Cairns!!

[Life Long Saint]

We've won three games this year away from Marvel.
Two insterstate and one at the 'G.
I don't think we are scared to play away from Marvel.

But the last time I checked, I don't think there's ever been a final played anywhere north of Brisbane.

So how well we play at Cairns, Alice Springs, Darwin, or China is not relevant.

[Sainternist]

And to think we used to complain about having to play a couple of home games in Tassie.

These deals are getting worse. Next the League will have us trying to promote the game in Antarctica

[Vortex]

It would be ironic if a couple of meatheads like our CEO and our Football operations manager were asked by the AFL if they were ok with a Cairns game in April or May and they agreed to it

I’m not saying that in July or August that the ground would have been totally dry, but I reckon the chances of such a slippery surface would be reduced later in the year. Jane Bunn agrees

The thing is, that Port Adelaide also have to agree so it really doesn’t matter when we play or where we play…it’s the how that counts

Scollop July and particularly August would be ideal months. August is the peak of the tourist season and you can almost gaurantee perfect weather. And so August would also be hugely beneficial, almost performance enhancing for the players to get way from the crapiest coldest miserable Melbourne weather at that time. It could also be a great refresher for the players leading into the finals.

[SunnyErnie]

Hi everyone,
Haven’t been here for a while, couple years actually.
Can someone please tell me how many games we’ve sold to Cairns??
Currently we’ve sold two wins, the game last year v Crows & this year v Power!!
Sorry, no amount of money is worth that.
Cheers

It never ceases to amaze me how some people never learn. Abandon Tassie, abandon NZ and now it's abandon Cairns.

We can't just keep running away from things that are difficult. If we didn't have a $10 Million debt then maybe it would be a different story. But the reality is we have this massive debt weighing us down and we have to think outside the square to rid ourselves of it.

My preference was to embrace Tassie but unfortunately BUTTHEAD (Rod Butters), did not agree with me. That was me nearly 20 years ago at the AGM when during Q & A I told BUTTHEAD and the board that abandoning Tassie was very short sighted and would one day come back and bite us on the bum. And it has bitten us big time. Look at how much money both North Melbourne and Hawthorn have made out of Tassie. And then look at us, still wallowing in debt.

We need to keep playing 1 game in Cairns each year to balance the books but at the same time do everything we can to get NZ up and running again. I believe the Western Springs redevelopment in Auckland has been delayed unfortunately. We need to try and see if we can somehow get AFL funding to get the project over the line. Once the redevelopment is completed then we can get rid of Cairns and play in Auckland every ANZAC day. But the most important thing is to rotate the interstate teams that we play there each year, excluding Sydney and Brisbane. ie on ANZAC day in Auckland we play the following teams on a rotational basis. Gold Coast, GWS, Adelaide, Port Adelaide, West Coast and Fremantle.

[saynta]

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/ ... 993407920f


"Selling games to play in Cairns has helped St Kilda on a number of financial front, but the Saints’ horror performance in Cairns irked fans and has prompted the club to review its deal.
Jon Ralph

May 1, 2022 - 10:09PM


St Kilda will review its two-year agreement to play in Cairns at the end of the season despite believing the deal worth between $600,000-$700,000 per game has strong player buy-in.

The Saints kicked 4.18 in humid and slippery conditions and at one stage piled on 10 consecutive points as Robbie Gray’s late behind dropped them to 5-2 with Melbourne ahead on Sunday.


St Kilda was able to cut $4.2 million of debt and reduce that figure to $9.56 million last year and the Herald Sun understands it plans to shrink it by a further $2 million this year.

The St Kilda players who enjoyed time in a Noosa hub in 2020 were happy to play in Cairns with nearly every mid-sized Melbourne club selling games away.


The club has also been able to boost its football department funding because of the deal, using all the allowable exemptions to pay over the $6.5 million cap.

The Western Bulldogs play in Ballarat, Melbourne in Northern Territory and North Melbourne and Hawthorn in Tasmania.

But the Saints will review that deal despite its lucrative nature, with St Kilda’s slick game and marking forwards not conducive to the slippery conditions of Cairns.

Richmond players protested against the club’s three-year deal to play in Cairns from 2011-13 and the Tigers eventually dropped the final season of that deal.

AFL: Brett Ratten faces the media after his side's agonising loss to the Port Adelaide Power

Richmond star Jack Riewoldt told Fox Footy on Sunday the Tigers had been shattered after losing after the siren to Gold Coast’s Karmichael Hunt in their second Cairns game.

“I have got no doubt the Saints boys would have got on the plane last night, and their leaders would have said, ‘Why are we playing up here?” he said.

“We could have played at Marvel Stadium at a ground that is suited to their home ground and to watch five minutes of that football last night it was slippery and it wasn’t the way the Saints wanted to play.

“I have go no doubt they Saints got on the plane and had the same conversations we were having after the Karmichael Hunt game,”

St Kilda’s two-year deal was brokered using a money from the Recovery for Regional Tourism fund as part of a $1 billion Covid recovery fund.

But rivals do not want to play the Dogs in Ballarat, Hawthorn has a great Tasmanian record and the Demons have won three of the past four in Alice Springs.

They have won two of the past four in Darwin but only four of 10 games there in total.

St Kilda coach Brett Ratten made no complaints about the venue, adamant the Saints just didn’t take their chances.

“We had our opportunities, there is no doubt about it. 61 inside-50s, won contested ball, tackles, pressure count but when you have 21 clanger kicks you don’t finish your work,” he said.

“We had our chances and give Port their credit, they won some critical contests in the back end of the game and they got an advantage there but it is pretty disappointing.

“The ball was slippery, mistakes were made but Port capitalised, especially after quarter time.”

[saynta]

From the hun's likes and dislikes.

4. On the road to Cairns

The Saints flew out to Cairns at some ungodly hour last Wednesday morning. About 5.30am it’s believed. When told this – and the fact the Saints would be undertaking several days of community engagements – Fox Footy’s Jordan Lewis said: “Get on Port Adelaide.’’ His reasoning being the Saints might be dishevelled and tired after the three-day pre-playing extravaganza and the heat can zap a team over several days. He wasn’t wrong. It was a terrific game in regards to spirit and attitude from Port Adelaide because St Kilda dominated so much of the contest. But, if you don’t kick goals, how do you expect to win? Combined scores, it was the second-lowest match accuracy recorded this century. And why are we playing night footy in Cairns in late April anyway? As a spectacle, it was an arduous watch."

[repta]

with the 100% humidity and amount of water and sweat on the ground, players and ball

The AFL should list this as the first game to be officially played under water.

[shanegrambeau]

Why is Cairns so “lucrative”?

Where does the 600K come from?

Who pays it?

Why?

It is certainly not money at the gate!

We lost 20k fans paying the gate at home!

So tell me, where does the money come from?

Is it really going to St Kilda?

Of course it is not.

It is going on St Kilda’s books p, which are kept and cooked by the AFL!

4 points, gone.

I get lambasted for suggesting we play one game at the Junction. It’s not a footy ground…low crowds, etc., etc.,

Well tell me now.

What’s the deal with Cairns.

We don’t get squat.

Our books look nicer.

We are taking one for the team…team AFL inc.

[shanegrambeau]

Why is Cairns so “lucrative”?

Where does the 600K come from?

Who pays it?

Why?

It is certainly not money at the gate!

We lost 20k fans paying the gate at home!

So tell me, where does the money come from?

Is it really going to St Kilda?

Of course it is not.

It is going on St Kilda’s books p, which are kept and cooked by the AFL!

4 points, gone.

I get lambasted for suggesting we play one game at the Junction. It’s not a footy ground…low crowds, etc., etc.,

Well tell me now.

What’s the deal with Cairns.

We don’t get squat.

Our books look nicer.

We are taking one for the team…team AFL inc.

[Vortex]

Why is Cairns so “lucrative”?

Where does the 600K come from?

Who pays it?

Why?

It is certainly not money at the gate!

We lost 20k fans paying the gate at home!

So tell me, where does the money come from?

Is it really going to St Kilda?

Of course it is not.

It is going on St Kilda’s books p, which are kept and cooked by the AFL!

4 points, gone.

I get lambasted for suggesting we play one game at the Junction. It’s not a footy ground…low crowds, etc., etc.,

Well tell me now.

What’s the deal with Cairns.

We don’t get squat.

Our books look nicer.

We are taking one for the team…team AFL inc.

The three levels of Government.

[shanegrambeau]

Why is Cairns so “lucrative”?

Where does the 600K come from?

Who pays it?

Why?

It is certainly not money at the gate!

We lost 20k fans paying the gate at home!

So tell me, where does the money come from?

Is it really going to St Kilda?

Of course it is not.

It is going on St Kilda’s books p, which are kept and cooked by the AFL!

4 points, gone.

I get lambasted for suggesting we play one game at the Junction. It’s not a footy ground…low crowds, etc., etc.,

Well tell me now.

What’s the deal with Cairns.

We don’t get squat.

Our books look nicer.

We are taking one for the team…team AFL inc.

The three levels of Government.

So there it is.
A complete s*** show.
I assume no one bothers to ask more as if just gets lost in a Byzantine labyrinth of political BS.
So basically St Kilda is getting rooted.
But Sf Kilda is on drugs and the opium lord ain’t gonna give us the hot toddy unless we dance the monkey dance.

So there it is. Four premiership points. A complete toss of the coin.

[The Fireman]

do we sacrifice a flag to reduce debt ?
There has to be a better way.

[Vortex]

do we sacrifice a flag to reduce debt ?
There has to be a better way.

What is this flag you speak of

[shanegrambeau]

do we sacrifice a flag to reduce debt ?
There has to be a better way.

I think it is quietly accepted by those I power - and ranting and raving aside - it’s for the good of the game. Whilst we can assume that the power brokers eat at the nice tables, there is an understanding that the clubs are now just franchises and that the public veneer of competition among clubs has to be propped up. Can’t expect North and St Kilda to be competitive as franchises in a business sense.

Competition from other sports, bla bla also plays out..

But yes, it is a co-dependence thing and I think it is fair to say all teams probably think they have to make undue sacrifices. And we sold four points - or let’s call it two, cos it could have gone either way. The playing field being leveled by the conditions. Plus the boys won’t have fresh legs for Melbourne either.

[Beno88]

It's worth noting that both our games in Cairns have been after another interstate game (Sydney in Sydney last year, GWS in Canberra this year).

Surely that doesn't help. How many Victorian sides play back to back interstate games each year?

[Ghost Like]

It's worth noting that both our games in Cairns have been after another interstate game (Sydney in Sydney last year, GWS in Canberra this year).

Surely that doesn't help. How many Victorian sides play back to back interstate games each year?

My brother actually mentioned the players moving from a mild autumn in Melbourne to a relatively very cold Canberra back to Melbourne for a couple of days then to four days of humidity in FNQ - not ideal & something St Kilda & the PA should ensure never happens again.

That said, we should never have lost that game. Blaming the conditions that a (1-5) opposition also played in is a cop out. If we allow the players and the club to hide behind such a excuse, we will continue our support of mediocrity. We need to be better, we must be better!

[Vortex]

It's worth noting that both our games in Cairns have been after another interstate game (Sydney in Sydney last year, GWS in Canberra this year).

Surely that doesn't help. How many Victorian sides play back to back interstate games each year?

My brother actually mentioned the players moving from a mild autumn in Melbourne to a relatively very cold Canberra back to Melbourne for a couple of days then to four days of humidity in FNQ - not ideal & something St Kilda & the PA should ensure never happens again.

That said, we should never have lost that game. Blaming the conditions that a (1-5) opposition also played in is a cop out. If we allow the players and the club to hide behind such a excuse, we will continue our support of mediocrity. We need to be better, we must be better!

Thanks GL.

I obviously could be perceived as being biased about the Cairns venue however I'm the first to admit that scheduling a game on the shoulder of the wet season is plain idiocy. I think the game in Cairns should continue to be scheduled in Cairns, but in July or August as you are guaranteed of perfect footy conditions. Moreover it would be a relief for players to get away from the winter conditions of Melbourne when the season is getting long and tiring. It would also be significantly easier to showcase the game and dovetail all of the tourism benefits and dollars as an ROI for the government investment. And we really can use the coin it brings into the Club so there's that. It's a win win all round if they push the game into July or August.

But saying we lost the game because of the venue or weather is just a copout and let's the players off the hook, and telegraphing a loss this week for the same reason is also just as unpalatable.

2 issues in play here

[Ghost Like]

Agree Vortex, I'd happily take the first two weeks of August each year and enjoy time in FNQ if it meant I could watch the Saints play - an opportunity for the playing list to get together and increase training loads for a run at the finals.

Much better than a game in April, just ridiculous scheduling by the AFL for an alleged showpiece of their code.

[shanegrambeau]

Blaming the result is not a cop out.

It’s got nothing to do with the discussion.

Whether we lost because of a, b or c.
No difference.

The fact is, we were in a vastly compromised situation because of the Cairns fixture.

That’s it.

That’s all it is.

Do you want to be in that position?

Compromised.

No need to practice kicking for goal or blaming coaching or players in the context of this conversation.

It is purely about the game being played at Cairns and the leveling of the playing field there in

We were a rising team with momentum this year and we got to play a team on the ropes, bleeding badly.

We have up that for the bucks.

That’s it!!

[The_Dud]

Do some of you realise they play footy in Cairns every weekend?

The overreaction to conditions that weren't under a roof is laughable.

We played crap and lost to a team that played better. You do that at any ground in any conditions and you'll lose.

[shanegrambeau]

Do some of you realise they play footy in Cairns every weekend?

The overreaction to conditions that weren't under a roof is laughable.

We played crap and lost to a team that played better. You do that at any ground in any conditions and you'll lose.

Nope
We could have easily won
Either team could have easily won
Flip of a coin

Laugh all you like

It was a 50/50 game that should have been a 70/30 game.

That is not ALL due to Cairns, but the conditions which are quite LIKELY to be due to Cairns in April

[The_Dud]

Do some of you realise they play footy in Cairns every weekend?

The overreaction to conditions that weren't under a roof is laughable.

We played crap and lost to a team that played better. You do that at any ground in any conditions and you'll lose.

Nope
We could have easily won
Either team could have easily won
Flip of a coin

Laugh all you like

It was a 50/50 game that should have been a 70/30 game.

That is not ALL due to Cairns, but the conditions which are quite LIKELY to be due to Cairns in April

So a 5-1 team and a 1-5 team are all of a sudden equal because there's a little bit of moisture in the air?

Like I said, football is played up there every weekend.

Our players do their job and we win. They didn't so we lost. Can happen anywhere.

[CURLY]

Do some of you realise they play footy in Cairns every weekend?

The overreaction to conditions that weren't under a roof is laughable.

We played crap and lost to a team that played better. You do that at any ground in any conditions and you'll lose.

Yep and they play footy on grounds with no grass so lets do that once a year as one off.

[Ghost Like]

Believe me, not one of us is laughing about the result. To suggest our players could not beat that Port side because it was played in a location that wasn't Marvel is a cop out.

I've checked the fixture and the AFL rules and cannot find where we are guaranteed to win all our home games at Marvel.

I doubt the coaches or the players are giving each other the "Cairns" get out clause, it is only the fans.

[The_Dud]

Believe me, not one of us is laughing about the result. To suggest our players could not beat that Port side because it was played in a location that wasn't Marvel is a cop out.

I've checked the fixture and the AFL rules and cannot find where we are guaranteed to win all our home games at Marvel.

I doubt the coaches or the players are giving each other the "Cairns" get out clause, it is only the fans.

Yep, spot on.

If people down at the club went looking for as many excuses for their bad performances as some supporters do, may as well pack the club up now as they’ll never achieve anything.