Australian Rules included – being more familiar with the ground, more accustomed to the climate, and avoiding the rigours of travel are all significant benefits.
In the biggest game of the year, there tends to be a more even spread of crowd support, and extra considerations like handling the pressure of the occasion might reduce the relative impact of home ground advantage.
So it’s reasonable to think the venue might make less of an impact than for regular home and away games. But it is surely unarguable that Collingwood having played 17 games at the MCG during the season, compared to West Coast’s two, is to the benefit of the Magpies.
It helps explain why most betting markets have Nathan Buckley’s men as slight favourites, despite finishing below the Eagles on the ladder and losing to that opponent twice this season.
(Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
In a practical sense it’s difficult to do much about this problem. The Melbourne Cricket Club has locked up the Grand Final until at least 2057, thanks to an agreement with the AFL signed earlier this year.
Even without that, there are commercial benefits to hosting the event in footy’s heartland, at Australia’s biggest stadium. And while fairness is important, it has to be balanced with practical concerns.
But even if we can’t fix it, we can certainly acknowledge that some teams have a slightly more difficult path to the premiership than others.
There’s no such thing as a truly equal competition. There are always nuances that give certain teams advantages. Some are minor, and can be tolerated in the interests of the greater good. Some are too excessive and have to be fixed.
So any fair-minded neutral fan will surely cheer for the Eagles this week, particularly those who care about a prosperous, equitable AFL.
Because if the Victorian winning run extends into a sixth consecutive Grand Final this Saturday, and who knows how much longer after that, then we’ll surely be getting closer to the point where the penalty to non-Victorian teams is too great to be accepted.
Scott
Guest
What’s your point? They earned the home game
Doctor Rotcod
Roar Rookie
If the median number of games played is 19 and allowing for the current era of 18 clubs with 44 on the list, there's pretty close to 800 players getting around,with delisting off-season and rookies being tested,such as Ajang Ajang-which has to be the best name in AFL. Around 400 of these players will get a full season or less,over five years sometimes, Jobe Watson was just 20 years old when he played his 100th game. Fletcher was forty when he played his last
Goalsonly
Roar Rookie
Oh I forgot about surfing. Bells Beach Torquay.. Anyone over there wearing Quicksilver or Rip Curl stuff... Born of Melbourne Daytrippers... Thats Melbourne sport fashion all over the world. Come on Rio? London? New York? Now do we start talking per capita and make it a real conversation?
MarkD
Guest
Gday Tom, if this trend of the higher placed interstate team losing to lower placed Vic team continues for say the next decade and the AFL do little to remedy the issue , could you see a point where the interstate clubs and even state leagues somehow breakaway from the AFL to form their own league and competition? Similar to the ARL/super league war that rugby league went through. Would it even be possible?
michael RVC
Roar Pro
As with any of the locals, Collingwood has the home ground advantage in spades. Rich and Hawks rank similarly in advantage of approx 75% of their games played at the GF venue AND slightly less % of all season played in Melb. Makes the AFL doctrine of equalisation a joke. Ok, have the GF at the G. But what about a 23 round fixture where all clubs play an equal number of games (say 8) at their home ground? Or something where top 8 from one year play a max of 8 games in their home state/4 at home ground? Yes some fixturing complexity and likely the necessity to play some games at venues where both teams are at an away/interstate venue. So what? (asked rhetorically)
bryan neale
Guest
Its not so much the Gf venue, its the lack of games there during the year.Every non-Victorian team should get a minimum number of games at the MCG.Hawks/Tigers/Collingwood games against each other should be at Etihad.There are times when Gil and his Victorian buddies need to realise that the integrity of the competition must be placed ahead of the grab for cash.
Fat Toad
Roar Rookie
Yes, you are correct I did mean median. One stat that I have heard but not been able to find is the average age of players at retirement and over time. It is really hard to know about the effect of travel because the sample set is so small. I know time zone changes are tough on cabin staff of airline but I'm not sure how it would go with players. Resetting body clocks should be easier for players as they spend more than an average person in the outdoors and sunlight resyncs teh body clock.
Fat Toad
Roar Rookie
What ever system you introduce has to work regardless of who is in the GF. If your proposal can not handle every situation and in every year then it is problematic in one way or another.
Fat Toad
Roar Rookie
I do not know where you get your figures from, but if every cent of the money received from Government was in the Other sources of revenue line in the Annual Report it would be $43 million out of a total revenue of $650 million in total. The very max it could be was about 7%. But, in real terms it would be much less because the most recent figures I could find were only 2012 with only $1.1million going to Australian Football. In the 2017 Annual Report, the government sources of income appeared to be in the form of partnerships to support football in indigenous communities to develop administrative and organisational skills in the community. In summary, the amount of Government money directed specifically to football through the AFL seems to be zero.
Fat Toad
Roar Rookie
Wrong, the AFL is owned by the clubs. The Board is elected by the clubs. The Board supervises the Executive. If any of the states have a good reason to shift the GF or anything else, all they have to do is make an argument that will take into account all the factors that the AFL needs to consider. But not even knowing who owns what would be a poor start to any discussion.
Fat Toad
Roar Rookie
Wembley is currently home to Spurs but the FL have been keen to get a tenant for years. No body has said that playing finals at different facilities is a terrible idea. However, when I have put a list of issues that need to be solved in other posts, there is never any response to how those problems would be addressed. The Sheffield Shield final is a farce because the pitch is always prepared to ensure a draw, meaning a home team win. Rugby League is always played at the same venue. Gridiron bowl games are always played at the same venue.
Fat Toad
Roar Rookie
As a person who lives in Canberra and watching the problems with teams here trying to survive in a market undersupplied for sponsors, I fully understand why Tassie needs to show it is financially viable in the long term before they get a team. While there are a lot of people in Canberra who would love an AFL team, I can not see how it would survive. I would be very happy to see a team in Tassie get up and going. Obviously, the AFL has concerns but is interested because they did not say no, they said here are your first set of criteria to meet with in 2 or 3 years.
Fat Toad
Roar Rookie
also: Spring racing festival Boxing Day test Great cycling sportive events International yachting carnival Phillip Island racing ANZAC Day Collingwood v Essendon Sand-belt golf courses Melbournians turn out for events so everything has an atmosphere. They seem to run great events. Its the place where internationals want to come to compete. But, the thing that adds to it is there is pretty much some kind of festival or cultural event running all year so you can go out during the day and theatre and dinner in the evening.
Goalsonly
Roar Rookie
Yes we're not a bad place to visit ..or live.. Getting ready and saving for the big day out does not have to be a chore you know.. I'm so looking forward to seeing all the West Coast Colors roaming the city ... even on Monday and days later, they stay and wander... The best of Melbourne. It's a great time.. our pagan celebration of spring solstice when there is more daylight than night....
Sam
Roar Rookie
Conveniently forgetting there wouldn't be an AFL competition without the interstate sides saving it in the 1980s...
Jason
Roar Rookie
Very well said Tim. @Goalsonly, you make a good point about the pilgrimage enhancing the experience. As a once off I agree. But refer to Tim's point as to the cost's if you wanted to be there every year.
Brian
Guest
The AFL gets plenty of govt money. It only signed up to ASADA because otherwise the Commonwealth funding would stop. As you rightly say the Vic Govt owns the MCG, not the MCC. No surprise the MCC are trying to ensure no more spare seats at sold out games. They know the Vic Govt ultimately owns the MCG.
Goalsonly
Roar Rookie
Oops my bad ... You said Rio, another good suggestion. Those are two serious Sporting events for sure.. Hopefully Melbourne can still get the World Cup 2022 if Quatar process gets proper review... I guess we'd be ready and waiting
Goalsonly
Roar Rookie
London is the capitol of everything alright, that's an excellent nomination, New York as well, the city the whole world goes to... So do we come next or are there others? Dont forget our golf course collection (worlds best) and Horse Racing.. I guess I am thinking of Boxing Day Crowds.... Oh there's the Great Ocean Road Cycling spectacular.... Melbourne Storm are the top team in the NRL ....
Tim Rogers
Roar Rookie
I do not disagree with you Tassie- Tasmania should have a team in AFL but this competition has lost the plot. They are so focused on the almighty dollar and new markets that poor Tasmania who already follow AFL are denied inclusion into the national competition. No team is entitled though that’s just bs. Victoria’s are entitled as they earn the right to watch the gf without any of the hardship other supporters from interstate have to go through. Fairness isn’t really about the team but more so the people who follow it. To throw the word about called tradition is bs to the conversion from VFL to AFL destroyed traditions from other local state competitions. The whole talk of tradition in regards to the GF is just bs.