Struggling Tigers risk losing prime-time slot in 2017 AFL.com.au
May 6, 2016RICHMOND'S prime-time residency could be at risk if it doesn't recover from a disastrous 1-5 start to the season, with rival clubs readying themselves to displace the struggling Tigers on the Friday night stage next year.
It is just one of the threats to Richmond's recent off-field gains as attendances also become a concern following last week's crowd of just over 27,000 to face Port Adelaide at the MCG.
The Tigers have become regulars on Friday nights in the past two seasons, scheduled to play 13 regular season games in the coveted timeslot, more than any other team.
They launch round seven against reigning premier Hawthorn at the MCG and, with their finals chances all but snuffed out, they will feature another three times, against North Melbourne, Port Adelaide and Collingwood.
But as Carlton found out at the end of last season, Friday night games are the first matches to be dropped from a club's fixture when performance drops.
Richmond's demise is a turn of events the fixture-makers at the AFL could not have predicted after the Tigers promised to do "everything in their power to take further steps forward in 2016" after a third straight elimination final defeat.
But six rounds into the season, the Tigers' on-field struggles are opening the door for rising clubs like St Kilda, Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs to eat into their Friday night presence next year.
The fixture is not released until late October, and the Tigers have shown that plenty can change in the second half of the season. Coach Damien Hardwick has guaranteed the club will bounce back.
But right now they would not fit the AFL's new criteria for Friday night matches.
The AFL has prioritised performance when allocating Friday night games, which suits the broadcasters.
The highest rating Friday night match so far this season was the round five clash between Hawthorn and Adelaide, out-rating the Tigers' clash with Collingwood in round two by 56,000.
Richmond has benefited from the perform-or-perish criteria on Friday nights, with its allocation jumping from two in 2013 to seven in 2015 after back-to-back finals appearances.
2015 FINISH | CLUB | FRIDAY NIGHT GAMES IN 2016
1 Hawthorn 6
2 West Coast 2
3 Fremantle 2
4 North Melbourne 5
5 Sydney Swans 3
6 Adelaide 2
7 Richmond 6
8 Western Bulldogs 3
9 Port Adelaide 2
10 Geelong 4
11 Greater Western Sydney 0
12 Collingwood 5
13 Melbourne 0
14 St Kilda 0
15 Essendon 2
16 Gold Coast 0
17 Brisbane Lions 0
18 Carlton 0
St Kilda and Melbourne, meanwhile, have not featured on Friday nights since rounds three and four respectively last year, with the Demons boasting just two appearances in the past five seasons.
Greater Western Sydney, which has never featured on Friday night, will have claims to primetime exposure next season as it enters a premiership window that may well prove to already be open.
Being booted from Friday nights would be a blow to the Tigers off-field, where they have punched harder than most under CEO Brendon Gale, who took charge in 2009.
Gale, who watched from the coaches box late in last Saturday night's loss to Port Adelaide, has done a terrific job to continue a run of 11 straight profits.
A Friday night presence – and marquee spots in the Thursday night season opener and Anzac Day eve – have played a role, delivering exposure for sponsors both in the build-up to games and on the broadcast.
Combined with the Fighting Tiger Fund, strong management has allowed the Tigers to invest $8 million more in football last year than it did in 2010 (payments to coaches and conditioning personnel all rose last season).
Membership also grew to a record level of 71,339 last season, which has not yet been matched in 2016 with membership hovering at 70,848 late this week.
Another feather in Gale's cap last year was an AFL-high total attendance of 1,054,354.
For a club with such strong membership, an attendance of 27,077 for a home game at the MCG must be a concern and it was almost 8,000 down on pre-game projections.
"I understand why people are disappointed and that's reflected in the crowd numbers," Gale told 3AW earlier this week.
"We're disappointed but we're not dispirited … we're working very, very hard to find the answers and turn this team around."
The Tigers, who had a club record sponsorship revenue last year, are now searching for a replacement for their training venue naming rights sponsor after ME Bank's deal lapsed this year.
Richmond 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Friday night games 2 2 2 4 7 6
Previous year finish 15th 12th 12th 7th 8th 7th
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-05-06/tigers-in-primetime-trouble
