2014 Draw - Tigers request Carlton opener & to play Pies twice (Age)

[one-eyed]

Tigers, Blues keen to start all over again

    Samantha Lane
     The Age
    September 12, 2013

Richmond, still recovering from its finals demise, stands to start the 2014 season with a face-off against Carlton, the club that ended its 2013 campaign.

Provided a joint request from Carlton and Richmond is approved by the AFL, a clash that drew almost 95,000 spectators to the MCG on Sunday will be replayed in the opening round of next year.

Ahead of a radical revamp of the fixture, the Tigers have also requested to play Collingwood twice next year, for the first time since 2007.

But it is the opportunity to measure themselves against Carlton again that looms as a strong summer motivation and is likely to make round one even more hyped than usual.

The crowd of 94,690 that attended Sunday's elimination final was the largest for a Richmond game since the 1982 grand final, another clash with the Blues, which was witnessed by 107,536 and which the Tigers lost by 18 points.

It was the highest attendance for a match this year and set a record for attendance at an elimination final, surpassing the 90,370 spectators that attended an Carlton-Essendon bout in 2011.

AFL chairman Mike Fitzpatrick and league bosses Andrew Demetriou and Gillon McLachlan were at Sunday's final with the latter pair said to be blown away by what they saw in the crowd.

Carlton and Richmond have played in round one for the past seven seasons, with the Tigers winning two of those encounters, most recently this year by five points. The clubs have been scheduled to play each other twice per season every year since 2008.

The clubs have come to a successful agreement where they share the gate takings from their clashes, with the arrangement encouraging both camps to promote the event equally.

The AFL's announcement of a radical 25-week season, with 22 games and two byes for all clubs, is imminent.

Round one will begin a week earlier in 2014 and is set to clash with the Melbourne grand prix. Split over March 14-16 and March 21-23, the first games of the home-and-away season will follow an overhauled pre-season competition. The AFL is also introducing a weighting system next year where the competition's top six teams will be handed tougher schedules.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/tigers-blues-keen-to-start-all-over-again-20130911-2tku6.html

[Dougeytherichmondfan]

Yeah read that one. Could work out well for us next year. I'm thinking the Pies will be on the slide and we always manage to split the draw with the dons, but with their situation next year, could poach them both. If we can just beat those scumbags rd 1 again, could a possible 5/6 of the big 4 clashes. Wishful thinking.....I think not!

[pmac21]

The AFL should give us a priority pick to make us even better meaning bigger cowds for them!!!

[WilliamPowell]

Just one little tiny point

Where exactly are we supposed to play this game in round 1 seeing the season is starting 2 weeks earlier than normal (14th March) and the AFL don't have access to the MCG until the last week of March at the earliest?

AFL already flagged that some grounds wont be available for the first 2 weeks of the season (MCG, SCG, Gabba & Adel Oval)

So where do they play this game? 

[Yeahright]

Just one little tiny point

Where exactly are we supposed to play this game in round 1 seeing the season is starting 2 weeks earlier than normal (14th March) and the AFL don't have access to the MCG until the last week of March at the earliest?

AFL already flagged that some grounds wont be available for the first 2 weeks of the season (MCG, SCG, Gabba & Adel Oval)

So where do they play this game? 

Do something similar to how Sydney vs GWS was a week earlier than everyone else (just make us a week later)

[1965]

Just one little tiny point

Where exactly are we supposed to play this game in round 1 seeing the season is starting 2 weeks earlier than normal (14th March) and the AFL don't have access to the MCG until the last week of March at the earliest?

AFL already flagged that some grounds wont be available for the first 2 weeks of the season (MCG, SCG, Gabba & Adel Oval)

So where do they play this game? 

Play it at Etihad and charge $100 per ticket.

 

[Andyy]

MCG is a must. You can't play at Etihad and have 30-40,000 people miss out.

[WilliamPowell]

Just one little tiny point

Where exactly are we supposed to play this game in round 1 seeing the season is starting 2 weeks earlier than normal (14th March) and the AFL don't have access to the MCG until the last week of March at the earliest?

AFL already flagged that some grounds wont be available for the first 2 weeks of the season (MCG, SCG, Gabba & Adel Oval)

So where do they play this game? 

Do something similar to how Sydney vs GWS was a week earlier than everyone else (just make us a week later)

Dont think that will work

Round 1 is already going to be split over 2 weeks (14-16 Mar & 21-23 Mar) and the MCG isn't guaranteed to be available.

Under the contract for the use of the MCG - Cricket has access to is until the end of March. Only was the AFL can get it earlier is for the Vic Cricket to agree to it. If Victoria is in the Shield final then the MCG isn't available

So going by when the AFL season is supposed to start the MCG is not availabe until round 2 (28-30 Mar)

[RFC_Official]

Just one little tiny point

Where exactly are we supposed to play this game in round 1 seeing the season is starting 2 weeks earlier than normal (14th March) and the AFL don't have access to the MCG until the last week of March at the earliest?

AFL already flagged that some grounds wont be available for the first 2 weeks of the season (MCG, SCG, Gabba & Adel Oval)

So where do they play this game? 

Do something similar to how Sydney vs GWS was a week earlier than everyone else (just make us a week later)

Dont think that will work

Round 1 is already going to be split over 2 weeks (14-16 Mar & 21-23 Mar) and the MCG isn't guaranteed to be available.

Under the contract for the use of the MCG - Cricket has access to is until the end of March. Only was the AFL can get it earlier is for the Vic Cricket to agree to it. If Victoria is in the Shield final then the MCG isn't available

So going by when the AFL season is supposed to start the MCG is not availabe until round 2 (28-30 Mar)

Can't be bothered searching for story, but AFL/State Government and a few others tipped in money to redevelop Junction Oval on the proviso AFL gets earlier access to the G.

[WilliamPowell]

Just one little tiny point

Where exactly are we supposed to play this game in round 1 seeing the season is starting 2 weeks earlier than normal (14th March) and the AFL don't have access to the MCG until the last week of March at the earliest?

AFL already flagged that some grounds wont be available for the first 2 weeks of the season (MCG, SCG, Gabba & Adel Oval)

So where do they play this game? 

Do something similar to how Sydney vs GWS was a week earlier than everyone else (just make us a week later)

Dont think that will work

Round 1 is already going to be split over 2 weeks (14-16 Mar & 21-23 Mar) and the MCG isn't guaranteed to be available.

Under the contract for the use of the MCG - Cricket has access to is until the end of March. Only was the AFL can get it earlier is for the Vic Cricket to agree to it. If Victoria is in the Shield final then the MCG isn't available

So going by when the AFL season is supposed to start the MCG is not availabe until round 2 (28-30 Mar)

Can't be bothered searching for story, but AFL/State Government and a few others tipped in money to redevelop Junction Oval on the proviso AFL gets earlier access to the G.

Didnt' think that was set in stone RFC_O,

Sure there was a story a couple of months back where Andy D was asked about it and he said the AFL wouldn't be kicking in any cash to help cricket to build any elite facility (ie redevelop the Junction Oval). Pretty sure that one was in was in the Age 

Add to that i don't think the works have started down there so what guarantee it would be finished in time anyway especially if they use the same mob we had who did the works at Punt Road 

[WilliamPowell]

Will stand corrected Stig

**But can I just add, part of the redevelopment funding is $10mil from the Federal Govt that was announced 23/8/2013. With a change in govt that funging may not eventuate**
==================================================

Found this think it is what Stig was alluding too:

AFL brokers deal with cricket opening the door for an early start to the season
by: Michael Warner
•From: Herald Sun
•July 16, 2013 10:00PM

FOOTY will rule the roost at the MCG from next season under a breakthrough deal with cricket.

The AFL has agreed to help fund a $44 million upgrade of St Kilda's Junction Oval, giving the Victorian Bushrangers an alternative first-class ground.

It means the MCG will be free to host AFL matches at least one week earlier in March every season.

Early access to the home of football could accommodate a second mid-season bye or even an extended season.

One option for the league would be to play the 2014 Carlton-Richmond season opener on Thursday, March 20 -- a week ahead of its traditional slot.

The 2014 fixture, including a start date, the number of rounds and number of byes, will be on the agenda at next month's AFL Commission meeting.

Recent negotiations have seen the AFL and Melbourne Cricket Club agree to pay up to $6 million to the Junction Oval project.

AFL chief Andrew Demetriou had previously declared the league would not contribute.

Other funds will come from Cricket Victoria, Cricket Australia, the state government and federal government.

Cricket has contractual rights to the MCG from October 1 to March 31 until 2019 and has been giving up the MCG one week early as a goodwill gesture.

The AFL Players' Association has been pushing for an earlier start to the football season to allow a second mid-season break.

The opening round of this year's footy season was staggered over two weeks because of scheduling for the Sheffield Shield final at the MCG.

But the win for footy could be short-lived if Victoria is successful in bidding to host the 2015 World Cup cricket final on the last weekend of March.

The cricket World Cup will force the AFL to find alternative grounds for its early-season matches.

The MCG, SCG, Adelaide Oval and Gabba will all be used for the tournament.

Cricket Australia is finalising its fixture for the 2013-14 domestic season but is expected to keep the MCG free for football from March 18.

The AFL could get access to the MCG even earlier in March by 2016 once the Junction Oval project is complete.

Victoria is the only state without an alternative first-class cricket ground and dedicated cricket only training facility.

The Junction Oval redevelopment will also be home to a National Cricket Diversity Centre, host carnivals for regional cricket teams and provide a training base for young country cricketers.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/afl-brokers-deal-with-cricket-opening-the-door-for-an-early-start-to-the-season/story-fni5f22o-1226680353655

[smasha]

Good stuff.

97k  Tiger Army round 1.

 

[bojangles17]

And the rest, with 2 collingwood games, bugger me stiff , we 'll break the 1.2m barrier 

[Francois Jackson]

who gives a flying stuff about crowd numbers if you lose.

Round 1 will see us lose again unless there's a massive shift in our psyche and we trade spuds like Edwards and Grigg

[Tigger]

We should play this game at Kardinia Park - if it is good enough for a final it is good enough for an opening round.