Convictions run at a fever pitch for footy fans in September, like nothing else within Australia.
For example, I couldn’t help but notice this Geelong supporter go on to Twitter and post their anticipation for Friday night’s qualifying final between the Cats and Collingwood at the MCG.
Passionate fans like that one have a point when they complain about Geelong’s ‘home’ final at the G.
What’s the point of playing 23 rounds of footy to finish top of the ladder and earn the inalienable right to host finals only to feel like visitors at the MCG, where Collingwood routinely pack out the ground with as many as 70,000 or 80,000 of their own supporters?
Where’s the reward and incentive for finishing top? That’s the question upset Geelong fans are posing in the lead-up to this highly anticipated match.
The decision not to play the game at Geelong’s fortress, GMHBA Stadium, reflects a few cold, hard truths about the AFL.
It’s another powerful organisation putting profits ahead of people.
It’s taking a great sporting code at the highest level further and further away from the fans.
Is there another top-flight sporting league or code that would make such a decision?
Advocates for the AFL point to the need to maximise revenue over September’s finals series, as well as the capacity of the respective grounds – the MCG houses over 64,000 more fans than GMHBA.
But it also raises a question about how the AFL views Geelong – as a footy market, as opposed to a football club. Is it part of Melbourne, or a part of regional Victoria? Because if it’s the latter, why not treat them the same as an interstate team?
In the case of the former, then that raises the argument that Geelong play some home games at the MCG so they should be used to the dynamics, conditions and nuances of playing there. This is a hollow straw-man’s argument, since Geelong make an annual pitch to the AFL to play all 11 of their home games at GMHBA Stadium.
Cats coach Chris Scott hasn’t stopped talking about Geelong’s finals fixturing. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)
And in turn, it means that they are prepared not only to play finals in Geelong, but also treat trips up the Princes and West Gate Freeways as a visitor’s luxury.
Should the AFL treat regional Victoria as an outside-of-Melbourne market entity the same way interstate clubs are?
Suppose Brisbane had finished ahead of Geelong on top of the home-and-away ladder, would Collingwood or Richmond fans be moaning about having to play at the Gabba, where the capacity of 42,000 seats is almost as undersized as GMHBA. Would they be championing a move to have the game played at the MCG?
Bottom line: if the rules are in place for one example, they have to be fair for those in all other examples.
Also a point worth noting: over the last decade, the AFL – in addition to the state government of Victoria, the City of Greater Geelong, and the Geelong Football Club itself – has invested a huge amount of money into the stadium, not only to bring it up to modern standards but also to increase its capacity to 36,000 seats, and 40,000 by 2022.
What possible reason would the AFL use to justify not wanting to recoup that investment?
The Cats playing finals in Geelong would help accomplish this. But fans of Collingwood and Richmond – two of the largest supporter bases in the AFL – possess an sense of entitlement for finals to be played at the MCG.
Aussie rules, more than any other sporting code in the nation, is characterised by its tribal nature. And being based at the MCG as a home ground, do rabid Collingwood and Richmond fans feel threatened at the suggestion of having to travel elsewhere in Victoria in September?
Nonetheless, the AFL has supported the views of those clubs and their supporters by scheduling Friday’s clash at the MCG.
Geelong earned the right to host finals, and that reward has been denied.
The decision has denied Geelong the opportunity to unleash the spectacle of finals – and Cats fans would relish the privilege of providing that spectacle.
billy
Guest
i know right, geelong have been playing very well in the home and away season. And when it comes to finals people say we are not ready for finals footy, but in fact its where we are playing if the just give us finals at gmhba stadium the rest of the comp has no chance and thats why there not letting us have one. MONEY, thats all they care about. they dont care about the culture the happiness of winning a flag all their care about is the fricking money
Jimmy
Guest
I think that's the problem Angela - teams like Richmond and Collingwood rarely enjoy home ground advantage as they mostly play other tenants at the MCG. How is it a home ground advantage to Collingwood when they play Melbourne there I ask you? Geelong get 9 stand alone home ground advantage games a year! As a pies supporter it's something I can only dream of getting.
Jimmy
Guest
It's funny you mention home ground advantage Shane. It is something often ignored by Geelong supporters. Geelong supporters get 9 home ground advantage games a year. The other Victorian teams get fewer because of the tenant system. A rare moment of honesty - I commend you for acknowledging that inequalities are present throughout the AFL and don't just affect Geelong
Jimmy
Guest
"Cats finished 1at while the Pies limped into 4th." What happened next Jack I can't remember? :laughing: Let's face it - you're bit upset. Time heals all wounds
Jimmy
Guest
Correct! Home ground "advantage" Say it again!! Home ground "advantage" Of the Victorian teams Geelong get that more than anyone in the regular season In the finals the Melbourne tenant teams get that over Geelong. Clearly not perfect. Only solution I can see is Geelong need a bigger stadium that can hold finals crowds.
Jimmy
Guest
"It’s so-called supporters like this, that love the rules of the game skewed to their clubs benefit, and they will throw out any strawman that they can conjur up to support their wishes. No matter how unreasonable!" That some quantum stuff right there from a Geelong supporter! The group who is most guilty of that offense. Geelong get 9 home ground advantage games a season - more than any other Victorian club. As you say the argument that Geelong is disadvantaged is a strawman argument. If Geelong get 11 home ground advantage matches then it's only fair ALL clubs get 11 home ground advantage matches. I know Geelong supporters as strong activists for equality will want that too as anything less than the same deal Geelong gets would be completely unfair
Yattuzzi
Roar Rookie
This is such an old post. Nope they fixed us up. The wet weather, the bad coaching and the Gee did it.
Jimmy
Guest
LOL! Those quotes prove you wrong Shane.
Jimmy
Guest
Did you humble the Pies at the G?
Jimmy
Guest
You’ve lost the plot Shane
Jimmy
Guest
So why are geelong the ONLY original club to benefit? You must agree then that Geelong get an unfair advantage Home of football to a collingwood supporter is Vic Park
Jimmy
Guest
Well that would fit with Kardinia Park being a 70s 80s caliber ground
Jimmy
Guest
So, and brace yourself, that situation is a fiction. It’s not real. You don’t have that stadium If you have 150000 stadium in Geelong you can have as many finals there as you want But you don’t. And prob never will.
Jimmy
Guest
One of the most ill informed articles I have read on roar - and that’s saying something Firstly, the system isn’t fair - no doubt. I don’t think it’s fair that Geelong play home finals at the G against teams that are tenants there. The idea that’s it’s some kind of appeasement to Richmond and Collingwood is juvenile Speaking to some Geelong fans they think “equality” means: Geelong get 11 home games and all eligible finals at their home ground whilst the other 9 Victorian teams share two grounds = equality Equality is a word - it has meaning. Geelong gets an extraordinary advantage over all other Victorian clubs that were forced to give up their suburban home ground. And yes Geelong should get home finals when it’s reasonable imo. There is a contract in place with the G and no amount of complaining will change it NBA NFL have standardised playing fields - Geelong have an unusually shaped ground. I don’t think it’s reasonable to make the US comparison without mentioning that. K Park is very rustic - even with the improvements. Can I point out that Geelong held its b&f count at crown casino? Can I point out Geelong don’t share it’s home ground with 3 or 4 other teams? Can I point out that Geelong get 9 games a year with a home ground advantage? Melbourne teams get 7-8 in most instances If Geelong argued they wanted home finals against small following teams I’d be all for it As long as Geelong supporters say they demand a collingwood or Hawthorn or Richmond or Essendon final in Geelong they are engaging in a delusional fantasy. Reality dictates that the AFL will never approved 60 fans being locked out Btw: Didn’t brisbane win a home final against Geelong in 2004 that was played in Melbourne? Did Collingwood ever play a home final at Victoria Park - they have after all had most finals appearances. Geelong supporters must be furious at that injustices Will Essendon and Carlton play home finals at Marvel? Geelong supporters must lose sleep about that. KPark is a remnant of the vfl era - it needs a major major major improvement to host 70+ Thou finals (I live in g town - pass it every day on foot on my commute to work)
Yattuzzi
Roar Rookie
Yes shows your ineptitude Ali.
Yattuzzi
Roar Rookie
Good response Ali. So impressive.
Barry Allen
Guest
I was born and bred in Geelong, it's always been the same between Melbourne and Geelong, ever since the gold rush days, check it out on Google. They (Melbourne) will always be the same AR#@$! with no sense of honour or fair play!!!
Rob
Guest
One thing I haven't seen or heard mentioned in this debate is the advantage Geelong get over almost every other club in the competition by being allowed to train 100% of the time on their home ground, giving them a huge advantage during the course of the season over the other clubs. The Victorian clubs with the supposed MCG home ground advantage have to train each week on different size ovals with completely different outlooks/perspectives but the Cats can train every day of the week on the ground they play every home game on - a huge advantage in the big scheme of game styles, strategies etc etc. The only home ground advantage the other Victorian clubs get is potentially having more supporters. The supposed disadvantage to Geelong playing home games at the MCG is an urban myth - they have enough supporters to also enjoy the only advantage the other Victorian clubs have but they also get a big leg up that none others do.
ChrisH
Roar Rookie
"...it wasn’t an issue when they won those 3 premierships not that long ago." They had very good reason not to.If you look at the ground's history, you'll see they were still developing it to increase its capacity and suitability for finals through that era, with major redevelopments opening in 2005, 2010 and 2013. Then in 2013, the AFL finally acknowledged the venue was suitable for finals, granting the Cats their first final there.
RT
Roar Rookie
They want to maximise the number of fans within the constraints they have set - that is, the match is placed in the state of the higher placed team. Don't be see disingenous. The point of the argument about Geelong getting such a large home ground advantage is not to do with Sydney, it is to do with other Victoria teams. Years ago all teams (except Melbourne and later Richmond) had their own home ground and finals were played at the MCG (and later VFL Park). So finals were played at a ground that was usually neutral. With ground rationalisation all but Geelong lost their suburban ground. The result is that those teams have lost their home ground advantage against other teams at the same venue or it has been lessened against other Victorian teams is they all play at the MCG or Docklands enough. So finals between Victorian teams have always been at relatively neutral venues. Why should that change now to give Geelong an advantage that other Victorian teams don't get? They will still have the advantage over West Coast of not travelling and crowd. Geelong's real problem is that they don't play the MCG as well lately but it wasn't an issue when they won those 3 premierships not that long ago. Instead of wasting energy asking for a home final, they should have been pushing for a Saturday afternoon final to make it easier for Geelong residents to get the MCG.