One-Eyed Richmond Forum
Football => Richmond Rant => Topic started by: one-eyed on July 25, 2008, 02:08:20 PM
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I can't find this on the net so I've bought a copy and typed it out. Please then do not just cut and paste it to other sites ::)
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Tigers, Blues may lose Easter fixture
By Greg Denham
The Australian, Friday 25 Jul 2008, Page 14
COLLINGWOOD and Geelong have joined forces in an attempt to hijack next year's Easter MCG blockbuster from Carlton and Richmond.
The Magpies and the Cats want the match, on the eve of Good Friday, to be an annual marquee event, and Collingwood president Eddie McGuire said the clash had the approval of the Seven Network, the AFL broadcaster.
While the Blues and the Tigers shared the Thursday spotlight this year for the first time, they are heading for a showdown against Collingwood and Geelong, who are united in putting their case to the AFL to grab the much sought-after fixture date.
The AFL will ultimately determine which two clubs play on Good Friday eve, but it is understood that Carlton and Richmond are angry at being challenged for the game after drawing an attendance of 72,552 in the opening round this season.
The fixture has been shared around the country by different clubs in recent seasons, but the Blues and the Tigers were of the understanding that they would again feature in the blockbuster after this year's success.
Collingwood last played on the Thursday against Brisbane in 2004. Over the next three seasons it was reserved for games between Brisbane and St Kilda.
The Magpies' lobby to play the competition's powerhouse club Geelong twice each year and starting on that Thursday, is gaining momentum with both clubs agreeing to heavily promote the Royal Children's Hospital Appeal.
An extension of the new-found rivalry between the two clubs will lead to a joint approach to the AFL by McGuire and Geelong chief executive Brian Cook after the pair negotiated details this week.
The Pies-Cats Easter concept was first put forward by long-standing Collingwood marketing manager David Emerson, following last year's preliminary final between the two clubs which attracted an MCG crowd bigger than the following weekend's grand final.
The round-nine Friday night clash between the two clubs this season at the MCG, a Collingwood home fixture, attracted 78,206.
Emerson yesterday said that McGuire had already started "talking'' to the AFL.
"We believe we should be playing twice each year, and we can make a massive event out of the Easter fixture,'' Emerson said.
Both Collingwood and Geelong yesterday said that it was likely that the two clubs would enter into an annual net-profit sharing arrangement from matches against each other.
The Pies this year have attracted 967,794 to their matches, at an average of almost 60,500, and slightly up on last year's figure at the corresponding time.
In 11 MCG games this season, Collingwood has achieved an average crowd of 66,800.
More people watch the Magpies on television than any other sporting club in the country with Collingwood games on free-to-air television averaging over one million viewers.
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More people watch the Magpies on television than any other sporting club in the country with Collingwood games on free-to-air television averaging over one million viewers.
This is the reality but everything the AFL does perpetuates it - it's so obvious, and in a relatively small league (AFL) it's just going to cause problems long term rather than be a benefit. If you give one team a disproportionate number of blockbuster dates, most TV exposure and most games at the G - what can you expect in terms of supporter base? Then what does this do to the smaller, vulnerable clubs?
Any wonder the Roos loved shafting them last week.
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(http://planetsmilies.net/angry-smiley-7959.gif)(http://planetsmilies.net/angry-smiley-7960.gif)(http://planetsmilies.net/angry-smiley-7962.gif)(http://planetsmilies.net/kaos-animal-tiger-smiley-6228.gif)
Could I possibly hate them anymore - (http://planetsmilies.net/angry-smiley-1497.gif) nup
(http://planetsmilies.net/angry-smiley-220.gif)
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More people watch the Magpies on television than any other sporting club in the country with Collingwood games on free-to-air television averaging over one million viewers.
Is this possibly because, by my count, Collingwood will feature in 13 games this season that are on either Friday night or Saturday night ::)
:sleep
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They are just stuffing idiots, and McGuire is just the biggest stuffing idiot of the lot.
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the afl wont change it , the blues and tigers will own it because the afl knows that the tigers and the blues are on th everge on big things and successful times. in 2-3 years , the tigers will be a power again and the tigers v the blues will always be a bigger draw card the the cats v the pies
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8 friday games this year not enough for Collingwood ::). Any wonder Andy D sits with Eddie at Pie games ::).
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There is one simple foolproof way for Richmond - and indeed Carlton - to avoid all this nonsense and that is to get a top 8 team. We have to put up with these indignities because year after year we are outdrawn because we are crap onfield.
A consistently top 8 Richmond would be averaging 55,000 plus per game with 80,000 plus for big 4 clashes and that would have the AFL salivating.
Carlton v Richmond in any type of form is good for 75 to 80K on a feature day and it would be nonsensical to move it.
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That's right.
Take it away from us, hurt other clubs while the rich get richer. ::)
We didn't even get a Friday night game this year. ::) :banghead :banghead :banghead
stuff off Eddie.
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I better have the smelling salts ready before I tell my mum about this lol
This is just plain greed. I've always supported Collingwood and Essendon having Anzac Day, because they were the ones that got off their butts and made it happen, and so far have done a wonderful job of it.
But this is a nice little precedent which says, hey it's not your right at all to have sole exclusive rights. The thieving, miserable, gutless creeps.
If the AFL approves this, if the haven't already, the game has lost me totally. It's nearly there now, this will put it over the top :banghead
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I hate Sir Eddies team, can't even bring myself to putting down their name. But if it did happen then we all should tell the AFL that we want the Anzac Day game to make up for our lose and I bet that would go down like a ton of bricks.
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Mates as I have said there is ONE and ONLY one sure way to stop this kind if thing in its tracks and we can start TODAY but getting to the game V Brisbane. If 40,000 turned up we could say to the AFL "look at the potential of the tiger Army" however if its the usual pee poor turnout V interstate we can hardly claim to be blockbuster material.
get to the game.
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Mates as I have said there is ONE and ONLY one sure way to stop this kind if thing in its tracks and we can start TODAY but getting to the game V Brisbane. If 40,000 turned up we could say to the AFL "look at the potential of the tiger Army" however if its the usual pee poor turnout V interstate we can hardly claim to be blockbuster material.
get to the game.
I have a 50th birthday to attend that I can't get out of.
Would prefer to be at the dome.
Especially as it's my turn to drive so I can't even get half Molly the Monk for free.
:cheers
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Mates as I have said there is ONE and ONLY one sure way to stop this kind if thing in its tracks and we can start TODAY but getting to the game V Brisbane. If 40,000 turned up we could say to the AFL "look at the potential of the tiger Army" however if its the usual pee poor turnout V interstate we can hardly claim to be blockbuster material.
get to the game.
I have a 50th birthday to attend that I can't get out of.
Would prefer to be at the dome.
Especially as it's my turn to drive so I can't even get half Molly the Monk for free.
:cheers
another weak excuse.
probably not even a member too
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Mates as I have said there is ONE and ONLY one sure way to stop this kind if thing in its tracks and we can start TODAY but getting to the game V Brisbane. If 40,000 turned up we could say to the AFL "look at the potential of the tiger Army" however if its the usual pee poor turnout V interstate we can hardly claim to be blockbuster material.
get to the game.
True tiogar although our supporters do turn up in the main. We still finish in the top 4 for crowds each year despite the lack of marque games and despite almost 3 decades of being a crap side. A bit of on-field success (even back-to-back finals appearances) would be needed to get the bandwagon truly going to fill the Dome.
We also produced two big crowds of 72k and 73k against Carlton this year with both sides outside the top 8. The Pies and Cats with both sides in the top 4 got a one off 78k. Prior to last year no Pies vs Cats H/A game got over 70k even at the 'G. Hardly an argument for change.
I don't really blame Eddie for this. Sure it's greedy but his job is to do what is best and only best for Collingwood. It's Andy D's job to do what is best for the whole competition and for all 16 clubs. As he only cares about maximising $$$ and is Eddie's lovechild sitting next to him at the footy then why should we be surprised when Collingwood and Eddie always get their way. The sooner Andy D and his dopey sidekick AA are gone the better ::).
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Mates as I have said there is ONE and ONLY one sure way to stop this kind if thing in its tracks and we can start TODAY but getting to the game V Brisbane. If 40,000 turned up we could say to the AFL "look at the potential of the tiger Army" however if its the usual pee poor turnout V interstate we can hardly claim to be blockbuster material.
get to the game.
I have a 50th birthday to attend that I can't get out of.
Would prefer to be at the dome.
Especially as it's my turn to drive so I can't even get half Molly the Monk for free.
:cheers
another weak excuse.
probably not even a member too
Ha
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Tigers slam McGuire over Easter blockbuster
Nick Sheridan | July 27, 2008
RICHMOND president Gary March has slammed Collingwood's move to poach the Tigers' Thursday night fixture on the Easter weekend next season.
It was reported last week that Magpie president Eddie McGuire and Geelong chief executive Brian Cook had agreed to a proposal and would speak to the AFL about the possibility of a season-opener between Collingwood and Geelong rather than Richmond and Carlton as occurred for the first time this year. That match attracted 72,552 fans.
In previous years, the opening night of matches had been shared between teams from around the country, but it is believed the Pies and Cats are seeking to make the clash permanent.
Speaking at the president's function before last night's match against the Brisbane Lions, March hit out at McGuire's plans.
"What really annoys me about that situation is we've all, as clubs, got to band together … What we don't need is other clubs pinching games off other clubs for the sake of pinching them," March said.
"I think Collingwood has enough blockbusters in its portfolio at the moment to sort out their needs, they don't need to be coming after our games."
March said Richmond would not surrender the fixture easily. "In this difficult economic time, we just need to be prudent about the way we go about things and the Richmond Football Club will fight hard to keep that game. It's something that we worked hard to get … it's something we want to continue with."
http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/tigers-slam-mcguire-over-easter-blockbuster/2008/07/26/1216492813630.html
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Cooking up bunny business
Caroline Wilson | July 27, 2008
THE philosophical ruminations of Paul McNamee on the battle for supremacy that is AFL football are unlikely to get much more airplay now that the former tennis star has been humiliated and briskly moved out of the picture.
McNamee's strengths clearly did not include attention to detail and Jim Stynes and his board made it more than clear regarding their position on his vision for the "Premier Club", but some of the former tennis star's reasoning made sense.
McNamee understood, he said, that Collingwood was the most powerful club in the AFL and certainly the biggest. But the Magpies' power had been helped along by the premium quality that had given them extra shine over the years since Eddie McGuire became president. A significant part of that shine has come about through big sponsorship agreements, the elite training facility at the Lexus Centre, an off-field football line-up the envy of other Victorian clubs and — crucially — a relatively excellent deal in Victorian terms with the MCG.
McNamee was not a football genius, but he couldn't understand why other clubs hadn't taken on the Magpies at the premium game. Which is exactly what Carlton and Richmond should do over Collingwood's audacious attempt to hijack — with Geelong — night football on the Thursday before Easter.
Collingwood, through McGuire, loves to point out at any given opportunity how many clubs are keen to play the Magpies twice — or at least host one home game against them as a big gate-taking, television audience-attracting revenue-raiser. Which is absolutely correct.
Even North Melbourne, despite its guernsey clash issue, wants to play the Magpies every year in a home game before round five. But surely there comes a point where the AFL, not Collingwood, will have blockbuster fatigue where the Magpies are concerned.
Because how on earth will the rest of the Victorian pack have any opportunity of catching up if the game does not continue to show leadership and continue to create new blockbuster combinations?
It is true that Collingwood and Geelong have drawn big crowds in recent times and put on one of the games of the year in the 2007 preliminary final. But so did Hawthorn and Geelong two nights ago in the most anticipated game of the year. Fans, where most Victorian clubs are concerned, will turn up to any big game at the MCG.
It may have been the first game of the season boasting Chris Judd in a new navy blue jumper, but 72,000 for a game between the previous season's cellar-dwellers, Carlton and Richmond, was a huge number for the 2008 opener. In total, about 150,000 fans have turned up to watch the traditional rivals this year.
The Blues and the Tigers have proved this season they can draw big numbers despite being nowhere near respective premiership tilts. Carlton is climbing back after its worst slump and Richmond has not been a genuine contender for a quarter of a century.
Its debt still sits at around $4 million, whereas Collingwood and Geelong, financially, are flying.
The Cats have devised a brilliant home-ground agreement and advantage at Skilled Stadium, which for all its profitability, locks out fans at any all-Victorian clash.
Collingwood has Anzac Day, the Queen's Birthday, the June split-round game in Sydney and a minimum match deal with the MCG.
It does not need another hand-delivered blockbuster.
Certainly, the Magpies boast the best attendances and TV ratings in the competition, but do they deserve an Easter free kick?
The biggest financial problem facing the Victorian clubs surrounds their stadium returns. The MCG has a big debt it must repay and Telstra Dome must return profits to its shareholders.
The Telstra Dome clubs, apart from Essendon and, to a lesser degree, St Kilda, are the worst off but no Victorian club apart from Geelong can go anywhere near the two West Australian clubs where match-day profits are concerned.
The indication from the AFL is that it is looking at several bold solutions to resolve the inequality by the time the 18-team competition has been launched in 2012. Surely it must be searching for its own clean stadium.
In the meantime, it must continue to prop up the weaker Victorian teams and create special dates for more clubs.
In the case of Collingwood and Geelong, those two clubs have every right to fight for supremacy and certainly push to play each other twice.
But why try to take control of something special from Carlton and Richmond just when those two clubs have started to show improvement and just when their fans have never seemed so supportive?
There is room in the competition for more than one premium club.
http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/cooking-up-bunny-business/2008/07/26/1216492813633.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1
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We had about 26,000 Tiogers at he Dome yesterday. We creatyed the best athmosphere that place has seen all year but there were only 26,000 of us.
To those who went: Good work fellas. To those who didn't: Don't whine into your beer if Eddie gets our slots.
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Well we got far more to both our Carlton games this year than Collingwood and Essendon did on Saturday. Anzac Day inflates the crowd by 25k. Also more than both Essendon vs Carlton games this year as well.
Interesting to see what happens this week at the Dome as it's a Geelong home game. If our supporters rock up then will they fit in or get stuck outside until quarter time trying to get in.
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Just 58k last night to Collingwood (6th) vs Hawthorn (3rd). Decent but hardly a big crowd to boast to the AFL to steal fixtures ::).
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Just 58k last night to Collingwood (6th) vs Hawthorn (3rd). Decent but hardly a big crowd to boast to the AFL to steal fixtures ::).
Last night showed that Hawthorn are not a big club, they needed 75000 last night minimum, overall theyd be disappointed.
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i think after what we and the blues have shown this year, im more convinced than ever the fixture will remain the same.
no change.
ad and his sidekicks will be stupid to take that away from us.
actually they are stupid so nothing would surprise me.
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Just 58k last night to Collingwood (6th) vs Hawthorn (3rd). Decent but hardly a big crowd to boast to the AFL to steal fixtures ::).
Last night showed that Hawthorn are not a big club, they needed 75000 last night minimum, overall theyd be disappointed.
True Ramps but it was a Collingwood home game. Where are their supporters who Eddie tells us turn up in larger numbers than anyone else no matter what ::). Off the bandwagon already after a couple of losses :yep.
Interesting to see if we can beat that crowd figure in 2 weeks time when we play Hawthorn.
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Just 58k last night to Collingwood (6th) vs Hawthorn (3rd). Decent but hardly a big crowd to boast to the AFL to steal fixtures ::).
Last night showed that Hawthorn are not a big club, they needed 75000 last night minimum, overall theyd be disappointed.
True Ramps but it was a Collingwood home game. Where are their supporters who Eddie tells us turn up in larger numbers than anyone else no matter what ::). Off the bandwagon already after a couple of losses :yep.
Interesting to see if we can beat that crowd figure in 2 weeks time when we play Hawthorn.
i couldn't care less about the crowd MT.
I think our main priority is that Buddy doesn't get his 100th goal against us.
We should have 4 defenders play on him so that doesn't happen.
15 goals he needs. we got them in 2 weeks