Tigers sell home game to Brisbane - for free

[one-eyed]

Tigers sell home game to Brisbane - for free
02 June 2007   Herald-Sun
Mark Stevens

HOME is supposed to be a place of comfort and familiarity, as Mark Stevens writes.

But in the modern world of AFL that definition can seem ridiculously inadequate.

In a week of headlines about the plight of Victorian footy, it is fitting Richmond has been drawn to play a "home" game against the Brisbane Lions at Telstra Dome tonight.

It is another reminder of why the gap between the Vics and interstate clubs is widening.

The Tigers get the (H) symbol next to their name, yet come up against a travelling side far more likely to be feeling warm and fuzzy about running on to the Dome.

Richmond's real home is the MCG. It has played at Docklands once this year -- that infamous 157-point thumping by Geelong.

Brisbane has played five games at the Dome this year. Tonight is No. 6.

No, that is not a misprint. The Lions played three NAB Cup games at Telstra Dome and have already confronted Carlton and Essendon there in the home-and-away season.

So Brisbane, supposedly the visitor with a distinct disadvantage, has had more practice on Richmond's "home" ground than the Tigers.

The Dome is in fact the Lions' haven of comfort and familiarity. They boast a handy 3-2 record at the ground this year.

It would take Richmond seven or eight years to rack up six games of experience at Brisbane's fortress, the Gabba.

And people wonder why interstate clubs have a better travel record. Tonight's game is a glaring example of the fact Victorian clubs too often miss out on the chance to create a hostile environment for visitors.

Among the Victorian teams, only Geelong at Skilled Stadium and Hawthorn at Aurora Stadium have genuine home-ground advantages.

And surprise, surprise . . . the Cats have had the rare luxury of stitching up both the West Coast Eagles and Fremantle at the Cattery. The Hawks did the same to the Eagles at Launceston last Saturday. If tonight's clash against the Lions was at the MCG, the Tigers would have an edge -- through both experience at the venue and the rowdy fans at the Punt Rd end.

But is it as great as the advantage the Lions get at the Gabba? No way. Suburban venues were always going to be sacrificed, but with it went true Victorian hostility.

If the Lions still had to head to the 'burbs for games, they wouldn't get the chance to start feeling so at home at the more generic Melbourne venues.

The Tigers might just get over the line tonight, but it will have very little to do with home ground advantage.

If you picked them just because of the (H) next to their name, you're misguided.

This is as neutral as it gets. And don't the interstate clubs love it.

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/footy/common/story_page/0,8033,21834450%255E19742,00.html

[mightytiges]

The AFL and MCC take us for granted  . We average roughly 50k in home games at the 'G which is the second most in the League yet we can't get a decent stadia deal out of the MCC and the AFL force us to play 3 games at the Dome. The Club even compromised by asking for just 9 home games at the 'G yet the AFL still wouldn't even give us that  .

[jezza]

Agreed, whilst it's all nice and good to write a piece like this, it's missing one massive crucial fact, and that is we get a guaranteed return playing at the Dome no matter what the crowd, whereas at the G if we don't reach a certain level of attendance, we will make far less money, possibly even lose some. I'm fairly certain we have worked out a new deal or are in the process of doing so with the MCC so that we get a much more lucrative stadium deal, more in line with the attendances that we bring in there.

We'd all love to play 11 home games at the G every year, but we're a poor club at the moment and have to make the tough calls to get the club into a competitive financial position.

[Fishfinger]

I think our TD deal finished at the end of last season, Jezza, along with the rule about all Victorian clubs having to play 3 home games there (we played 4 to guarantee a financial return).
That's why I'm dirty on us copping 3 there this season, plus clubs who call TD "home" getting home games at the MCG at our expense.

[mightytiges]

That's right FF. We only received that guaranteed return at the Dome provided we played 4 home games there. It's gone now.

We also play 2 of those "home" games this year against Dome tenants. We played Geelong there and then later on in the year we have to go down to Kardinia Park. It's no excuse for a 157 point loss but effectively Geelong will have 2 home games against us this year.

True jezza we are a poor club but we'll remain a poor club putting up with this crap. It's all very well for Eddie and Gary Pert to say Vic clubs should work out of their financial troubles like they did (and we are btw) but other clubs don't get the cushy deals they get to boost the bottom line quickly and substancially. And it's not like we're one of the small clubs either in terms of a following. Despite being crap for 25 years we still bring the crowds, sell the papers, score the tv ratings yet get bugger all in return for it while the MCC and AFL collect . It's time the club started making some noise because even when we try to compromise and don't complain we are still ignored.