Richmond and Carlton keep season opener

[one-eyed]

McLachlan confirmed Richmond and Carlton will open the 2012 season on Trade Week Radio

[Hellenic Tiger]

Will it be our home game?

[MADTIGER2010]

Thurs 29th march?

[Eat_em_Alive]

It might be carlton home game as our last vs carlton was that 103 pt loss late in season

[Hellenic Tiger]

It might be carlton home game as our last vs carlton was that 103 pt loss late in season

The Cheats had the season opener as their home game in 2011.

[WilliamPowell]

Would be richmond's home game. It alternates each year. Blues this year = tigers in 2012

[Eat_em_Alive]

Would be richmond's home game. It alternates each year. Blues this year = tigers in 2012

Fair enough, Im suprised as I thought it was based off the last game played.
Im open to that and changes my perspective on alot of home and away games for next year

[Phil Mrakov]

Wouldn't it be away? Seeing that the last game we played against them was home?

There will be a bigger crowd if its our home game.. (We are a bigger club)
.

[mightytiges]

Good news as far as off-field at least - big crowd and tv audience helps with more $$$ and keeping sponsors happy. On the field it could get ugly again  ,

Wouldn't it be away? Seeing that the last game we played against them was home?

There will be a bigger crowd if its our home game.. (We are a bigger club)
.

The rotation is based on round 1 only. Round 1 this year was Carlton's home game and the 103 point nightmare  in round 15 was ours. Next year those two games will be reversed with round 1 our home game and the return game later on in the season Carlton's home game.

ps. Agree with your last point Mrakov 

[one-eyed]

We play Carlton in round 1 on the Thursday night but our game won't be the season opener.


Sydney derby to open 2012
By Adam McNicol
Tue 11 Oct, 2011

RICHMOND and Carlton are set to again meet at the MCG on a Thursday night in round one next year, although it is unlikely to be the first home and away game of the 2012 season.

Instead, the opening match is expected to be the inaugural Sydney derby between the Swans and GWS at ANZ Stadium, which could be played a week prior to the other round one games.

The date and starting time for both matches will be confirmed when the fixture is released on Friday, October 28.

"We're trying to create a marquee fixture for every club … Richmond and Carlton in the opening round, St Kilda and Carlton on the Mothers' Day Monday, the Freo game on Anzac Day evening," AFL chief operating officer Gillon McLachlan told Trade Week Radio on Tuesday.

"These evolving fixtures have been well-supported and rate well."

The Tigers and Blues have been meeting in round one since 2007 (that was a Sunday twilight game), and they have contested the opening match of the home and away season since 2008.

Richmond pulled off an upset win in '08, before Carlton scored big victories in 2009 and 2010.

Earlier this year, the Tigers led during the early stages of the last quarter, only for the Blues to fight back and win by 20 points.

Regardless of whether next year's contest proves to be one-sided, the League hopes the big-drawing clubs will continue to meet in round one in future seasons.

"I don't think anything's ever guaranteed, except for Anzac Day and a couple of others," McLachlan said.

"But I think if you're going to try and create one of those for every team, then if one team gets belted for a few years in a row, or there is a lop-sided result, I still think you need to persevere.

"So I think [the Richmond v Carlton game] is something that's here to stay for a while, but you never rule anything in or out permanently."

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/124975/default.aspx

[Phil Mrakov]

Good news as far as off-field at least - big crowd and tv audience helps with more $$$ and keeping sponsors happy. On the field it could get ugly again  ,

Wouldn't it be away? Seeing that the last game we played against them was home?

There will be a bigger crowd if its our home game.. (We are a bigger club)
.

The rotation is based on round 1 only. Round 1 this year was Carlton's home game and the 103 point nightmare  in round 15 was ours. Next year those two games will be reversed with round 1 our home game and the return game later on in the season Carlton's home game.

ps. Agree with your last point Mrakov 

I only speak the truth

[tiger101]

RICHMOND and Carlton will retain their Round 1 match-up next season, but its status as the traditional season-opener is under threat from Greater Western Sydney.

It is understood the AFL wants to launch next season with an inaugural derby between Sydney Swans and GWS at ANZ Stadium.

While the AFL has not finalised the first draft of the fixture, the Sydney derby would be designed to help steal the thunder from the NRL's season kick-off in rugby league heartland.

The match could be held on the March 17-18 weekend, before the Blues-Tigers stoush on March 22.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/carlton-and-richmond-to-meet-in-round-1-but-sydney-and-gws-could-play-season-opener/story-e6frf9jf-1226164310252

I don't argue against the AFL for trying to develop and grow the game but they shouldnt do it at the expense of Melbourne clubs and football supporters.
The first game of the season needs to be played at MCG not in Sydney just to beat NRL and score media headlines up there.

[dwaino]

Sydney v GWS will be a fizzer. It took the Suns more than half a season to get a few people to rock up and barrack for them. No good trying to sell the game when it appears more dead than that crap they play on suburban paddocks up there. I moved to Brisbane from Wodonga in the 80s and saw the Bears build from Cararra (got a Sherrin here still with the entire '91 Bears scribbles on it! ) to a stadium in town. I got teased following our footy in primary school but by the time I got to high school every school had an Aussie Rules team. By the time I left in 2008 to move back to Melbourne, Aussie Rules was in a healthy state in SE Qld which is why I could see the Suns working eventually. Especially after I thought footy was stronger there on the goldy (better teams and stuff. Go Burleigh Bombers! Haha). However, this GWS push is too much too soon. The expansion needs to be nurtured. Not force fed. To win supporters in NRL heartland we need to prove to the next generation we have a better product. Curtain raising to 15,000 Swans fans and zip Giants seems counter productive. The NRL compare constantly and claimed victory the first week of finals (not sure how as we had more attend and more TV viewers). The NRL won't let it down when they smash us in the curtain raiser.

Anyway, we need to beat the bluebaggers so I have something to use against the missus all year.

[Owl]

You have to remember, Rugby league pinched QLD from Aussie rules, just reclaiming old territory.  Up north it is is still Aussie rules as far as I know.

[gerkin greg]

Sydney v GWS will be a fizzer.
Anyway, we need to beat the bluebaggers so I have something to use against the missus all year.

Agree with both sentiments.

Why they would play the Swans v GWS game as a standalone fixture up against the entire opening round of the NRL season is another Adrian Anderson Twilight Zone episode.

Not only will the Swans belt GWS in front of a poor looking crowd because half of ANZ is empty, the following weekend there will be crickets chirping in Sydney as both the Swans and Giants twiddle their todgers while the 'real' Round 1 kicks off in every other city.

The NRL will have a field day. "The Giants were so crap the AFL has given them the axe after 1 game LOLZLOLZLOLZLOLZ" "They've abandoned NSW all together ROFLICKDICKZ"