Eastern's fixture assessment !!

[Eastern]

When assessing the fixture I like to separate it into two aspects, commercial and football. Sometimes they compliment each other, sometimes they contradict each other. We need to look at the overall package.

COMMERCIAL

The first thing I look at here is our 11 HOME games and who we play and what the crowds are likely to be. The BIG boost here is the two home games at the MCG (Richmond - Rd 2 & Geelong – Rd 13). Both have the potential to draw crowds of 60,000+. We also have the Monday Night game v Carlton and the Collingwood & Essendon games that should see us playing in close to “Full Housesâ€

[ChicagoSaint]

great assessment eastern.
may i add that i feel the two byes works in our favour to a certain degree given the workload over the past three or four seasons. it just means that these guys who have been working so bloody hard have a chance to sit back and watch others aswell in order to make our assessments.

round 21 at etihad versus collingwood should be an absolute belter!

[3rd generation saint]

The truth is, if we win enough games to be top 4, or better top 2 again, it's a great fixture, if we lose, none of us will like it.
The fixture will be great when any side lokk to who they play the next week and see that it is us, they get very disheartened because they know in all honesty that they will probably lose.
Hopefully this time next year Eastern, we will be suffering from a very long hangover, but then again, we said that last year.

[saintbrat]

[quote="Eastern"]We have been presented with a fixture that suggests that the AFL sees us being up there with the heavy hitters of the competition. It is now up to us to prove that we are worthy of retaining this status. It is fixture that suggests that the value of our “Brandâ€

[Saints Premiers 2008]

The extra games at the MCG will only be useful if we actually win the premiership...but then again...a ground is a ground and anyone making excuses for a lack of performance to a ground is obviously struggling...

[Dr Spaceman]

The extra games at the MCG will only be useful if we actually win the premiership...but then again...a ground is a ground and anyone making excuses for a lack of performance to a ground is obviously struggling...

Anyone who carries on about the Pies having an advantage with their 428 games at the MCG surely can't complain about us having 6, even if it's not our home ground.

We've got to be able to play the G as well as we play Etihad or there's no point getting to the last Saturday. And we can only do that by playing there regularly.

[Richter]

Hmmm, don't entirely agree with you Eastern!

The advantage of the MCG is a commercial one. This Saints side has played the most finals of any in the comp in the last 2 years so playing at the G is hardly relevant in terms of the "experience"!

In terms of how tough the draw is in footballing terms we have been absolutely reamed. We play these teams twice.....

Team (2010 final position)

Collingwood (1)

Geelong (3)

Fremantle (6)

Carlton (8)

North Melbourne (9)

Adelaide (11)

SUMMARY: We play 2 top 2 sides twice and 0 bottom 4 teams twice!!!!
The average 2010 position of teams we play twice = 6.333

(It should be 8.875)

Yes, this is because we play more "blockbuster" games against better teams which is good commercially, but come September, who knows, it may be the difference between winning and losing a couple of games - the difference between 4th and 5th.

Playing Collingwood twice in the H&A is ridiculous. We played them 5 times last year. One of those games should have been against West Coast which would have normalised our play twice average to 8.8333.

[saintbrat]

if we're going averages

then the AFL has along way to go to equalise the game
they have been stated as saying every team should win 1 in or every 16 including new teams

well fairs fair - Saints should be gifted one before G c or GWS given they gifted west coast and crows how many times ahve we heard ' it's **** time"


But we're all learning it has nothing to do with 'average's or expectations'

it is as much to do with hard work and Luck.....

and this current Saints team are trying really hard with the first of those-- and are focused and working hard...
all the little things may combine to create the Luck..

[Thinline]

Hmmm, don't entirely agree with you Eastern!

The advantage of the MCG is a commercial one. This Saints side has played the most finals of any in the comp in the last 2 years so playing at the G is hardly relevant in terms of the "experience"!

In terms of how tough the draw is in footballing terms we have been absolutely reamed. We play these teams twice.....

Team (2010 final position)

Collingwood (1)

Geelong (3)

Fremantle (6)

Carlton (8)

North Melbourne (9)

Adelaide (11)

SUMMARY: We play 2 top 2 sides twice and 0 bottom 4 teams twice!!!!
The average 2010 position of teams we play twice = 6.333

(It should be 8.875)

Yes, this is because we play more "blockbuster" games against better teams which is good commercially, but come September, who knows, it may be the difference between winning and losing a couple of games - the difference between 4th and 5th.

Playing Collingwood twice in the H&A is ridiculous. We played them 5 times last year. One of those games should have been against West Coast which would have normalised our play twice average to 8.8333.

That all of course makes perfect sense if you assume that the sides we play will perform to or better than expectations.

It never works like that. Ever.

Collingwood may plummet. Adelaide may self combust. Carlton may implode. North may cop a run of injuries so fierce they finish dead last.

Ifs buts maybes.

Just f****** win, I say.

[derby Street]

[quote="Eastern"]When assessing the fixture I like to separate it into two aspects, commercial and football. Sometimes they compliment each other, sometimes they contradict each other. We need to look at the overall package.

COMMERCIAL

The first thing I look at here is our 11 HOME games and who we play and what the crowds are likely to be. The BIG boost here is the two home games at the MCG (Richmond - Rd 2 & Geelong – Rd 13). Both have the potential to draw crowds of 60,000+. We also have the Monday Night game v Carlton and the Collingwood & Essendon games that should see us playing in close to “Full Housesâ€

[ChicagoSaint]

an excellent assessment from eastern

[SainterK]

[quote="Eastern"] I believe that through this fixture the AFL has thrown us the biggest challenge in the history of our club. It is daring us to be a successful “powerhouseâ€