The FIXture. Is it partially our OWN FAULT ?? !!

[St Fidelius]

Surely, it's in the Clubs best interest to listen to the supporters and gauge what the fans want?

Since when has the club ever bothered to listen to the supporters about anything?

Won't stop Archie who came down in the last shower telling everyone how wonderful Seaford is, after we the members had SFA say in anything to do with such an idiotic decision

Maybe the club tried to survey all members, but on the day of the mail out, they misplaced the data base!

Or maybe the AFL now think we are a joke, with a bunch of numbnuts, nong's, nuffies, dingbats and dunderheads running the joint, basing an AFL club in Seaford and no longer are we to be taken seriously.

How about you keep your Anti Seaford posts to the right thread and F*** off with you highjacking and agenda pushing on threads that are not related to that issue

Who the F*** woke you up!

Is it because Rix keeps farting in bed

[stinger]

Collingwood has 18 games in Melbourne, 18 free-to-air games, and plays wooden-spooner Melbourne twice in the first 11 rounds.
The AFL argues that Collingwood's pulling power of massive attendances and TV ratings has given it a deserved preferential position.



...what a steaming pile of horse manure.........got a distinct smell of corruption to me.......

[Eastern]

I have never heard such carp in all my life. It's the clubs fault, it's the fault of our game plan. Who else down at St Kilda do you want to blame? FFS, stop whinging and whining!

Here are some points to mull over:

1) St Kilda games had the 2nd highest TV ratings behind Collingwood.

2) Carlton have become the wonder team again now that they have FINALLY managed to pull themselves up from the bottom by a few places.

3) The club are not much happier about our draw than what we are.

3) I think to some degree we are being punished. Maybe giving us a lower profile in case when Cousins comes back he relapses (not going to happen, but they certainly don't want him back and we have done all in our power to ensure that he does)?

4) Possible lingering fall out from GT (the umpires still prove that).

Read into these what you will, but FFS, stop blaming the club.

Yeah, the more we blame others the less control we have over fixing the problem. We have been doing that UNSUCCESSFULLY for 140 years (with the exception of 1966). As a club we need to be in control of our own destiny !!

[saintspremiers]

Guys, it has nothing to do with us being hard to deal with.
Actually more a reason and this is fact, is we are now one of the most boring teams to watch in the AFL.

Could it be a bit of both? The club needs to find a definitive answer. My idea would be for the club to sit down with key players from the AFL as well as senior reps from Ch 7, Ch 10, Foxtel, Austerio, Southern Cross & SEN and obtain answers as to what is required to get a better draw.

Purely from a football view, I think we have done very well !!

Eastern, have you considered the fact that Carlton and Richmond have suddenly improved, and are drawing big crowds and I assume good TV ratings?

The TV networks are probably forecasting these two teams will be top 8 material next season, and want to ride that wave.

Considering Collingwood always gets a good run, something has to give....and the give is St Kilda.

Yes our game style has been a bit crap, but didn't we still rate really well this year?

Ratings are everything, actually the ONLY thing!

So, that's why I'll stick with my resurgent "power teams" (Carlton/Tigers) theory - and that those teams will rate better than us (if they are on song).

[The_Dud]

its simple, our style of play doesn't appeal to the neutral supporter

you could see this coming for months

[chook23]

Definately the result of our god awful approach to the game (most of the time). It was bought up twice that I remember that it could well effect our draw, and look out, it certainly has.

RUBBISH

[chook23]

its simple, our style of play doesn't appeal to the neutral supporter

you could see this coming for months

RUBBISH

[Teflon]

we rated second behind only Pies on TV.

I dont buy the whole "AFL tested members excitement levels, decided Saints were boring and then giving a shyte draw"

The Cousins angle is an interesting.....maybe they want no club drafting him......the Pies certainly dropped off....

Best way for us to fix this?

Make the GF.....very hard to ask TV networks not to show Ben then..

[St Fidelius]

its simple, our style of play doesn't appeal to the neutral supporter

you could see this coming for months

I gather you take this on the old cliche that Lyon is a defensive coach ??

I would like to see our stats on entries into our forward 50 this year, compared to other clubs...

One would think we would be right up there as a club having an attacking nature and has really got nothing to do with TV coverage with our style of play

[desertsaint]

What supporters must not do, what journalists must not do, what football clubs must not do, is resign themselves to an inequitable draw.

Despite sport being a business there are certain principles that must remain sacrosanct, above the profit motive, for the sport to remain a sacred part of our culture, our history, our future. A fair draw for all clubs is surely one such inviolate principle. Without it there is resignation, despair, and anger amongst supporters and clubs before a ball is even bounced.

A basis for rules in the game, on field and off, is to ensure consistency and fairness to all participants.

For the AFL to create, year after year, a draw that is universally accepted as accommodating a certain club and ensuring more revenue and more importantly maximising its chances to win enough games to play finals, is simply corruption.

It corrupts the ideals of sport.

To argue it as maximizing revenue is immoral. To argue that other clubs, desperate for money, accept this favoritism, is unacceptable. It compromises the competition and the long term viability of many clubs.

I would suggest a boycott of all games against collingwood by all other supporters.

Do not watch collingwood on TV, do not attend a game involving them, not even when your own team is playing. Even a home game away from the MCG. Only when their pockets are thinning will the fat cats running the show care to bend to supporter will. If the clubs are too beholden to the AFL to stop this practice then we the 'consumer' should rise up.

If we simply accept the current situation then we accept a deliberately corrupted, uneven competition.

[The_Dud]

its simple, our style of play doesn't appeal to the neutral supporter

you could see this coming for months

I gather you take this on the old cliche that Lyon is a defensive coach ??

I would like to see our stats on entries into our forward 50 this year, compared to other clubs...

One would think we would be right up there as a club having an attacking nature and has really got nothing to do with TV coverage with our style of play

its got nothing to do with stats, its got everything to do with watching us play football

take a pole of the general football public and a majority would tell u we play defensive/crap/boring (whatever u want to call it) footy

educated or uneducated, they're the ones that turn on the tv and watch the footy, so they're the ones the TV broadcasters listen to

and if u do want to bring stats into it, we finished 4th on the ladder, but where were we on the "points scored" ladder? i'd say close to bottom 4

[St Fidelius]

its simple, our style of play doesn't appeal to the neutral supporter

you could see this coming for months

I gather you take this on the old cliche that Lyon is a defensive coach ??

I would like to see our stats on entries into our forward 50 this year, compared to other clubs...

One would think we would be right up there as a club having an attacking nature and has really got nothing to do with TV coverage with our style of play

its got nothing to do with stats, its got everything to do with watching us play football

take a pole of the general football public and a majority would tell u we play defensive/crap/boring (whatever u want to call it) footy

educated or uneducated, they're the ones that turn on the tv and watch the footy, so they're the ones the TV broadcasters listen to

and if u do want to bring stats into it, we finished 4th on the ladder, but where were we on the "points scored" ladder? i'd say close to bottom 4

So are you saying that is the reason why we are on less free to air...

and yes I have read your post in the other thread...

i haven't read all 4 pages, but one thing i'd like to say regarding free-to-air coverage, throughout this year some were noting that we'd lose games on FTA because of our crappy style (me being one of them) and it looks like thats exactly what happened

its disappointing, but understandable, channel 7 and 10 would like to get the best possible games to get ratings, and our style of football obviously doesn't appeal to as many viewers as it could

Goal conversion is one thing, but have a look at our entries into the forward 50 compared to other sides...

So, in your opinion just what is "our crappy style"???

[The_Dud]

there's entries into your forward 50, and then there's entries into your forward 50

for the first half of the year at least, we played s*** football, and that stigma stuck with us, whether rightly or wrongly, for the rest of the season

again, talk to the general football publlic, and we won't be rated highly on the "exciting football" ladder

[NoMore]

Basically this draw has really put me in a hard place as to whether i will actually buy a membership at all next year.

Next year will be the first year i will have to buy my own membership as the parentals have decided they can't watch them anymore. But as far as i can see the way the draw is it really doesn't represent much value for money.

I hate twilight games and won't go to them so there goes 5 games and we also play a ridiculous amount of interstate teams at the dome which not only equates to a loss for the club but makes for incredibly boriing viewing.

Does anyone remember the atmosphere for the Port Adelaide game. I have never been to anything more boring in my liffe.

Plus i thought playing a home game at the Gold Coat got us out of an interstate trip. We still have 6. It is an absolute disgrace. The AFL have once again F*%ked us over monumentally

[plugger66]

Basically this draw has really put me in a hard place as to whether i will actually buy a membership at all next year.

Next year will be the first year i will have to buy my own membership as the parentals have decided they can't watch them anymore. But as far as i can see the way the draw is it really doesn't represent much value for money.

I hate twilight games and won't go to them so there goes 5 games and we also play a ridiculous amount of interstate teams at the dome which not only equates to a loss for the club but makes for incredibly boriing viewing.

Does anyone remember the atmosphere for the Port Adelaide game. I have never been to anything more boring in my liffe.

Plus i thought playing a home game at the Gold Coat got us out of an interstate trip. We still have 6. It is an absolute disgrace. The AFL have once again F*%ked us over monumentally

Firstly a membership is part donation part to get into games cheaper so if you can afford it you should always by one even if you see only 2-3 games. Not sure about it being boring because we play interstate sides at the dome. One of the best games I have ever been to was the Brisbane game at the dome a few years ago. Even if you dont attend the twilight games and I dont understand why anyone wouldnt you can still see 8 home games at other times.

[NoMore]

just don't like the twilight games. they have very little atmosphere and are generally just the game the AFL didn't know what to do with.

I think having 5 of them shows just where St Kilda sit as far as the AFL is concerned

[plugger66]

just don't like the twilight games. they have very little atmosphere and are generally just the game the AFL didn't know what to do with.

I think having 5 of them shows just where St Kilda sit as far as the AFL is concerned

So you wouldnt go because of the atmosphere. Very strange reason. Something tells me if it is a good close game it wouldnt matter if it was 7am in the morning there would be some atmosphere.

[NoMore]

To Be honest Plugger the time just pisses me off. I hate all sunday games.

I dunno what it is but i just don't like them

[iwantmeseats]

Definately the result of our god awful approach to the game (most of the time). It was bought up twice that I remember that it could well effect our draw, and look out, it certainly has.

RUBBISH

hehe, you obviously live in a insular world and dont talk to other footy fans .

[bobmurray]

I filled in a few members surveys that were emailed to me by the club..

Don't think they had any bearing on our fixture or our free to air coverage

A lot of our performances on free to air were crap,especially when we were playing the style of game that everyone hated..It doesn't make for good tv viewing and consequently we've been shafted.....

[kaos theory]

I have never heard such carp in all my life. It's the clubs fault, it's the fault of our game plan. Who else down at St Kilda do you want to blame? FFS, stop whinging and whining!

Here are some points to mull over:

1) St Kilda games had the 2nd highest TV ratings behind Collingwood.

2) Carlton have become the wonder team again now that they have FINALLY managed to pull themselves up from the bottom by a few places.

3) The club are not much happier about our draw than what we are.

3) I think to some degree we are being punished. Maybe giving us a lower profile in case when Cousins comes back he relapses (not going to happen, but they certainly don't want him back and we have done all in our power to ensure that he does)?

4) Possible lingering fall out from GT (the umpires still prove that).

Read into these what you will, but FFS, stop blaming the club.

As opposed to the carp you have written?

They are punishing us for GT 3 or 4 years ago? Or maybe because we might select cuz?!

This is too funny!

So if we are supposed to be the second highest rating team, and be so attractive as an advertisment for the game, why have we been dumped from friday nights and given the 'dead zone' of twilight games?

Did we play fast attractive football through most of this year? Did we draw huge crowds to our games?

As I said, the likely reasons we have been demoted are:

- Our percieved unattractive style,
- We are no longer the glamour team,
- There are other vic clubs, at this stage, expected to provide a bigger audience (at games and on TV), e.g. hawks, cats, (and young teams expected to rise up the ladder) pies, blues, tigers.

The only way this will change again is for us to become a vibrant and exciting team to watch, and get up the ladder, and get to a GF.

[saint75]

I have never heard such carp in all my life. It's the clubs fault, it's the fault of our game plan. Who else down at St Kilda do you want to blame? FFS, stop whinging and whining!

Here are some points to mull over:

1) St Kilda games had the 2nd highest TV ratings behind Collingwood.

2) Carlton have become the wonder team again now that they have FINALLY managed to pull themselves up from the bottom by a few places.

3) The club are not much happier about our draw than what we are.

3) I think to some degree we are being punished. Maybe giving us a lower profile in case when Cousins comes back he relapses (not going to happen, but they certainly don't want him back and we have done all in our power to ensure that he does)?

4) Possible lingering fall out from GT (the umpires still prove that).

Read into these what you will, but FFS, stop blaming the club.

As opposed to the carp you have written?

They are punishing us for GT 3 or 4 years ago? Or maybe because we might select cuz?!

This is too funny!

So if we are supposed to be the second highest rating team, and be so attractive as an advertisment for the game, why have we been dumped from friday nights and given the 'dead zone' of twilight games?

Did we play fast attractive football through most of this year? Did we draw huge crowds to our games?

As I said, the likely reasons we have been demoted are:

- Our percieved unattractive style,
- We are no longer the glamour team,
- There are other vic clubs, at this stage, expected to provide a bigger audience (at games and on TV), e.g. hawks, cats, (and young teams expected to rise up the ladder) pies, blues, tigers.

The only way this will change again is for us to become a vibrant and exciting team to watch, and get up the ladder, and get to a GF.

Get over it mate. We were second only behind Collingwood in the best TV ratings. How does that fit with your theory? Tell you what, if you so dislike our game plan and want to constantly whinge about it, don't forget to shut the door behind you on the way out. I am sure Collingwood or Carlton would love to have you.

The facts are that we are not one of the 'power house' clubs (Richmond, Cartlon, Collingwood, Essendon) and never will be no matter how many flags or supporters we have or what style of game plan we implement. If those teams start to perform, the remaining clubs get ditched (check out the Carlton fixture). Nothing to do with our style of play.

[kickittokosi!!!!]

Nobody was complaining about our style of play when we beat Collingwood to set up a Prelim Final against Hawks, were they??

Our style of play has nothing to do with the Free-to-air/Foxtel ratio or the allocation of sunday games.

It is solely becuase - our club takes a back seat compared to the big 4 Victorian clubs (Pies, Blues, Tigers, Bombers).
All of these teams are young and up-and-comers (i guess).

Add to this the current 2 best performing teams being Hawks and Cats...

We were always going to be, and will continue to be, shafted when it comes to Playing times/TV Coverage.

Instead look to the positives... who we actually play and where = fantastic.

IMO should remain top 4.