Tigers sell a chance to win by playing Port Adelaide in Darwin Mark Stevens
From: Herald Sun
May 29, 2011 8:57AMRICHMOND pocketed $500,000 for playing a "home" game in Darwin, but potentially forfeited a lot more.
1. THE MONEY OR THE FUN? RICHMOND might cruelly finish ninth again this year - and if the nightmare returns it will look back and rue May 28.
It was the night the club pocketed $500,000 for playing a "home" game in Darwin, but potentially forfeited a lot more.
The Tigers would have beaten Port by five-goals-plus in Melbourne with an ever-growing home crowd behind them - even if the AFL scheduled the game for Etihad Stadium, and not the MCG.
Yet, with a deal signed to play two games in three years in the Top End, a group of young players headed for the tropics and suddenly a certain win became a 50-50.
Port, a regular in Darwin, had a decided advantage in the dew and heat and the AFL's new buzz team got rolled.
The Tigers may well hit the wall anyway this year, but going into the bye a victory would have been invaluable.
Full marks to the Tigers for embracing indigenous issues and Darwin, but rank-and-file supporters back in the heartland have every reason to be a little peeved off.
There is another sold game to come, with the Tigers hosting the Gold Coast as he "home" side in Cairns. All good in theory, but it can cost you in such a relentless competition.
The Tigers are not on their own, either.
The Bulldogs sold a game to Canberra three weeks back and lost to the Swans in a tight one. Play that at Etihad and the Dogs win. They would be sitting at 4-4 right now and just outside the eight.
Instead, the Dogs and the coach Rodney Eade are under the pump.
Struggling clubs will tell you selling games is a necessary evil. Really, it's just plain evil.
It just further compromises an already desperately compromised competition.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/tigers-sell-a-chance-to-win-by-playing-port-adelaide-in-darwin/story-e6frf9jf-1226064892300