AFL Fixture

[Brunswicksainter]

Rich getting richer. The AFL is a joke.

They offset scheduling differences by distributing extra pay to clubs who receive less marquee time slots. From a financial position, its actually done incredibly fairly by the AFL. We simply dont draw the crowds and TV interest of the bigger clubs at the moment. If we show a bit this season then we will get a better run in 2021.

[Life Long Saint]

Rich getting richer. The AFL is a joke.

They offset scheduling differences by distributing extra pay to clubs who receive less marquee time slots. From a financial position, its actually done incredibly fairly by the AFL. We simply dont draw the crowds and TV interest of the bigger clubs at the moment. If we show a bit this season then we will get a better run in 2021.

Which is why our Friday night match is critical for us.
We need to show that we're capable on the big stage in prime time.

[repta]

Managed to draw the Sunday graveyard shift. Yiipppeee seems I am going to have to sign up to Foxtel to see the Saints play.

At least we are playing in Victoria for the first and last games.

[GSG]

Jaysus, that’s a tough start.

West Coast, Richmond, Geelong away, Collingwood all by round 7. Then GWS away in round 9. That’s last year’s top 5 all by round 9.

I reckon the top teams are more gettable earlier in the season than later in the season.
If we are any chance of beating them, I much prefer them early than late while we have most of our best 22 available.
Our best 22 capable isnt that far off matching it with the best - if we can take our chances in front of goal. Our list depth is still a weakness so key injuries hurt us more than other teams

When I saw all the Sunday games, I almost spat the dummy. But, on the other hand, 14 games at Marvel is pretty good. I also agree playing the top teams in the first 9 weeks is much better than later in the season. Players are fresh and enthusiastic. Okay, Shanghai and NT plus a 5 day break suck, but we only have to play one top team twice – Geelong. All in all, it’s not too bad.

[WellardSaint]

I swear we play Melbourne twice every year.

We seem to have the wood on them...
Good

[ace]

I swear we play Melbourne twice every year.

You play every team once = 17 games except you play 5 teams twice = 22 games
It is an equalisation measure that drives Eddie McGuire nuts, so it must be good.
Melbourne keeps finishing in the same 6 as us.

[WellardSaint]

We should never have let in GWS and GC.
In less than 5 years, the AFL will do the silly 'conference' thing like the US,
where the comp is split into 2 groups, and you never play any teams outside your group in the normal season.
The top teams in each group go into finals (play-offs?)
Bfusa can clarify.

It looks like we're heading that way, with the set-up

[BackFromUSA]

We should never have let in GWS and GC.
In less than 5 years, the AFL will do the silly 'conference' thing like the US,
where the comp is split into 2 groups, and you never play any teams outside your group in the normal season.
The top teams in each group go into finals (play-offs?)
Bfusa can clarify.

It looks like we're heading that way, with the set-up

Don’t get me started!

[Enrico_Misso]

Rich getting richer. The AFL is a joke.

They offset scheduling differences by distributing extra pay to clubs who receive less marquee time slots. From a financial position, its actually done incredibly fairly by the AFL. We simply dont draw the crowds and TV interest of the bigger clubs at the moment. If we show a bit this season then we will get a better run in 2021.

That misses the point.
By not being exposed on prime time we find it harder to attract supporters and advertisers.
That means the gap between us and the "big' clubs increases.
Which means we need MORE compensation.
And so the spiral continues.

If the AFL really cared about the clubs and the health of the competition it would
- give all clubs equal exposure to prime time slots
- this would attract more members to the "small" clubs
- and attract more sponsorship to them
- and require LESS handouts to them from the AFL.

Yes, attendances would be slightly down in the short term.
But the long term health and viability of the competition would be greatly enhanced.

[freely]

We should never have let in GWS and GC.
In less than 5 years, the AFL will do the silly 'conference' thing like the US,
where the comp is split into 2 groups, and you never play any teams outside your group in the normal season.
The top teams in each group go into finals (play-offs?)
Bfusa can clarify.

It looks like we're heading that way, with the set-up

But this is almost exactly the stupidity we're seeing with the AFLW competition? No need to compare the US when there's an example literally within our own club. Only diff is that yes, the women will play a couple of games outside their own conference (even more arbitrary than the way the men's double-up games are decided) but only the top teams of each group go into finals. Just ridiculous. So the men's season is too long for every team to play every other team just once - and the women's season is too short. Go figure.

[Kilda]

The one consistent part of our fixture (for 2020 & past years) is being scheduled games in that twilight zone space between 3.20 & 4.40 pm & often on Sundays.

Obviously we’re the AFL’s pollyfilla for the more successful teams.

[SydneySainter]

The Saints only have themselves to blame for this fixture.

We were handed a pretty similar one in 2016, over-achieved and finished 9th and therefore lobbied the AFL for a better fixture. I think the quote Richo used was that “we’ve done our share of the heavy lifting.”

The AFL responded, gave us more prime time fixturing in 2017 and 2018 and we responded by finishing 11th and 15th.

We talked the talk, but couldn’t walk. Now we have to prove ourselves again.

[diddley]

The Saints only have themselves to blame for this fixture.

We were handed a pretty similar one in 2016, over-achieved and finished 9th and therefore lobbied the AFL for a better fixture. I think the quote Richo used was that “we’ve done our share of the heavy lifting.”

The AFL responded, gave us more prime time fixturing in 2017 and 2018 and we responded by finishing 11th and 15th.

We talked the talk, but couldn’t walk. Now we have to prove ourselves again.

This is precisely what I was thinking.
Simple. Play attractive footy, against good teams, and win a few games, then get the money making games the following season(s).
We have been terrible to watch for years (unbearable to watch in 2018, a little better in 2019). Why would we be given the best games?

[GSG]

The Saints only have themselves to blame for this fixture.

We were handed a pretty similar one in 2016, over-achieved and finished 9th and therefore lobbied the AFL for a better fixture. I think the quote Richo used was that “we’ve done our share of the heavy lifting.”

The AFL responded, gave us more prime time fixturing in 2017 and 2018 and we responded by finishing 11th and 15th.

We talked the talk, but couldn’t walk. Now we have to prove ourselves again.

Well, that is not really quite true. While the Saints were lousy over the past few years, I can’t remember Collingwood or Essendon ever being relegated to 10 Sunday games, with no Friday or Saturday fixture. Even during the Essendon drug years, they were gifted, not only ANZC, but Friday and Saturday nights. They were on the bottom of the ladder. Same with Collingwood or Richmond. They weren’t always in the finals, but still got blockbuster fixtures. It took them years until they relegated Carlton to the lesser games. The Bulldogs were nudged into and won the GF by the umpires, and now they are mollycoddled by the AFL. Melbourne was massively helped by the AFL as well. The Kangaroos weren’t crash hot in 2019, but they now still get the gig on Good Friday.

It seems to me that St Kilda needs to be twice as good as anybody else just to get a better fixture. They certainly won’t get any help from the AFL, and don’t tell me that we deserve it because we didn’t do the right thing in the past. Neither did Melbourne, and I remember Richmond being in the wilderness for over 20 years. Yes, we do get money from going to China, but, in the long run, a better draw and less Sunday games would help as well.

[diddley]

The Saints only have themselves to blame for this fixture.

We were handed a pretty similar one in 2016, over-achieved and finished 9th and therefore lobbied the AFL for a better fixture. I think the quote Richo used was that “we’ve done our share of the heavy lifting.”

The AFL responded, gave us more prime time fixturing in 2017 and 2018 and we responded by finishing 11th and 15th.

We talked the talk, but couldn’t walk. Now we have to prove ourselves again.

Well, that is not really quite true. While the Saints were lousy over the past few years, I can’t remember Collingwood or Essendon ever being relegated to 10 Sunday games, with no Friday or Saturday fixture. Even during the Essendon drug years, they were gifted, not only ANZC, but Friday and Saturday nights. They were on the bottom of the ladder. Same with Collingwood or Richmond. They weren’t always in the finals, but still got blockbuster fixtures. It took them years until they relegated Carlton to the lesser games. The Bulldogs were nudged into and won the GF by the umpires, and now they are mollycoddled by the AFL. Melbourne was massively helped by the AFL as well. The Kangaroos weren’t crash hot in 2019, but they now still get the gig on Good Friday.

It seems to me that St Kilda needs to be twice as good as anybody else just to get a better fixture. They certainly won’t get any help from the AFL, and don’t tell me that we deserve it because we didn’t do the right thing in the past. Neither did Melbourne, and I remember Richmond being in the wilderness for over 20 years. Yes, we do get money from going to China, but, in the long run, a better draw and less Sunday games would help as well.

When it comes to Marquee time slot games for the other clubs (Anzac day, Good Friday etc) they selected that as their priority selections for the Fixture. Each club has a priority listing. St Kilda over the past few years have spent their chips on games like Maddies Match and Pride Match. I think it was Hawthorn this year requested more “Family friendly” time slots. As for Essendon during the drug saga year, I think the fixture was already out when that suspension happened. But they weren’t going to lose Anzac Day or Dreamtime at the G anyway. They may have lost a few Friday nights only.