2015 Fixture - What do we want for the Bulldogs

[Eastdog]

It's a start with the AFL being more accommodating to us by having more Saturday games.

[Murphy'sLore]

I guess now it's up to all of us to respond by actually turning up and showing that it does make a difference when we don't have a crappy Sunday twilight slot.

[Axe Man]

Agree with this, not one single Friday night game for 24 months. Not one!

46 have gone through without drawing one. Maybe if we finish on top we'll play Brisbane at the Gabba.

We haven't played a Friday night game since Round 9, 25th May 2012. 2015 will be the third consecutive year without a Friday night game. There is every possibility that we will not get a Friday night game in 2016 either given we are unlikely to improve much next season. We could be looking at a 5 year gap between Friday night matches!

[boydogs]

Far more negative on here than I expected. Sunday twilight was the biggest beef on here last year and that's been well and truly addressed. 2 games at the MCG too, don't think we played there at all this year. 3 Saturday night home games, home games against Collingwood & Carlton.

Player wise, there are only 6 interstate trips including the Cairns home game and the Hawthorn Tassie game, and no Friday games means no consecutive 6 day breaks. 3 of the 5 teams we play twice finished in the bottom 4 last year.

The lack of free to air games and the low drawing teams we play twice mean it's not the best fixture for exposure, but it's much better for supporters with 16 Melbourne games to attend and only 1 Sunday twilight, and great for the players too with limited interstate travel, no consecutive 6 day breaks and repeat games against poor opposition

[Greystache]

Perhaps if we broke our 'battler' tag and actually achieved something in our existence then the AFL and sponsors would schedule us at time that would allow us more exposure.

This constant pissing and moaning about the AFL not giving us Friday night games, or family friendly attendance timeslots really is tiresome.

There hasn't been an 'even' fixture for decades. Get over it. It's simple marketing economics as to why the big teams play in the key timeslots.

The AFL will support us by drip feed, but it's up to the club to achieve something BY ITSELF! Look at what Hawthorn have done since the mid 90’s. Almost merged FGS! We’ve done zero in that time as an organisation as a whole.

You've missed nearly every point on the entire subject.

Collingwood has won 2 flags in 50 years, Essendon 4 in 50 years and haven't won a final in over a decade. Their supporter base is derived from ancient historical success. We could win 2 flags in the next 5 years and it wouldn't change our situation in the short term.

It's not simple economics, it's short term economics, otherwise known as boganomics. I'm staggered how many people can't understand it. The AFL is systematically driving supporters to only a handful of clubs for short term return. Sure they may get 20% more immediate return, but in doing so they're driving away established fans from clubs that have been de-prioritized, while ensuring the future marketing opportunities are limited to 30% of the competition. It's just a matter of time before a big portion of their product offering is toxic from a commercial prospective, and potential buyers refuse to pay for it, meaning they get less long term because they cashed out everything for a small immediate return years earlier.

The fixture since the new TV rights came in has been exponentially more uneven, and it's clear that it will continue. In fact it will continue because the AFL product will be damaged to the point where there's no other option.

As for "get over it", that may as well be the slogan tattooed on every bogan in Australia.

[Remi Moses]

Better than last season without a doubt .
But the AFL edict of teams " earning" Friday night games is a complete load of b/s

[LostDoggy]

As far as an easy draw is concerned we have been pretty lucky, Bris, Melbourne, Aint's, West Coast & Port our double ups. Think the AFL missed a trick not doubling up our games with GWS considering, also nearly think it's a lock that we should play North twice a year, usually good matches, and draw decent crowds....comparatively!

[boydogs]

Why should we bother to get reserved seats when we will be playing in empty stadiums?

Whilst this is a negative for club revenue, it's good for our supporters not having to do this. Booking online, paying a surcharge for a category A game or turning up early to get in and get a good seat turns people off.

Ironically it could make us an attractive club to follow - bugger fighting the crowds at Collingwood games, go and watch the Bulldogs instead. Less time in the carpark or in queues for the toilets or food & drink

[bulldogsthru&thru]

It's an anomaly if you only read the last line.

Carlton are a club with a large traditional following. We're a club that gets mid 30's to games when we're flying. This is also one of the reasons PG tore apart the cheer squad. We literally look like shit on TV.

and how exactly are the clubs with no "traditional following" meant to attract a larger following with minimal FTA coverage and poorer time slots, whilst the clubs with bigger "traditional followings" still reap the rewards of plenty of FTA coverage and favourable time slots? You cant just say "show up" and everything will turn around. We haven't the fans to do so and this becomes a self fulfilling prophecy when teams with less fans have all the options of attracting new fans given to the teams with plenty of fans. I get the TV networks dont want to televise games no-one watches but if we are letting the TV rights dictate this competition we are in for a world of hurt. Its killing the smaller clubs and it will bite the AFL on the ass in 10-20 years.

[GVGjr]

But if we did play on Friday night there is a very good chance we would pull in a decent crowd say if we were playing a Victorian team.

I'm not sure this is correct. What does a Friday night game consistently have over a Saturday night game for attendance of our supporters?

Friday night games have a better TV exposure but if we want our supporters at games I fail to see why it's easier or more convenient for most to attend a Friday night game over a Saturday night one.

[Greystache]

Whilst this is a negative for club revenue, it's good for our supporters not having to do this. Booking online, paying a surcharge for a category A game or turning up early to get in and get a good seat turns people off.

Ironically it could make us an attractive club to follow - bugger fighting the crowds at Collingwood games, go and watch the Bulldogs instead. Less time in the carpark or in queues for the toilets or food & drink

But you're assuming potential swing supporters even know the Bulldogs are in the competition. If you're a casual observer and don't have Foxtel, it's entirely possible you'd have never seen or heard of us in a 3-4 year period.

[Eastdog]

I'm not sure this is correct. What does a Friday night game consistently have over a Saturday night game for attendance of our supporters?

Friday night games have a better TV exposure but if we want our supporters at games I fail to see why it's easier or more convenient for most to attend a Friday night game over a Saturday night one.

I think Friday night would give us prime time TV exposure to a large viewing audience but you do have a point as well.

[GVGjr]

I think Friday night would give us prime time TV exposure to a large viewing audience but you do have a point as well.

Our passion about getting Friday night games is more around TV exposure and sponsors. I just want us to have a crowd attendance average of 30,000 a game next year.

[Webby]

This is a vast improvement on last year. With this and the Ballarat announcement, some good work has clearly been put in behind the scenes by our admin.

The fixture alone should kick us along towards 35,000 plus members. I think it makes that much of a difference.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Our passion about getting Friday night games is more around TV exposure and sponsors. I just want us to have a crowd attendance average of 30,000 a game next year.

This is what we need to make our immediate priority. It'll then give us leverage when we're negotiating for a better fixture.