2011 Draw [merged]

[Penelope]

Yep, MT, no midseason break. I think it was in one of the articles about the granny being in october.

[mightytiges]

Yep, MT, no midseason break. I think it was in one of the articles about the granny being in october.

Cheers al. From memory the AFL couldn't start the season earlier at the 'G as Cricket has hold of the ground until late March with the possibility of Victoria hosting the Shield final.

[taztiger4]

Does anyone know when the 2011 draw will be released ?

Need to plan my 6 weeks holiday in Melbourne around it !!

cheers in advance Taz

[mightytiges]

Does anyone know when the 2011 draw will be released ?

Need to plan my 6 weeks holiday in Melbourne around it !!

cheers in advance Taz

End of October Taz.

[Penelope]

Yep, MT, no midseason break. I think it was in one of the articles about the granny being in october.

Cheers al. From memory the AFL couldn't start the season earlier at the 'G as Cricket has hold of the ground until late March with the possibility of Victoria hosting the Shield final.

I remember reading they were negotiating with cricket vic over that but cant recall reading any outcomes

[Beren]

Does anyone know when the 2011 draw will be released ?

Need to plan my 6 weeks holiday in Melbourne around it !!

cheers in advance Taz

Thought it was November...seem to recall reading it depended on whether the MCG & SCG were needed as a replacement for a cricket world cup that was to be held in Pakistan??????
Also I think the footy season was to begin on March 26th.

[Hellenic Tiger]

hopefully not a repeat of 29 March 1987

Let it be a repeat of April 1 1995 then.

[mightytiges]

Yep, MT, no midseason break. I think it was in one of the articles about the granny being in october.

Cheers al. From memory the AFL couldn't start the season earlier at the 'G as Cricket has hold of the ground until late March with the possibility of Victoria hosting the Shield final.

I remember reading they were negotiating with cricket vic over that but cant recall reading any outcomes

No mention of the AFL season being brought forward. Just that the MCG will be made available by CV for an October Grand Final.

http://www.cricketvictoria.com.au/plugins/newsfeed.cgi?rm=content&plugin_data_id=29608;group_name=mainsite

[Penelope]

yeah, that is what i would have been thinking of

[Infamy]

If it's going from 22 to a 24 week season then you would think it will start a week early and finish a week later. So Gold/Coast Gabba holiday weekend of 26/27th March.

With the bye included due to 17 teams I don't think they'll have the midseason break next year. 

While it is correct that there will not be a break week as such, there will be some weeks where about 3-5 teams have a bye due to every team needing 2 byes and there being only 24 weeks to hold them in.

[mightytiges]

If it's going from 22 to a 24 week season then you would think it will start a week early and finish a week later. So Gold/Coast Gabba holiday weekend of 26/27th March.

With the bye included due to 17 teams I don't think they'll have the midseason break next year. 

While it is correct that there will not be a break week as such, there will be some weeks where about 3-5 teams have a bye due to every team needing 2 byes and there being only 24 weeks to hold them in.

That's true Infamy.

Getting the two byes spaced out evenly say at rounds 8 and 16 is perhaps the best case scenario with our young list. It would allow young bodies to have a rest after 7 week blocks and help them get through the whole season rather than tiring late in the season as usually happens with a normal draw.

[tiger till i die]

I think it would be good to go "under the radar" in rd 1 2011

Until we can handle the hype of the big games and start to win them we will never be any good or earn any respect from our opposition.  We need to keep playing them to keep learning from them and keep testing ourselves - no point in running away.

You make a Valid point .. But if we keep playing big Games then we won't get Big game willys (cough Collingwood) i for one liek it becuase it gives me a reason to fly down to melb for teh AFL opener TIGERS VS BLOOOS 

[mightytiges]

I think it would be good to go "under the radar" in rd 1 2011

Until we can handle the hype of the big games and start to win them we will never be any good or earn any respect from our opposition.  We need to keep playing them to keep learning from them and keep testing ourselves - no point in running away.

You make a Valid point .. But if we keep playing big Games then we won't get Big game willys (cough Collingwood) i for one liek it becuase it gives me a reason to fly down to melb for teh AFL opener TIGERS VS BLOOOS 

It's just not the hype of a big game we need to learn to handle but also in time handle games where winning the match means as much to our opposition as it does to us. Winning games by surprise when the opposition isn't as mentally switched on as they can or should be can also be a false dawn.

[one-eyed]

AFL announces key fixture details for 2011
By Adam McNicol
6:27 PM Tue 07 September, 2010

NEXT year's AFL fixture will consist of 19 rounds of eight games and five rounds of seven games to accommodate the introduction of the Gold Coast Suns.

For next season only - given the competition will expand to 18 teams in 2012 - all 17 clubs must have two byes to enable a 22-game season to be completed across 24 weekends of football.

Having looked at various options to construct a 187-match season, the AFL decided this would be the most appropriate way to breakdown the season.

The League considered two other options, including the idea of playing 23 rounds of eight games and one round of three games.

“The fixture we will use provides the best spread of byes across the competition for the season,” the League’s chief operating officer Gillon McLachlan told afl.com.au on Tuesday.

“This mix will enable the byes for all teams to be spaced as best we can through the season.

“For our broadcast coverage, the majority of the season will look exactly as this year does.

“In the rounds where there will be only seven matches played, we will work with our broadcast partners so that one fixture slot is removed from these rounds.”

It is expected that three of the rounds in which only seven games are played will take place early in the season.

This will enable a number of feature matches to be scheduled around the Easter and Anzac Day period.

As an example, three teams, including the Brisbane Lions, could have the bye in round four.

This would allow the Lions and their opponent to have a reasonable amount of rest before doing battle in an Easter Thursday (April 21) game at the Gabba in round five.

The completed 2011 fixture will be released in late October, although the League has already announced Gold Coast will have a bye in round one.

The Suns will then play their first home-and-away game against Richmond at the Gabba in round two.

2011 FIXTURE SUMMARY

* The introduction of the Gold Coast Suns provides 11 extra games across the season - 187 games in total (was 176 games), plus finals.

* 19 rounds x eight matches (one bye) - Starting times and television slots same as in 2010.

* Five rounds x seven matches (three byes) - one slot to be dropped in each round, with the AFL and television networks to decide which one.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/102170/default.aspx

[TigerLand]

Shame for local cricket, GF's are always last week in March.