2014 Fixture - Screwed again by AFL

[LostDoggy]

At least no one will be able to say we were helped along the way when we win a flag and stick it right up em!

[soupman]

So from our home matches we get:
1 Saturday early on Seven,
1 Saturday twilight on Fox (Cairns match)
1 Saturday night on Fox
2 Sunday early on Fox,
2 Sunday day on Seven,
3 Sunday twilight on Fox,
and 1 unknown but probably Sunday twilight on Fox.

Not a single home game in prime time Seven Saturday or Friday, and just 3 games in one of those timeslots to play all year.

And we play North, Richmond, Carlton, Adelaide, Freo, Brisbane, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Essendon, Sydney and GWS for our home games.

Ok so we want to capitalise on our matches against the biggest of these clubs by playing them in the best timeslots, therefore we should play all three (yep, just three) of the clubs which will draw a big crowd in the best timeslots. So what do we get?

Richmond in the Saturday day game on Seven (that's decent, could be better but atleast it's FTA and a decent timeslot).
Carlton on Sunday twilight on Fox (Complete waste)
Essendon on Sunday twilight on Fox (Complete waste)

Luckily we will gain exposure and crowds from playing such high drawing clubs as Freo, Melbourne, Gold Coast and GWS to compensate in the prime time Sunday slots!!! On the plus side it shouldn't be hard to get a seat.

[Murphy'sLore]

Ridiculous. For all the statements and comments about "equalisation" and created a fair fixture we get handed a stinking pile of crap for our season. Absolute bullshit. We better get royally compensated for this, because it offers our club no chance to grow, and no chance to reap revenue from high drawing games.

Hard to argue with any of that. Sucks big time. Again.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

That's really disappointing. Not angry, just very disappointed. So much for equalization.

[chef]

Many of you lot are just like the typical "whoh is me", "poor old bulldogs", "glass half empty" types that I hear in the stands at our games....

We will never get as much coverage as the big clubs, that's life!!!!....

Roll On 2014 Doggies.....loved the way you finished off 2013 .......


I think we will win between 10 and 13 games.....

Go Dogs!!!!

I guess some of us are sick of being treated like the runt of the litter all the time.

I am a glass half full type of guy, but jeez we seriously get reemed every year.

[Throughandthrough]

Sheepishly puts hand up and admits to liking the Sunday twilight matches. Living interestsate, having foxtel and being involved in local footy , I get to see most of these live.

[azabob]

It's a poor fixture from a fans perspective. I hope we are being very well compensated for it.

How would we be compensated?

[GVGjr]

How would we be compensated?

Financial assistance.

[Bulldog Joe]

Well there are other ways to look at it

Ridiculous. For all the statements and comments about "equalisation" and created a fair fixture we get handed a stinking pile of crap for our season. Absolute bullshit. We better get royally compensated for this, because it offers our club no chance to grow, and no chance to reap revenue from high drawing games.

Lets have a look at the positives and negatives.

Sucks to start the season against West Coast in Perth but someone has to do it.But at least we kick off with a winnable game based on 2013 What I don't get is that we then play North the next Sunday, which sure gives us a 7 day break but it gives North a 9 day break and they didn't have to travel. Yes tough on the travel front. No reason we shouldn't be competitive here though.On the back foot straight up. Both on Fox too so no early media exposure.

Then off to play Richmond the next week in the early Saturday game. Off a 6 day break, which will be like 2 given the Perth game and Richmond only have 9 days to prepare for this. Tough game given how we coped with Richmond in 2013Would have liked a better timeslot but it should get a decent crowd. On Seven but it's the worst of the 4 games they get to show each week ratings wise.

The off to an irrelevant Saturday twilight fixture against GWS in WS on FoxActually in Canberra, where we do at least have an exceptionally good overall record. Mark this as a win. Useless match.

Then we get a potential high drawing game against Carlton,With the 8 day break we can win this and have some confidence building in the group but of course its relegated to Sunday twilight on Fox, minimizing the benefits.

Then we get the early Sunday game against Adelaide here, no one is going to go or watch that. I'll be there and expecting a win

Then finally a prime time game that will attract a good crowd, Essendon on Saturday night on Seven. Essendon with the extra 2 days to get over the Anzac clash, but we are now fired up and Crameri to tear them apart. Go Dogs!!Except it's Essendons home game because you know, they earnt it.

Then Melbourne on Saturday night at the G, our annual low point of the season. Luckily it's going to be broadcast on Seven.This could be an exciting clash. We should be right to show Roos that he is well behind the Dogs

Then a bye to recover from that gruelling trip to the G, before off to play Gold Coast on the Coast on Seven.Another winnable game away. GC will be tough, but we should be well ahead of our 2013 form by this

Then back in Melbourne for the Seven match of the day against Freo. Another shit crowd on the cards. At least we are playing a top side on our turf. Tough game but a win here and we could be seriously thinking finals

Then we get a Saturday night game, at home, against Brisbane. Unfortunately it's on Fox.This is a game we should win and that will generate more positive publicity

Then we get to play Collingwood, finally a decent drawing game again...except it's the Magpies hoke match. At least it's on Seven in the sunday day slot. We are now rolling and finally play Collingwood when we have the better

Then off to Adelaide to play Port in the early Saturday game on Seven.Port coming off the 2013 soft draw will struggle more in 2014 and we always beat them anyway

Then back in Melbourne to play Melbourne in the early sunday game on Fox.Now we're really rolling

Then we play Geelong in Geelong at Sunday twilight for maximum inconvenience for all our supporters, before travelling to Cairns to probably lose to Gold Coast on Saturday twilight irrelevance on Fox.With Geelong ripe for the picking. We have threatened them each time under Macca. Its time

Then finally we get to play Essendon, our turn for the big crowds. But alas, it's Sunday twilight on Fox. Will still get a fair ccrowd unless Essendon have self destructed. WIN PLEASE

Then down to Tassie to get beaten by Hawthorn on SevenWell we gave them a big scare in 2013 so onward we can march, before we get to play St.Kilda and probably consign them to the wooden spoonfor their home game on Seven on Sunday.

Then the early game on Fox Sunday against NorthWith a finals spot on the line for one or both sides. Exciting times, then the main game on Sunday day against Sydney at home,with Sydney feeling the strain due to their reduced depth before finishing off the season in the glorious Sunday twilight spot against GWS.If we are qualified for finals we will avoid the twilight zone. Round 23 twilight could be Adelaide Stkilda

What a load of crap.

Win games ...make finals ... rise above the crap and everything is better.

[gohardorgohome]

SEN where just talking about draw statistically...... We have the easiest draw of all 18 clubs....
Footy is where it matters to me....... Seeing our young team develop and win more games this year should help make many fans cheer up.

[LostDoggy]

Easier draw - based on clubs last years form

How does a side that finished 4th last have the best draw when 14 other clubs were statisically better than it in 2013 ?

[bulldogtragic]

Financial assistance.

For some reason this really annoys me. I know there is equalisation, but it needs to be equal treatment too. It's kind of like the mentality of people I've arrested in years gone by who rough up a prostitute and say well I gave her money...

I know we need the money, but at some point I'd like some respect too (and respect for what we need to do, not only to survive, but thrive). Surely the two aren't mutually exclusive. If we were on the share market I wouldn't invest in us. The structural problems will remain without addressing the illness while they throw money at the symptoms. We need radical action to make our current set up viable.

[bornadog]

Well there are other ways to look at it



Win games ...make finals ... rise above the crap and everything is better.

Like in 2008, 9 and 10

[Remi Moses]

Terrible draw For the bottom line.
How on earth do you have no Friday night games for two seasons?
The AFL waffles on about having to perform to earn Friday night games, so let's see when one of the big Boys struggle!!
Hope the club doesn't trot out the usual.
The Draw is awful from a brand perspective, but great from a potential win scenario

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Why do the Saints get a financially better draw than us? More Saturday games and 2 Friday night games. They are going to be miserable to watch in 2014 yet they haven't been banished to the scheduling wilderness unlike us. I don't get it