On Sunday, Geelong host Essendon at the MCG in the annual Country Game.
And what better way to represent country football than by taking the league’s only regional team and having them host a game away from home at a ground big enough to hold the population of 20 country towns?
It’s a travesty that Geelong are forced to host games away from home.
Essendon last came to Kardinia Park in 1993, the year Dustin Fletcher made his AFL debut. Yes, 1993.
Leading into the 2016 season, the Bombers and Cats were scheduled to play each other twice: the first an Essendon home game at the MCG, the second a Geelong home game at Docklands, Essendon’s home ground.
Leading into that season, 12 Bombers were suspended for their part in the supplements saga, and it became clear Essendon were not going to be a significant crowd-drawing team.
The Round 18 clash drew a crowd of under 30,000. No one in the lead-up suggested it should be moved down the highway.
The following year, people noticed that Richmond had been scheduled to play in Geelong. Hysteria turned to panic as the season went on and the Tigers’ form strengthened, and panic took over: they’re going to lock out 40,000 Richmond fans!
Of course, the game eventually sold out, but people in their rage missed the 1000 tickets that went on sale six weeks before that match.
In fact, they were so enraged, these tickets did not sell out for three weeks.
Richmond CEO Brendan Gale said the Tigers were too big to play in Geelong, just as he had when they played there previously in 2012.
Tension built, and as luck had it, Geelong finished second and Richmond third, and we all know what happened then.
The AFL could have possibly not scheduled that final for a Friday night, to at least give the ‘home’ fans a chance of getting there, but let’s not dwell on that.
(Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Last year, Carlton came to Kardinia Park for the first time since 1997. The same Carlton who have won five wooden spoons in that time. But of course, it’s all about crowds, or so the story goes.
Carlton – a club that’s supposedly too big for Geelong – met Hawthorn – another also too big for the Cattery – on the weekend in Launceston.
The two also met there in 2016, two years before Carlton returned to Geelong.
No one ever complains about the small capacity in Tasmania. So are we beginning to detect a double standard here?
I can already hear your protestations: the AFL need to promote the game in smaller areas.
Yes, they do. But let’s get some perspective here. Every game Hawthorn host in Launceston, Melbourne host in NT, North host in Hobart, the Western Bulldogs host in Ballarat, or St Kilda host in China gets a smaller crowd than if they played at home.
Every one of those clubs want to host matches at those venues for their own reasons, while Geelong want to play all their games at home.
And while the game needs to be promoted in those areas – with the exception of China – Melbourne doesn’t need extra matches to promote the game. The city already has more than 80 of them.
But Geelong have an unfair advantage at home, you all say.
Well, if any of you have ever watched any sport, you will know every team has an unfair advantage at home. That’s why it’s referred to as home advantage.
My favourite argument is that the ground is narrow. They know how to utilise the unique shape to their advantage, and all of that nonsense.
To be fair, while that is true, it comes with the bizarre assumption that Kardinia Park is more different from other grounds than other grounds are from Kardinia Park.
The more unique your home ground is, the more different away grounds will be, and therefore it’s just as difficult to go away from home as it is for the teams that visit your ground.
Now picture this: you scan the 2020 fixture later this year and notice the Easter Monday game has been scheduled for Kardinia Park.
You ask yourself, ‘How can this happen, Hawthorn are too big aren’t they? This is a high-drawing game, and the Hawks fans will be locked out!’
Then consider why you don’t ask yourself the same thing every time Hawthorn host a game in Launceston.
Then ask yourself why everyone is outraged by the very idea of Geelong playing a final in Geelong – many by the idea of them playing there at all – but no one raised an eyebrow when the AFL said a GWS vs Sydney final would be played at Giants Stadium, but a Geelong vs GWS final would likely be in Melbourne.
If you are one of the vast majority of people who think Geelong should have to move their home games for crowd reasons but never cares about crowds for any other games, consider everything I’ve said.
When your stance can no longer be logically backed up, because it no longer makes sense, but you still think Geelong should not get home games, just accept you have no logical justification for this view.
See you down at the Cattery. Well, some of you.
Daz
Roar Pro
And I living in the South East also have that issue when attending MCG games. Maybe we need a team based on the Mornington Peninsula too. Unlike the road to Geelong, I have numerous traffic lights and it takes me till way after midnight to get home. The fact some people have travel on a Friday night is put forward as a genuine arguement is laughable.
You'll Never Hawk Alone
Roar Pro
Geelong already have away games at the MCG. I think the Interstate teams needing games at the G thing is clearly relevant, but not hugely to the Geelong-orientated article. And it’s only for the purpose of the grand final those teams need G experience. I’d prefer home games that help us get the the big dance, and worry about the stadium when we cross that bridge. As for handicaps, well, consider this. Geelong starts this year really well. Maybe they’ll finish top two? If that becomes realistic, they don’t have any particular advantage. They hope Collingwood or Richmond don’t happen to finish 3 or 4 so as to not completely nullify their home advantage in finals. West coast finish second last year and have a clear home path to finals. Don’t tell me Geelong don’t have a handicap. Geelong host west coast in a final, it’s in Melbourne, an advantage, but not hugely. West Coast host Geelong, they get it at home, no question
You'll Never Hawk Alone
Roar Pro
No it isn't. Nor is it rocket surgery to detect my point. Why do everyday fans who have no interest in AFL profits question Geelong hosting games in Geelong, but not Hawthorn in Tassie? That ground hosts 20k, Geelong 34. Geelong have 15-25 thousand less members than hawthorn at any given time. My point is the hypocritical mindset. Given I explained it, it shouldn't be rocket surgery to work that out.
RT
Roar Rookie
Get off your stupid anti Victorian rubbish. It's so childish and tiresome. As I pointed out on another thread, the reason West Coast are so financially strong is because they have always been able to over charge their supporters due to the pissy little stadiums they play at. Even the new one still only holds 60000. Prices are set by home teams in conjunction with the venue. If prices are too high for your team, blame your club. Likewise, who was it they got the Adelaide Oval deal done? It was Andrew Demetriou because until he came along, the SANFL and SACA wouldn't talk to each other. Port would still be paying in front 20000 fans and 8 big tarps. Who has funded and continues to fund the expansion clubs, including massive dollars on building stadiums? Seriously, try backing up your baseless statements, or better still just get the chip off your shoulder.
Parer Ben
Roar Rookie
As a Cats fan I’m still happy with the balance of 9 home games and 2 home games at the G - it primes us for grand finals. A better posit than the Tassie scenario is would the players (not coaches) prefer to play Hawthorn in front of 70k at the G and what’s actually better for the game? As a basis for providing some data facts behind what the Cats give up for these games according to Matt Cowgill it’s around 28.6% (difference between wins@home v wins@away - I’ll lave others to discuss whether this is more or less pronounced at the G) - either way it’s a substantial advantage. http://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/19752486/footy-forensics-does-home-ground-advantage-exis
Fat Toad
Roar Rookie
Perhaps a bit of a generalisation?
Fat Toad
Roar Rookie
I understand your frustration, I live in Canberra and face similar problems but because of having family in Melbourne at least I have accommodation.
Fat Toad
Roar Rookie
Thanks that was pretty poor maths on my part! I agree, conferences are unlikely to give a satisfying result in Australia.
Fitter
Guest
Very amateurish, lazy and inaccurate. Geelong requested this game be played at the MCG - $$$$$$$$$$$$
PriddisJunior
Roar Rookie
I was answering your question of "best in what sense". As for your article. I agree, with all of it. Of course if things were fair, geelong would play home games at home if that's what they wanted. But the AFL is not a 'fair' comp. It doesn't try to be. The fixtures are rubbish, probably the worst of any proffesional competition anywhere. But as far as handicaps go, geelong do not have the worst, or even close to it. Their great disadvantage includes something a lot of teams ask for more of. So while you're fighting the good fight, its hard to see the battle you've chosen as a significant one. A solution (including to this geelong gripe) would involve reducing the number of teams in melbourne, teams playing each other twice a season, so shorter time between games and probably shorter games. It could be done. It just wont be. It's ok how it is though, there are always positive to find, for example, how teams like richmond and collingwood could never hope for the respect geelong gets from "interstate" fans, and no victorian premiership could compare to a Sydney, Adelaide, Qld or WA chip.
Peter
Guest
Part of the AFL's mentality is to maximise crowds, but other key goals are to grow the game, to maximise financial returns, and to consider the non-hardcore fan because at the end of the day the game cannot be sustained with just the hardcore fans. All of the games you mention are about growing the game, building interest in areas that haven't been fully tapped and long term calculated investments which will generate more fans and bigger crowds (and tv rights, government investment eg Tasmania, and advertising) in the long term. It's not rocket surgery.
Mitcher
Guest
Cheers for the levity Spruce. I have to remind myself not all Cats fans are Cat. Your reasoned position is a good counterweight.
Jonboy
Roar Rookie
100% spot on so the Cat fans (not all) should be thank full for what there got and stop whinging and saying your being robbed.
DTM
Guest
"Why do you think the AFL is the most successful sport in the country? I’ll give you a tip – because it looks after its fans. Cheap ticket prices" Spoken (or written) like a true Victorian. The AFL may look after Victorian fans but they certainly don't do anything for interstate fans.
DTM
Guest
The issue with the GF being played at the MCG every year is not just about home ground advantage for the teams. Many fans - particularly from WA are unable to fork out the $5k+ each that it takes to get to the GF. Maybe the AFL should be subsidising the fans of interstate Grand Final teams to allow them to attend? A ballot or lottery system could be established for those members with perhaps 10 years or more of continuous membership. As well as the cost, interstate fans have to juggle the logistics of time off work, flights, accommodation and the securing of a seat (usually being allocated one that causes a nose bleed) . Last time I went to the GF, I had to fly to Sydney then into Avalon - there were literally no other flights available. Airlines and hotels price gouge in GF week and none of this is understood or experienced by Melbourne or Geelong residents (or the AFL). Even getting to an away game is a major expense that requires careful planning and budgeting (for those of us without our own gold mine). A Geelong fan can get to 16 or so games a year without much expense or planning.
DTM
Guest
A minor detail but an 18 team comp with a home away against every team would be 34 games (not 36). This is 12 more than the current (and historical season) so will not fly with AFLPA. We'll never have a perfect competition which is why Geelong should just suck it up (the club has but some fans are yet to reach that point). Conferences will not work unless we have 24 teams - in my view, the talent pool is too shallow. In fact, I think we currently have too many teams (and therefore too many players) which reduces the overall quality of the "product". Realistically, we could have 2 less teams in Victoria and two less interstate teams - making an elite competition of 14 teams. This would stretch the season to 26 home and away games but we would have a fair competition. You could develop a second tier in each state that then played off for the right to qualify for promotion (with the last placed team in the AFL demoted - no more tanking for draft picks!!). It'll never happen.
Grints
Roar Rookie
It should be very simple. If a club wants 11 home games they should get 11 HOME games. If like North, Hawthorn and Melbourne a club chooses to play a certain amount of games elsewhere for whatever reason thats cool - their remaining games should be at HOME. Collingwood for example should never have had to host Port at Marvel on Friday night. Its not their home ground. As for finals... thats a diffrent story - the AFL only guarentee a home STATE final. If WCE finish top they earn a final in their home state. If the AFL wants to play thast final in Tom Price then thats where its played.
You'll Never Hawk Alone
Roar Pro
It's like people who are arguing haven't even read what I've said. I'd be fascinated to know which 8 teams... But I'm talking home ground advantage and disadvantage here, not travel. Anyway, the teams I'm talking about are big Victorian ones who already barely travel. This isn't a Geelong v Interstate teams debate, so I don't know why your inserting that. I'm not worried about the distance, I'm worried about the fact that Geelong have to host another team on that team's ground. Can you list me all the times an interstate team has hosted another team at that team's ground (not teams that have the same home, I mean actually on the away team's ground that isn't also theirs. The actually handing over of home ground advantage). Gold coast hosted Brisbane at the gabba early days, Freo in Perth last year. But Geelong have done it roughly 70 times this century...
You'll Never Hawk Alone
Roar Pro
That's correct. Arrived at the game around 45 minutes before it started and the GA seats were available.
You'll Never Hawk Alone
Roar Pro
"Locking out fans will just lock out the less-hardcore fans (and diminish supporter engagement overall) who are the ones the AFL is trying to attract". Absolute nonsense. The teams we host in Melbourne typically have far more than 11 games in their city a year already, and you've completely ignored the Geelong based fans with that statement. Hardcore fans deserve their team to play at home. Richmond has 16 games already in Melbourne last year, and a 17th an away game against Geelong. They got 46 thousand to that game. It's utterly ludicrous to suggest yet another game in Melbourne for Richmond fans, that barely attracted them anyway, does more for hardcore fans than it would have had that game been in Geelong and their fans got to pack out the stadium for a blockbuster for once. I've actually considered my stance here. I've long thought the counter arguements don't stand up to scrutiny...