Melbourne and Richmond request to play an annual Anzac Eve night match (H-Sun)

[one-eyed]

Melbourne CEO Peter Jackson urges AFL to reconsider its dismissal of Anzac Eve clash proposal

    Michael Warner
    Herald Sun
    April 26, 2014


BEMUSED Melbourne chief executive Peter Jackson has urged the AFL to rethink its dismissal of a proposed Anzac Day eve clash.

Jackson is adamant an annual night match between Richmond and the Demons on April 24 would prove successful and have no impact on the next day’s Collingwood-Essendon blockbuster.

“I don’t think anything on the night before will steal from the event of Anzac Day itself,” Jackson told the Herald Sun on Friday.

“I’d be staggered and I wouldn’t know why Collingwood and Essendon would be worried about it.

“You’ve got to give some opportunities to these other clubs to get a few more people in the crowd.

“You look at our fixture this year for example, we’ve got seven interstate clubs as home games — I know we are playing bloody awful football and to some extent deserve the fixture we get — but that is not going to help rejuvenate the club financially.

“We’ve got one game against Collingwood on Queen’s Birthday, which is fantastic, but there is no harm in trying to build up some of these other games up.

“Whether it comes to Good Friday or these sort of games, we’ve got to find ways of bringing in more revenue and crowds for the smaller clubs so we are not all dependent on so-called changes to equalisation policy.

“Let’s give it a lot more thought and talk about — don’t just dismiss it because someone thinks it’s going to cause a problem on Anzac Day.

“The competition is a lot bigger than that and it needs to be looked at in that way.”

Collingwood president Eddie McGuire led the charge against the Anzac eve proposal — first revealed in Thursday’s Herald Sun — and by the time AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou appeared on 3AW radio yesterday it looked dead in the water.

“I understand the request but it’s highly unlikely that it will go ahead,” Demetriou told 3AW.

“It’s just logistically impossible to fixture those sorts of games unless they are on the weekend.

“When we do an Anzac Day game and if falls on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday that is fine ... but when you start to get into Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays — and you’ve got teams coming off in some cases five day breaks — to put another game on before that is just impossible.”

Richmond chief executive Brendon Gale — in the mix to replace Demetriou as AFL boss — says new ideas should be embraced, not ridiculed.

“It is very easy to find reasons not to do something. We prefer to focus on the positives and how we could make this game happen but ultimately it is up to the AFL,” Gale said.

But McGuire believes the Anzac Day calendar is “oversubscribed already”.

The Pies and Bombers split gate takings of at least $800,000 from yesterday’s Anzac Day showdown.

http://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/afl/melbourne-ceo-peter-jackson-urges-afl-to-reconsider-its-dismissal-of-anzac-eve-clash-proposal/story-fniv6abm-1226896229214

[one-eyed]

Anzac eve game wouldn't detract from Pies-Bombers clash, says Peter Jackson
  Caroline Wilson and Daniel Cherny
     The Age
    April 26, 2014


Melbourne boss Peter Jackson said on Friday it was ridiculous to suggest that an Anzac eve clash between the Demons and Richmond would detract from Collingwood and Essendon's two-decade hold on Anzac Day football.

"This is an iconic event we are talking about," he said. "We are not trying to take away from that. We couldn't because it's such a big day. But the AFL must look at the smaller clubs when they are considering these new time slots like Good Friday and the fixture Melbourne is looking at with Richmond.

"That is what equalisation is all about. You can't put your hand up for everything and we're not putting our hands up for Good Friday, but we think we could make a contribution with an Anzac eve game that would only add to the occasion."

A regular game on Anzac Day eve is "pretty unlikely", according to AFL chief Andrew Demetriou.

Speaking on 3AW, Demetriou suggested that the logistical difficulties that accompany midweek games would make it exceptionally challenging for the league to enshrine an additional game into its schedule.

"It's just logistically impossible to fixture those sorts of games unless they're on a weekend," Demetriou said on Friday. "When we do an Anzac Day game and they fall on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday, that's fine. And you've got the flexibility of putting a game on a Friday night, but when you start getting into Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, you've got teams in some cases coming off five-day breaks," he said.

"To put another game before that is just impossible. So I understand the request, but it's highly unlikely that it'll go ahead."

Demetriou did not, however, contend that the Bombers and Magpies have an inherent right to monopolise Anzac Day football, expressing his support for the games being played at both Patersons Stadium and Westpac Stadium in Wellington on Friday.

"We have got the Collingwood-Essendon game on today, which is a great game, but we've also got the game on in Perth, and we've also got the game on of course in New Zealand, so it does come around in cycles when you do get these things falling on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday. For example, next year we will have games on the centenary [of the landing at Gallipoli], which it turns out will be on Saturday. They'll be pretty big events; there'll be more than one game," Demetriou said.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/anzac-eve-game-wouldnt-detract-from-piesbombers-clash-says-peter-jackson-20140425-zqzbc.html

[Rampstar]

I reckon that we played ANZAC Day in the late 70s. Clearly remember us playing Collingwood one afternoon with an amazing crowd in attendance. Dont remember the year but definately happened.

[WilliamPowell]

I reckon that we played ANZAC Day in the late 70s. Clearly remember us playing Collingwood one afternoon with an amazing crowd in attendance. Dont remember the year but definately happened.

Yep you're correct it was 1977 and they got 92k +

[1980 I Was There]

When I was a kid I plainly remember Richmond playing games on ANZAC Day. Essendon and Collingwood stole this match from us.

They didn't actually steal it so much, we lost it because we were so crap that we couldn't get a crowd there.
In the end money talks and the Tigers certainly couldn't pull a big crowd.

Previously though, from the first year the Anzac day clashes started back in 1960 there were many teams that have played on that day, and through the week as well.

The years that we played in the Anzac day event, and some years, being on a Saturday everybody played are...
1961, 63, 64, 66, 68, 70, 72, 73, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 83,  84, 87, 88, 89, 90, 94

These are prior to 1995 when the pies and the bombers took over. From then on, any other teams playing on the 25th of April was because it was on a weekend, Friday night or just recently, the game over in New Zealand (from memory anyway).

I have compiled a list of the Richmond clashes from 1960 to 1994 with some stats and added other games held on the same day. There is a round, home or away, team and scores, win or loss (W or L), venue, crowd, date and the other teams that played that day.

The info is unclear if there was a match that was made bigger than any other, so I assume they were all for Anzac Day.

R5   Away   St Kilda   2.6 6.11 12.16 15.22    112   Rich 2.3 5.6 6.7 10.10    70   W   Waverley Park   37870   25-Apr-1994 2:08 PM     Monday.

R5   Home   Sydney   5.5 11.8 18.11 19.12    126   Rich 4.5 7.9 13.15 21.20    146   L   M.C.G.   22154   25-Apr-1987 2:10 PM Saturday. Nearly all teams played

R4   Home   Hawthorn   1.5 5.7 6.11 9.12    66   Rich 1.4 5.8 10.13 15.20    110   L   Waverley Park   41347   25-Apr-1989 2:10 PM     Tuesday. Also Carl v Ess

R4   Home   Geelong   1.6 5.11 5.13 11.16    82   Rich 6.5 14.9 20.11 24.17    161   L   M.C.G.   27417   25-Apr-1988 2:10 PM    Monday. Also St Kilda v Ess

R5   Home   Fitzroy   3.6 10.10 17.14 21.17    143   Rich 2.2 3.5 5.8 9.10    64   W   M.C.G.   23078   25-Apr-1990 2:10 PM Wednesday. Also Carl v Foots

R1   Away    Carlton                 3.4 7.6 11.7 16.10 106    Rich 3.3 7.5 10.10 14.16    100   W   Princes Park   43018   25-Apr-1966 2:20 PM  Monday. Also St k v Melb & Foots v North

R4   Home   Collingwood   4.3 7.4 12.9 14.16    100   Rich 4.7 9.11 14.17 17.24    126   L   M.C.G.   92436   25-Apr-1977 2:10 PM     Friday. Also Gee v South Melb

R5   Home   Essendon   5.3 9.7 10.11 12.14    86   Rich 4.3 11.8 18.11 20.15    135   L   M.C.G.   55141   25-Apr-1984 2:10 PM     Wednesday. Also Carl v Coll

R2   Home   Essendon   2.1 5.4 10.4 11.9    75   Rich 5.12 9.14 14.20 15.21    111   L   Punt Rd   27300   25-Apr-1964 2:20 PM     Saturday    All teams played

R5   Home   Fitzroy   6.1 13.8 18.19 29.25    199   Rich 4.3 4.8 9.13 11.15    81   W   M.C.G.   44401   25-Apr-1980 2:10 PM     Friday. Also Gee v Haw & Carl v Melb

R5   H   Geelong   3.4 7.11 10.16 15.22    112   Rich 1.6 7.7 8.13 11.18    84   W   M.C.G.   46230   25-Apr-1981 2:10 PM    Saturday   All teams played

R3   Home   Geelong   6.3 7.6 8.10 10.15    75   Rich 4.4 9.8 13.14 17.21    123   L   M.C.G.   52115   25-Apr-1968 2:20 PM     Thursday. Also Carl v Ess

R4   Away   Melbourne   3.6 10.12 11.14 15.19    109   Rich 4.8 9.14 15.19 16.23    119   L   M.C.G.   44708   25-Apr-1979 2:10 PM    Wednesday. Also Haw v South Melb

R5   Home   Melbourne   3.3 7.4 14.9 19.16    130   Rich 5.2 6.8 6.10 8.11    59   W   M.C.G.   34212   25-Apr-1978 2:10 PM     Tuesday Also St Kilda v Geelong

R5   Home   Melbourne   2.2 5.3 7.7 13.11    89   Rich 4.6 9.8 11.11 12.12    84   W   M.C.G.   38154   25-Apr-1972 2:10 PM     Tuesday, Also Carl V Ess

R4   Home   North Melb   2.7 7.13 9.14 11.18    84   Rich 2.5 5.9 8.16 14.20    104   L   M.C.G.   48923   25-Apr-1973 2:10 PM     Wednesday  Also St Kilda v Coll

R4   Away   St Kilda   2.4 3.6 5.10 7.12    54   Rich 3.4 9.9 11.12 15.19    109   L   Moorabbin Oval   32147   25-Apr-1970 2:10 PM     Saturday.  All teams played

R2   Away   South Melb   4.4 6.5 13.7 17.7    109   Rich 3.4 7.11 7.13 12.14    86   W   Lake Oval   25700   25-Apr-1963 2:20 PM      Thursday. Also Haw v Melb

R3   Home   South Melb   0.1 3.5 3.7 6.9    45   Rich 5.3 8.8 10.14 12.17    89   L   Punt Rd   27650   25-Apr-1961 2:20 PM     Tuesday. Also Ess v Melb

R5   Home   Footscray   0.3 8.8 13.11 17.12    114   Rich 10.3 12.3 16.5 18.8    116   L   M.C.G.   51651   25-Apr-1983 2:10 PM     Monday. Also Gee v Melb & Ess v North

The 1994 match was the last one before Collingwood and Essendon took over, and it was the only day (that Richmond was involved) that there was just one match played. This is probably where it was thought of as being taken away from us, as it may have been the start as a single blockbuster for Richmond and Melbourne. Clearly that never worked.

[Rampstar]

I think its mighty unfair  to say we couldnt pull a crowd.

How much crowd do you think we could get in

1961 playing South at PUNT ROAD
1963 playing South at LAKE OVAL
1966 playing Essendon at PUNT ROAD
1970 playing St Kilda at MOORABBIN and STKILDA have been our opponent 2 times on ANZAC Day
or
1989 playing Carlton at PRINCESS PARK

all those grounds got shut because they couldnt hold bigger capacity crowds. Thats not the fault of Richmond. In 1977 we drew 92,000 people against Collingwood on ANZAC Day at the MCG.

As for the other games
R5 1983 vs Footscray (who still cant get a crowd today) the game got 51,651
R4 1973 vs Norf (Whose supporters you can fit in a phone box) the game got 48,923
we played Melbourne 3 times (1972, 1978 and 1979) and Melbourne have been no good since Methusalah was a boy and dont get any crowds coz their supporters are up at the snow.

I can see we drew ok crowds in the game against Collingwood (1977), Essendon (1984) and Geelong (1968 and 1981) especially considering there was no monopoly type set up for ANZAC Day.

[1980 I Was There]

I think its mighty unfair  to say we couldnt pull a crowd.

How much crowd do you think we could get in

1961 playing South at PUNT ROAD
1963 playing South at LAKE OVAL
1966 playing Essendon at PUNT ROAD
1970 playing St Kilda at MOORABBIN and STKILDA have been our opponent 2 times on ANZAC Day
or
1989 playing Carlton at PRINCESS PARK

all those grounds got shut because they couldnt hold bigger capacity crowds. Thats not the fault of Richmond. In 1977 we drew 92,000 people against Collingwood on ANZAC Day at the MCG.

As for the other games
R5 1983 vs Footscray (who still cant get a crowd today) the game got 51,651
R4 1973 vs Norf (Whose supporters you can fit in a phone box) the game got 48,923
we played Melbourne 3 times (1972, 1978 and 1979) and Melbourne have been no good since Methusalah was a boy and dont get any crowds coz their supporters are up at the snow.

I can see we drew ok crowds in the game against Collingwood (1977), Essendon (1984) and Geelong (1968 and 1981) especially considering there was no monopoly type set up for ANZAC Day.

Sorry mate, I wasn't real clear, I meant the crowd for the 1994 game only, I am well aware of the small capacities of the other older grounds and I think that the 1994 game was the first solo game that only got 37,000+ and I think what the AFL wanted was a big crowd, which is what they got the following year which was 94,000+
As I said sorry mate I was tired when I did 

[Penelope]

WP might be onto something. Rather than hang of the coat tails of colonwood and the bummers, perhaps we should put our efforts into gaining a regular good Friday game?

That is a glaring void in the footy fixture.

[cub]

9 Saturday games every week would suit me

[Diocletian]

9 Saturday games every week would suit me

Me too....unfortunately the people who pay a billion dollars to broadcast them are highly unlikely to share our view.

[bojangles17]

I was gonna say for a novel idea, why don't we pitch to play an Anzac clash 200pm Saturday , who would have thought 

[cub]

Just sayin