Scott - Give us the Points- AFL to take submissions

[The Craw]

Policy on the run
http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/ ... fault.aspx
The calls led to the AFL appearing to change their mind on splitting the points, releasing a statement to say they may toss a coin to find the winner.

When do the tickets go on sale ????

[saintspremiers]

Policy on the run
http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/ ... fault.aspx
The calls led to the AFL appearing to change their mind on splitting the points, releasing a statement to say they may toss a coin to find the winner.

When do the tickets go on sale ????

Lol!

They should hold the coin toss at Crown.

Make it a few tosses, bit like a 2 Up game for some atmosphere.

One side of the coin could be a pic of Hirdy and the other side Adrian Anderson.

[meher baba]

Gee the AFL make things unnecessarily difficult for themselves. Why are they in the business of "approving" how teams get to and from games? That should be entirely the responsibility of the clubs. If one doesn't make it, for whatever reason (even pure bad luck), then they forfeit. Same as if several of their players break down during a game and they finish with 16 fit men and get thumped. That's the way the cookie crumbles sometimes and clubs and supporters have to learn to take the rough with the smooth.

Essendon took (or were allegedly allowed to take) a ridiculous risk because their players are apparently such sensitive petals that a 6 hour return bus trip would destroy their preparation for another meaningless practice almost a week later!! The AFL should have told them that it was fine for them to fly down on the afternoon of the game, but that, if they didn't make it there, they would forfeit the points. In a just world, the Bombers should also have been required to reimburse the AFL for its losses from the cancellation.

Did the AFL seek any advice from the aviation sector yesterday morning? The potential for the air route to be closed was 100% obvious at that point. I'm surprised the planes took off: everyone involved is lucky the whole thing didn't end worse than it did!

Then they jump out and declare the match a draw, effectively ruling us out of progressing further in the cup: a decision I very much doubt could possibly stand up under a legal challenge. Then they actually check their own rules and discover there is provision for an arbitrated outcome or a coin toss.

But now if the AFL go ahead with the coin toss and the Bombers get the 4 points the AFL
is just going to look like complete idiots, because the argument that the Bombers' failure to show up through reasons beyond their own control is so pissweak. I suspect pressure is being put on the Bombers ATM to give up any claim to the points.

And this is a sport on which gambling is lawfully permitted!!!

[saintspremiers]

Gee the AFL make things unnecessarily difficult for themselves. Why are they in the business of "approving" how teams get to and from games? That should be entirely the responsibility of the clubs. If one doesn't make it, for whatever reason, then they forfeit. Same as if several of their players break down during a game and they finish with 16 fit men and get thumped.

Essendon took a ridiculous risk because their players are apparently such sensitive petals that a 6 hour return bus trip would destroy their preparation for a meaningless practice match a week later!! Bad luck IMO.

If the AFL go ahead with the coin toss and the Bombers get the 4 points the AFL
is just going to look like complete idiots. I suspect pressure is being put on the Bombers ATM to give up any claim to the points.

Do you seriously think the AFL would pressure a lovechild "Top Melbourne Club" into doing something they don't want to do?

Sure, if the Bombers conceded the points to us we'd be happy, they'd look better and the AFL could wipe their hands clean until their next faarkup.

But why would you throw away points if you aren't forced to?

It will stay as a draw.

[meher baba]

Gee the AFL make things unnecessarily difficult for themselves. Why are they in the business of "approving" how teams get to and from games? That should be entirely the responsibility of the clubs. If one doesn't make it, for whatever reason, then they forfeit. Same as if several of their players break down during a game and they finish with 16 fit men and get thumped.

Essendon took a ridiculous risk because their players are apparently such sensitive petals that a 6 hour return bus trip would destroy their preparation for a meaningless practice match a week later!! Bad luck IMO.

If the AFL go ahead with the coin toss and the Bombers get the 4 points the AFL
is just going to look like complete idiots. I suspect pressure is being put on the Bombers ATM to give up any claim to the points.

Do you seriously think the AFL would pressure a lovechild "Top Melbourne Club" into doing something they don't want to do?

Sure, if the Bombers conceded the points to us we'd be happy, they'd look better and the AFL could wipe their hands clean until their next faarkup.

But why would you throw away points if you aren't forced to?

It will stay as a draw.

It won't stay as a draw because it now transpires that this wasn't allowed for under the NAB cup rules (gee Anderson is a great lawyer!). My gut feeling is that somehow we will end up with the points.

The AFL isn't actually biased against us (except when GT was coach, due to AD's hatred for him), but they do tend to tangle themselves up in knots. This situation was foreseeable and avoidable. If you are a good administrator, that is.

[meher baba]

PS. Does anyone know if the Bombers getting 2 points will impact on any other club's standing in the NAB Cup? That will be a factor too

[To the top]

1) It is a pre-season "competition" with no relevence except for conditioning players and sponsorship exposure.

2) The "toss of the coin" rule is ludicrous. So you can choose not to fly to Perth or Brisbane because you do not want your players sitting in cramped conditions on a plane and then spin a coin to see who "wins". Another stupid decision by the stupid, ego-maniacs who "run" the AFL - or should I say are running the AFL into the ground with their stupid decisions such as further expansion into Brisbane and Sydney when they already have a number of clubs struggling to survive financially and needing substantial AFL assistance year on year. They also do not read RBA notes which record that, after the crazy credit binge off Phase 1 of the Mining Boom, Australia is now a nation of savers repaying debt hence the impact on house prices, retail spending and MEDIA (along with our banks being on International Watch Lists and being down-graded by the Credit Rating Agencies, the latest being Fitch) - the same media which contributes so significantly to the AFL coffers. The warning signs are well and truly there.

3) It is ironic that a "rich" club (which has significant debt therefore a significant problem) hires planes for a 25 minute flight for a game - then runs to these problems!

4) For what it is worth, St Kilda were at the venue and prepared to play. Essendon were not at the venue and ready to play. Both clubs are Melbourne based clubs therefore with the identical travel obligations (in fact, St Kilda had to travel more distance). Therefore Essendon forfiet and St Kilda get the points - for what they are worth.

5) I understand the top 2 on the ladder play off in a final - so what about percentage?

[St Ick]

Coin toss... what a joke! Isnt that considered illegal apart from on ANZAC day?? If, and I say a big ID they decide noone was at fault (ha) and they needed a result isnt it the higher team on the ladder, juat like abandoned finals in local sports?

PR nightmare with their policies on the go...

Its the financial cost of finishing lower on the ladder and as Watters said, the better quality, more competitive lead up to the season proper which we will miss out on. More than just two or four points...

[yipper]

[quote="To the top"]1)
4) For what it is worth, St Kilda were at the venue and prepared to play. Essendon were not at the venue and ready to play. Both clubs are Melbourne based clubs therefore with the identical travel obligations (in fact, St Kilda had to travel more distance). Therefore Essendon forfiet and St Kilda get the points - for what they are worth.

I assume the umpires were also there - they made it up there no problems. This is looking really pathetic for the bombers - the Sunday Age sports section headline says it all I reckon: " Windy Dills"

[Life Long Saint]

It won't stay as a draw because it now transpires that this wasn't allowed for under the NAB cup rules (gee Anderson is a great lawyer!). My gut feeling is that somehow we will end up with the points.

That's not true under this years non-elimination system, is it?
We drew with Essendon last year in the triple-header.

The only time a draw is not a possible outcome is when there has to be a winner...and that is elimination NAB cup games of previous seasons and finals except for the Grand Final.

This is what happens when a lawyer is in charge of football operations. Convoluted rules. He obviously wasn't a good lawyer as he has left loopholes big enough to drive a truck through.

[matrix]

18 fights
ufc cage
3 min round each

[meher baba]

Does anyone know if it's true that James Hird has said somewhere that we should be given the 4 points?

[Life Long Saint]

Does anyone know if it's true that James Hird has said somewhere that we should be given the 4 points?

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/ ... fault.aspx

[Wrote for Luck]

good call not to chase the points. takes the onus off us and puts it where it should be, the afl.
Watters comments were perfectly enough to force afl to reconsider and put some pressure on essendon to concede.
why should we have to mount a case and submit an argument? talk about turning it into a pigs dinner. well done afl.

[dcstkfc]

Picking our battles. Not a terrible idea.

[Munga]

Best of three. The winner goes on to play the AFL in a tournament of coits.

[meher baba]

The club's statement was cleverly worded. It puts the onus on the AFL to justify its position in relation to a situation which was, when is all said and done, the AFL's stuff-up.

If AD and AA had any sense at all (ahem), they would realise that this is a classic instance of the trouble that leaders can get into if they try to control every last thing. I doubt that they actually have detailed formal rules about when clubs need to travel to each venue: perhaps they have rules about interstate air travel (ie, be there the day before), but not for every possible intra-state venue. So, when Essendon approached the AFL about their flight plans, the sensible response would have been: it's your job to get to the venue in time for the game. How you get there is your problem.

Instead, they seemed to have chosen to involve themselves in a handwringing, fussing sort of a way. Why? Did they check the tyres on the St Kilda bus or approve its GPS route?!!

[happy feet]

Have not you dummies realised that the AFL is primarily run to the benefit of the rich clubs like Collingwood and Essendon. I would not be surprised if the AFL would find a way to give the 4 points to Essendon!

[Leo.J]

Policy on the run
http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/ ... fault.aspx
The calls led to the AFL appearing to change their mind on splitting the points, releasing a statement to say they may toss a coin to find the winner.

When do the tickets go on sale ????

Can we bet on it?

Have they posted the odds yet?

[saintbrat]

Policy on the run
http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/ ... fault.aspx
The calls led to the AFL appearing to change their mind on splitting the points, releasing a statement to say they may toss a coin to find the winner.

When do the tickets go on sale ????

Can we bet on it?

Have they posted the odds yet?

can they give the Wangaratta area the profits? Fund/flood raiser?

[spert]

Wang is a whopping 2.5 hrs from Windy Hill, so clearly a bus trip would have had massive effect on the Bomber players- some of them may never have recovered from it? I hope the long bus trip doesn't effect our premiership chances.

[Sainternist]

Essendon really are our bogey team. We can't even beat them when they don't show up

[andolater]

If the bombers had have left just one hour earlier they could have flown to Albury and bussed it down to Wang.
The reason they would not have done this is that by the time they connected with the bus and arrived in Wang, the " 25 minute " trip would have actually taken 2 hours. Only one hour later than the happless Saints.

Yesterdays events highlighted a lack of decision making and organisational skills on behalf of Essendon. I would think it is quite embarrasing for them. I would beif it was the Saints.

Essendon will no doubt now be finding some room in their balance sheet for a meteorologist to advise on weather patterns. Essendons managers have obviously never used the BOM website for weather forecasts and updates.

To ensure this does not happen again I wonder if the Bombers will head over to Tassie to play the Hawks on the Spirit of Tasmania?


Everything happens for a reason and this could be a blessing in disguise for the Saints a host of reasons.

[Dr Spaceman]

Maybe those mega rich Bombers should have lashed out a bit more and hired this bloke

[skeptic]

IMO it reflects really poorly on Essendon that they just don't concede the points