Richmond's form to result in bumper 2018 fixture = more Friday nights (Age)

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Richmond's form to result in bumper 2018 AFL fixture, including more Friday nights

Anthony Colangelo
The Age
September 12 2017

Richmond will seek more Friday night games in their 2018 AFL fixture after the club played no home-and-away games in football's marquee timeslot during a stunning top four regular season in 2017.

The Tigers' drubbing of Geelong in last week's qualifying final was their first Friday night game of the year, compared to the Cats who enjoyed three home Friday night clashes plus another away Friday night contest in 2017.

Richmond had the highest total attendance of any AFL side in the 2017 home-and-away season attracting more than 705,000 people to its games at an average of 60,920 for its home fixtures. This was an increase of almost 20,000 to its 2016 average. That the Tigers did so without a single Friday night fixture is remarkable.

Fairfax Media understands the Tigers will seek more Friday night home fixtures and more Thursday night home games for 2018. Richmond had one home-and-one away Thursday night match in 2017. While Thursday nights are lucrative from a ratings and sponsorship standpoint, Friday nights are still more valuable to clubs in these markers.

The AFL confirmed Richmond would again open the season against Carlton on a Thursday night in 2018 (a Richmond home game) and would also again play in the Dreamtime at the 'G match on a Saturday night (Essendon home match in 2018). It is unclear whether the Tigers will again play Melbourne on Anzac Day eve.

Richmond's zero Friday night game tally for 2017 was less than clubs such as the Western Bulldogs (two home Friday night games), Collingwood (one), Geelong (three), North Melbourne (two), Port Adelaide (one), Sydney (three) and GWS (one).

Overall the Western Bulldogs had eight games either on a Friday or Thursday night in 2017 while Sydney had 10, St Kilda four, Hawthorn four, Geelong six and Adelaide six.

After the 2017 fixture was announced, AFL boss Gillon McLachlan said clubs who finished high on the ladder in 2016 were rewarded with more primetime games the next year.

"We want to bank on known form with teams that are going to turn up and provide a contest," he said.

Richmond finished 2016 in 13th after a dismal season. They produced a stunning response in 2017 to finish third and advance to a first preliminary final since 2001 by beating Geelong on Friday night.

A team that was rewarded for their 2016 premiership, the Bulldogs, slid down the ladder in 2017, as did Hawthorn and North Melbourne.

The AFL "reward good performer" approach to the fixture was most ruthlessly seen in late 2015, when the league gave Carlton no Friday night games in their 2016 fixture. This was after Carlton played six Friday night games the previous season.

Richmond did not want to comment publicly on their potential 2017 fixture when contacted.

Speaking after the 2017 fixture was released, Tigers CEO Brendon Gale said the club was disappointed to miss out on Friday night games, but that he understood the AFL rewarding teams who has success in 2016.

"We are a big club with the third biggest membership in the league, and our games always rate well in that timeslot," he said.

Richmond played three Friday night games in 2016 after finishing 2015 in fifth position on the ladder.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/richmonds-form-to-result-in-bumper-2018-afl-fixture-including-more-friday-nights-20170911-gyf2us.html

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Win or lose the GF, Richmond is already the big winner

Shaun Giles
Sporting News
28 September 2017

Regardless of the result in this weekend’s AFL grand final, Richmond – the Football Club - is guaranteed future success, especially when it comes to the 2018 draw.

Make no mistake, all clubs want to win the flag – be it for their players, their staff and their loyal supporter base. That’s clearly the essence of football. But success and survival don't hinge on the outcome of the grand final.

Both success and survival are measured commercially and it’s what the Tigers have already done this season that counts, and they’ll get to exploit that in season 2018.

Sport is business driven by results, and results equate to money. While the AFL continues to wrestle with breaking from its traditional grand final and contemplate a twilight or night time bounce-down for that last day in September, there’s very little in it for the clubs. In fact, that decision will have more to do with future broadcast deals than the want of the AFL and its clubs.

Clubs simply care about the home-and-away fixture and, specifically, playing under the Friday night lights.

This season, Richmond played no Friday night matches - not at the MCG, not an away fixture. Zero. That will change in 2018. The AFL is desperate for a well-performing Melbourne-based team to pack out the 'G, on a Friday night, where both crowd numbers and TV ratings are all but guaranteed. From Richmond’s point of view, home matches on the Friday also mean a huge upside for the club’s sponsors – be it through activations, media exposure, in-broadcast recognition and corporate activities. And all this means more money from incumbent and would-be commercial suitors.

Whether you like them or not, the Tiger Army (when their team is up and running) turn up, en masse, make a hell of a lot of noise, and create atmosphere for spectators at the ground as well as for those watching TV. Everyone wins, unless you’re an away fan who accidentally found your way into the centre of said army.

Adelaide will also see upside in next year’s home-and-away schedule. But the benefit for a club like Richmond, or for many other Melbourne-based clubs that fight for relevance in a very congested market, is enormous. Sure, the Tigs are going alright both on and off the field, but football survival in Victoria is about as fickle as the weather. The Western Bulldogs are a prime example of this.

Franchises like the Crows only have to share the local market with one other club and already prosper off strong membership, state-based passion and loyalty and a world class ground.

Recently we saw the AFL change its logo to YES to support marriage equality. It soon changed it back to its traditional AFL. When it comes to fixture time, they could consider going retro and shove up a retro, neon VFL logo.

The 2018 season will, once again, kick off with Richmond and Carlton on a Thursday, as it’s done since 2007. Given how average these two clubs have been for the bulk of this time, you have to ask why these clubs have had exclusivity in opening the AFL season. It works because it’s in Victoria, in Melbourne, and at the ‘G.

Some will argue that these teams draw a crowd, but a proper season opener should always garner good at-match attendance, and a marquee match - with both credibility and marketability - should always usher in a new season.

Now the Tigers are actually playing good footy, the VFL, er, the AFL has already inked in yet another Tigers and Blues season opener for 2018. Why Carlton gets the honour of continually kicking off the AFL’s premiership season is anyone’s guess. The Blues also had a Friday night match this year, only to suffer severe stage fright where they lost to the Power by 90. Rights holders remember these sorts of things. Venue deals aside, there's a fair argument to suggest that the season opener and the grand final don't always have to be at the 'G, but that's a story for another day.

Thursday night is also a coveted night for clubs to play on. It rates well and nationwide brand exposure all adds up in the marketing and commercial sectors of the relevant clubs. Importantly, Thursday and Friday night fixtures are the property of both free-to-air and subscription/Pay TV markets.

Richmond and Essendon’s Dreamtime at the ‘G blockbuster is back, as it should be, and is a great example of two clubs owning a legitimate and relevant match. Once again, it will be on a Saturday night in 2018 (Essendon home game). Season opener, anyone?

While Richmond will proffer in 2018, other clubs will suffer. Poor results mean a weaker draw (from a commercial point of view) and there will be some big losers, next season.

Western Bulldogs – Richmond, take note: A ‘fairy-tale’ year – ideally with a grand final triumph – can turn quickly not just into a hangover, but a financial disaster. In 2017, the Bulldogs had eight Thursday or Friday night matches. They can expect more afternoon, weekend fixtures for much of 2018. Hopefully the Bulldogs still have some of the $1 million left from the cheque they received from the AFL for claiming last year’s flag.

North Melbourne – had two matches on the Friday night stage. They lost both fixtures and the quality of football played was sub-par for the coveted timeslot.

St Kilda and Hawthorn both featured four times each on a Thursday or Friday night, this home-and-away season. Given where they finished in 2017, expect Essendon and Melbourne to have greater claim to play more matches in these marquee timeslots.

The usual suspects are same for next season when it comes to a favourable (commercial) draw. Geelong will continue to feature in the coveted matches, as too will Sydney, particularly for their home games. West Coast and Port both finished in the top 8 and will also see upside for their draw for 2018.

The likes of Freo, Brisbane Lions and the Gold Coast Suns have all done the AFL a massive favour by playing rubbish football for much of 2017 and have fewer claims for matches in key slots next year.

Adelaide, like Richmond, also deserve greater reward in the Thursday and Friday night slots in 2018. The Crows did play six matches in 2017 on those two days, but a rabbid supporter base, an exceptional venue for those watching at match and at home, and a highly watchable brand of footy will have the Adelaide Football Club sitting pretty in 2018 schedule.

What the AFL does with its problem-child, GWS, remains to be seen. The club is still well and truly in a premiership window – perhaps a premiership decade – but poor crowds and lack of at-match atmosphere means a big ‘no’ from rights holders when it comes to the big time slots.

So too is what the AFL does with Collingwood. If it continues to reward 2017 results by way of a stronger commercial home-and-away draw in 2018, the Magpies (13th in 2017) could be in trouble. The club started the season with three consecutive Thursday or Friday night slots. Admittedly, they’ve forged a reputation of a ‘super club’ (just ask them), but will the AFL reward mediocrity and hand the Pies prime time slots given what they dished up in 2017?

http://www.sportingnews.com/au/afl/news/win-or-lose-the-gf-richmond-is-already-the-big-winner-afl-grand-final-richmond-tigers-adelaide-crows-premiership/b9kbzc4j8uhg1xkg2nrp5dgz8