Shocking Fixture for 06

[PuntRdRoar]

Just had a look at a fixture for next season. If this fixture is shown to be true, and i have no reason to believe its false then RFC should be doing whatever it can to make sure priority picks stay. Coz if we get off to a bad start...we may be in for a shocker. I have never seen a fixture which has been this bad for Richmond. Mitch Thorp here we come!

[mightytiges]

2006 Fixture

ROUND 1 - Friday, 31st March - Western Bulldogs vs. Richmond - Telstra Dome (Night) 7:40 PM
ROUND 2 - Friday, 7th April - Richmond vs. St. Kilda - Telstra Dome (Night) 7:40 PM
ROUND 3 - Saturday, 15th April - West Coast vs. Richmond - Subiaco (Night) 5:40 PM WST
ROUND 4 - Saturday, 22nd April -  Brisbane Lions vs. Richmond - Gabba (Night) 7:10 PM
ROUND 5 - Friday, 28th April - Richmond vs. Carlton - M.C.G. (Night) 7:40 PM
ROUND 6 - Saturday, 6th May - Essendon vs. Richmond - M.C.G. (Night) 7:10 PM
ROUND 7 - Saturday, 13th May - Richmond vs. Sydney - Telstra Dome 2:10 PM
ROUND 8 - Saturday, 20th May - Richmond vs. Adelaide - Telstra Dome 2:10 PM
ROUND 9 - Saturday, 27th May - Geelong vs. Richmond - Skilled Stadium 2:10 PM
ROUND 10 - Saturday, 3rd June - Fremantle vs. Richmond - Subiaco (Night) 5:40 PM WST
ROUND 11 - Saturday, 10th June - Richmond vs. Kangaroos - M.C.G. 2:10 PM
ROUND 12 - Sunday, 18th June - Hawthorn vs. Richmond - Aurora Stadium (Early Start) 1:10 PM
ROUND 13 - Sunday, 2nd July - Richmond vs. Collingwood - M.C.G. 2:10 PM
ROUND 14 - Saturday, 8th July - Port Adelaide vs. Richmond - AAMI Stadium (Night) 7:10 PM CST
ROUND 15 - Friday, 14th July - Richmond vs. Melbourne - M.C.G. (Night) 7:40 PM 
ROUND 16 - Saturday 22nd July, Sydney vs. Richmond - S.C.G. (Night) 7:10 PM
ROUND 17 - Saturday, 29th July - St. Kilda vs. Richmond - M.C.G. 2:10 PM
ROUND 18 - Saturday, 5th August - Richmond vs. Western Bulldogs - M.C.G. 2:10 PM
ROUND 19 - Saturday, 12th August - Richmond vs. Brisbane Lions - Telstra Dome (Night) 7:10 PM
ROUND 20 - Sunday, 20th August - Carlton vs. Richmond - Telstra Dome 2:10 PM
ROUND 21 - Saturday, 26th August - Richmond vs. Essendon- M.C.G. (Night) 7:10 PM
ROUND 22 - Saturday, 2nd September - Richmond vs. West Coast - M.C.G. 2:10 PM

Full draw at http://gfc.com.au/cp2/c2/webi/article/233089aw.pdf

Friday Night - 4
Saturday - 7
Saturday Night - 8
Sunday - 3

MCG - 9 (7 home)
Dome - 6 (4 home)
Travel - 7  (Perth x2, Adelaide (Port), Brisbane, Sydney, Launceston (Haw), Geelong)

[WilliamPowell]

Let me see postivies....

Well we managed to get our 7 home games at the MCG and 9 in all

Geelong is considered a Melbourne away game next season so we only travel 6 times

Not as many Sunday games 

Rivalry Round we actually play a real rival in 2006 - the Bombers

That's about it for now

[Razorblade]

Interesting how we play at TD rounds 1&2, 7&8, 19&20.

[mightytiges]

The Club is surprisingly saying we're pleased with it. I think we are happy with mainly Saturday games as that's what our supporters wanted.

Positives:

- Play Ess and Carl twice plus a home game against the Pies.
- Most games on Friday Night or Saturday. Would prefer less Sat Night games but prefer it to Sunday.
- 4 of the last 5 games at home (3 at the 'G) and no travel in last 5 rounds.
- We finally play the Roos at home and at the 'G. Is it forbidden for us to play them twice per year ???.

Negatives:

- First 4 rounds are a nightmare but we knew that already. We need to beat the dogs in round 1.
- 2 times we have back to back non-Melb games - WCE/Bris then Geel/Freo. At least it says we have a 7 day break between each.
- Is their a secret rule that Port only have to play us in Melbourne once or twice every 9 years .

Overall we need to win our Melbourne games against the interstate sides otherwise we could be something like 2-8 after the first 10 rounds .

Saints are already whinging about their draw .

[WilliamPowell]

2006 AFL Draw analysed
3:35:35 PM Tue 4 October, 2005
Paul Gough
Exclusive to afl.com.au

There is nothing more certain to cause arguments in pubs and offices across Australia than debating the fairness of the AFL draw as fans of some clubs will inevitably complain their team has a tougher fixture than some of their rivals.

With 16 teams and just 22 rounds, inequities will always arise from a draw in which each team meets just seven of its 15 rivals twice a year.

But in these days of football being such a big business, with clubs having multi-million dollar turnovers, the financial aspect of the draw is almost as important as the football aspect.

This is summed up by the fact that one of the most common fixture requests the AFL receives each year from clubs is for a home game against Collingwood, the league's biggest drawing club, in these days of the home teams keeping all the gate receipts.
 
Here is how each team fared in the 2006 draw both from a football and a commercial aspect.

RICHMOND:

Football:
The Tigers have a much tougher draw than in 2005, when they enjoyed the least amount of travel of any club in the competition. After making just three interstate trips in 2005, the Tigers have six next year - including two to Perth while they journey to Tasmania for the first time to play Hawthorn in Launceston in round 12. The Tigers play just three of last year's finalists twice but they are arguably the competition's three best teams in Sydney, West Coast and St Kilda while they also play likely big improvers the Bulldogs twice, including in the opening round. And they have a daunting road double to Perth to face West Coast and then to Brisbane in rounds three and four.

Commercial:
Richmond has fared a lot better here with MCG home games against each of the club's three greatest rivals in Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon as well as a huge round two Friday night home clash against St Kilda at Telstra Dome. The Tigers will also be pleased with the huge reduction in the club's number of Sunday matches - down from 12 in 2005 to just three in 2006.

http://afl.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=233162

[WilliamPowell]

Saints are already whinging about their draw .

I am sure the Pies will be whinging too - they;ve only got 4 Friday night games 

But still only have to go interstate 4 times 

[Tiger Spirit]

We'll just have to grin and bear it I suppose.

At least there are only 3 Sunday games.

8 Saturday night games.  5 of them are played Interstate.

We play our home game against St. Kilda at their home ground in Round 2 and then they play their home game against us at our home ground, in Round 17.  Boo hiss.   Those ones always make sense.

[letsgetiton!]

i really dont se our draw that bad, ok we travel inter state 6 times  but most is early in the season, and really we dont wont an easy ride like the bombers and pies, they can still be spoon fed  but we will earn our success and gain much more pride and respect 4 it.

getting fev will actually help us win interstate more , just  food 4 thought

[mightytiges]

A fair summary from Goughy. The first half of the draw is bloody tough but if we can get near a 50% record by round 10 then it's not a bad draw on the run home. It's not the complete disaster I was expecting. If we are good enough we can still do fairly well for a young up and coming side.

I am sure the Pies will be whinging too - they;ve only got 4 Friday night games 

Still 4 too many lol. The Pies are the most boring side to watch  .

Saints have got 7 friday nighters but hey have a whinge over other things in the draw.

[cub]

I can/have to deal with this effin rubbish in a national competition but how the eff does that collingwood scum get 12 games at our home ground and we get effen 9- I hate effin telstra afl scumwood - eff eff eff and pooh.

How the eff does StKilda play a Home game against us at the G and our home game against them is at telstra WTF. Screwed with my membership and reserved seat there I must say. idiots..

Bring on 2006 we will beat all the idiots - Go TIGERS 

NB: Idiots was not the word I used.

[one-eyed]

Tiger draw a mixed bag
4:11:18 PM Tue 4 October, 2005
Tony Greenberg
richmondfc.com.au

Richmond’s 2006 fixture (released today by the AFL) shapes as a “mixed bag” . . .

The Tigers kick off their ’06 season with an away game against the Western Bulldogs at Telstra Dome on the Friday night of March 31. They then face further tough assignments against St Kilda (Telstra Dome), West Coast (Subiaco) and Brisbane (Gabba) in the opening month of the season.

“It’s a tough football draw with six interstate trips scheduled, as a result of the unavailability of the MCG early on due to the Commonwealth Games,” said Richmond’s CEO Steven Wright.

“But a positive is the fact that our last six games of the season are either at the MCG (four) or Telstra Dome (two).

“We also should get strong television coverage with four Friday night games and eight Saturday night games.

“I’m sure our members and supporters will appreciate the fact that we are playing many more games on Friday nights and Saturdays throughout the season. They have certainly expressed a desire to see that happen . . .”

Richmond is set to launch its ‘06 membership campaign in mid-October.


RFC 2006 fixture summary


• 9 games all-up at the MCG (9 in 2005)

• 7 home games at the MCG (7 in ‘05)

• 2 away games at the MCG (2 in ‘05)

• 6 games all-up at Telstra Dome (9 in ‘05)

• 4 home games at Telstra Dome (4 in ‘05)

• 2 away games at Telstra Dome (5 in ‘05)

• 6 interstate games (3 in ‘05)

• 5 of the interstate games played on a Saturday night

• 1 game at Skilled Stadium (1 in ‘05)

• 12 night games all-up (6 in ‘05)

• 4 Friday night games (1 in ‘05)

• 10 day games all-up (16 in ‘05)

• 15 games all-up on Saturday (9 in ‘05)

• 7 games on Saturday afternoon (5 in 2005)

• 8 games on Saturday night (4 in ‘05)

• 4 games on Saturday afternoon at the MCG (5 in ‘05)

• 3 games all-up on Sunday (12 in ‘05)

• Play just three of this year’s finalists – Sydney, West Coast and St Kilda – twice in ’06

• Last six games in Melbourne (4 at the MCG; 2 at Telstra Dome)

http://richmondfc.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=233211

[Captain__Blood]

Tough start.

Good run home.

[Rodgerramjet]

I'm actually quite happy about this draw, the team is still predominately rebuilding, we play some tough sides and travel a fair bit and I think this is good for the development of the kids. We won't win the GF next year anyway so lets use this draw positively and have a real crack. In 2007 we will get a better run you'd think and we will be in a better position to exploit it.

[one-eyed]

Here's the AFL reasons as to why we play our home game against the Saints next year at the Dome while our away game is at the 'G.

There are a number of reasons why the matches appear as they are:

1. The unavailability of the MCG adds significant complexity to the draw in 2006

2. Richmond FC has a contract with Telstra Dome to play 4 home matches per annum at the venue and the AFL has scheduled them as such.

3. If we were to flip those matches, Richmond would not have a home game until Round 5, which would be unfair on the Club.

4. All Clubs have to play 1 or 2 home matches at their non-preferred venue (either MCG or TD) due to scheduling constraints.

5. These scheduling constraints have resulted in Stk v Rich being scheduled at the MCG as TD is being utilised for Essendon and Carlton home games on that weekend.

Regards

Simon Gorr
Manager - Major Projects

http://www.saintsational.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=15695&sid=2c8763ee0e4e84d580c3718b98ac8fec