2014 Fixture - Screwed again by AFL

[LostDoggy]

In the same boat as you anfo, been absolutely fuming since watching those arrogant pricks carry on about how equitable the draw is. I love the game and I absolutely love our Bulldogs and I'll never stop going but these bastards running the show are destroying it for me. Gonna head along to a few A League games with a mate over summer, at least it seems they don't treat the absolute heart of the game, the people, like shit.

[Hotdog60]

I hope in those so called easy match ups that we absolutely embarrass the opposition with record breaking annihilation of them. I hope our style from this year flows on and our new look forward line makes a mockery of not giving us a better look.

[Maddog37]

Seriously questioning the $1300 I spend a year on my family reserve seats. Simply no value in it.

[bulldogtragic]

Seriously questioning the $1300 I spend a year on my family reserve seats. Simply no value in it.

This is a natural response, even by the cash giving die hards. What are the looser bulldogs members and supporters going to be thinking. I'd hazard a guess we, like other teams, have a large percent of members who are dollar sensitive, the term "value for money" will get mentioned A LOT over the preseason.

[G-Mo77]

Seriously questioning the $1300 I spend a year on my family reserve seats. Simply no value in it.

Wondering why I am as well. I mean I can make these ludicrous Sunday twilight games but my wife will rarely come. That's close to $500 I save a year if I discontinue her membership with a newborn son and very soon only one income I can't justify throwing money away like that.

I had 3 supporters at work queued up to sign on and would have organised it when I got back to work next week. I've got zero chance of selling them the idea of buying a membership now.

[1eyedog]

But it's hurting us financially.

Losing 100 gold members due to an unfortunate fixture is a loss of 50k - insignificant really when you look at the coin that comes to the club via the AFL, of which we are one of the biggest recipients. We have a good fixture in terms of winning games, if we can win games this it will offset the hit to our brand because we will be discussed more in media, our coaches will be asked onto footy shows with the Mission flag flying etc. etc. and maybe we play finals and become one of an exclusive 8 that gets an opportunity to further sell their product.

As for the Aints they've got a shite fixture in other ways. I'd rather ours to be honest regardless of the Friday night.

I know a heap of people watch Sunday football and rating are generally good so I would really question just how big the hit to our brand really is.

[MrMahatma]

Why is Sunday arvo such a bad slot? Honest question. I'm interstate but would happily rock up to the footy at that time on a Sunday. In fact, I'd find that easier to get to than the 2pm games.

[bulldogtragic]

Losing 100 gold members due to an unfortunate fixture is a loss of 50k - insignificant really when you look at the coin that comes to the club via the AFL, of which we are won of the biggest recipients. We have a good fixture in terms of winning games, if we can do this it will offset the hit to our brand from having no Friday or Saturday night games. As for the Aints they've got a shite fixture in other ways. I'd rather ours to be honest regardless of the Friday night.

I know a heap of people watch Sunday football and rating are generally good so I would really question just how big the hit to our brand really is.

To be fair, if it's not signing and keeping members then let's sack the membership department and then we have an instant $200,000pa saving. This is a vicious cycle. We members get marginalised to the point some just give their money to Foxtel and not the club. The club continues to suffer because we rely on the AFL money Foxtel give them. Foxtel pay more for TV rights, the AFL become more subservient to TV monies, so clubs like ours get marginalised further with fixturing and the cycle continues to the point the WBFC has no money and no power to demand anything because if we don't get foxtels money via the AFL we die.

How long does this continue until the AFL decide we are not a viable club? What does the WBFC have so unique they couldn't find a better use for the licence in another territory? I know we're unique, but on their level, I doubt they see it the same.

Call me cynical, I don't care. I see some writing on the wall and that's why I'd consider a partial move to Tasmania. Do that now, or death or merger later.

[LostDoggy]

So Peter Gordon...they took you overseas, exposed you to the biggest sporting clubs in the world, said all the right things, promised you a fair and equitable future for our club......and then shat in your face.

Harsh but true. Time for "diplomatic Peter" to have a break and "angry Peter" to be brought out of the box.

[1eyedog]

To be fair, if it's not signing and keeping members then let's sack the membership department and then we have an instant $200,000pa saving. This is a vicious cycle. We members get marginalised to the point some just give their money to Foxtel and not the club. The club continues to suffer because we rely on the AFL money Foxtel give them. Foxtel pay more for TV rights, the AFL become more subservient to TV monies, so clubs like ours get marginalised further with fixturing and the cycle continues to the point the WBFC has no money and no power to demand anything because if we don't get foxtels money via the AFL we die.

How long does this continue until the AFL decide we are not a viable club? What does the WBFC have so unique they couldn't find a better use for the licence in another territory? I know we're unique, but on their level, I doubt they see it the same.

Call me cynical, I don't care. I see some writing on the wall and that's why I'd consider a partial move to Tasmania. Do that now, or death or merger later.

Good post BT. I would argue that we have never recovered emotionally from 89, we haven't rallied the west or won a Premiership in that time, this club has always been on the edge financially as everyone on here knows and if we didn't get that support then we would have revisited 89 over and over again. I'm up for alternatives but let's look at something a little more local than Tassie, what the hell is the road block with home games at Geelong deal do you know?

It's not just the members either, I feel sorry for the players somewhat too, it must be deflating playing a home game in front of 15,000 people.

[bornadog]

So Peter Gordon...they took you overseas, exposed you to the biggest sporting clubs in the world, said all the right things, promised you a fair and equitable future for our club......and then shat in your face.

Harsh but true. Time for "diplomatic Peter" to have a break and "angry Peter" to be brought out of the box.

Pretty sure Peter said most of the ideas wouldn't be implemented till 2015.

[bulldogtragic]

Good post BT. I would argue that we have never recovered emotionally from 89, we haven't rallied the west or won a Premiership in that time, this club has always been on the edge financially as everyone on here knows and if we didn't get that support then we would have revisited 89 over and over again. I'm up for alternatives but let's look at something a little more local than Tassie, what the hell is the road block with home games at Geelong deal do you know?

It's not just the members either, I feel sorry for the players somewhat too, it must be deflating playing a home game in front of 15,000 people.

I'll return the compliment. Good post. Until we get even one block buster game (ie Good Friday, which North are claiming!) and a better draw we cannot attract the likes of a Dale Thomas who not only wants cash, but profile, massive crowds and celebrity. And you can't blame the players, they only have one career. Their ability to piggy back of a commercially well off club is so very limited with us. Just look at our polo shirts compared to say Collingwood. And to that end, if I'm the CEO of Mission Foods I need to ask myself if my millions are going to get a return on investment, or has the investment run it's course... If so, then we need more money of the AFL and will get walked over even more and continue the cycle...

I think I'm most disappointed with the general people who identify with us, but that's it - a demographic which will increase Next year at a guess. I generally buy memberships for some of my extended family, rotating it around hoping they will buy a membership the following year because their kids like it. But they don't! I can understand if you can't afford it, but the apathy of this group is crippling us. I remember a stat that we lose about 7,000 members each year, good or bad, it doesn't matter. I just don't know how many more years we keep topping up. Even when the bandwagoners come out when we look like getting deep into September, it's only about 4-5,000 memberships extra. We have so many things that we need to address structurally and culturally, and the fixture for next year just makes our problems harder. God forbid if your the membership manager next year and your job has a quota...

[anfo27]

Why is Sunday arvo such a bad slot? Honest question. I'm interstate but would happily rock up to the footy at that time on a Sunday. In fact, I'd find that easier to get to than the 2pm games.

Its a bad slot when thats all you're getting. Ratings prove that people watch footy the most on Friday & Saturday night. To be honest I don't currently have kids so any time the dogs play suits me but the issue is not about what is easiest for me.

What if you're a 10 year old kid who's parents don't follow footy but you like kicking the footy out with your mates at school & watching the footy on tv but don't support anyone. I'm tipping those kids will have no idea who the bulldogs are because they are never on tv. I know a lot of guys growing up picked the team they support by who was on tv all the time & i can tell you those guys aren't bulldogs supporters.

I want this great club to thrive not just survive & with fixtures like this I feel its making our job harder.

I wouldn't give a stuff how many Sunday games we get if we also got 1 Friday night home game & 1 Saturday night home game against a Victorian based club. There are 48 of these games a year, i don't think i'm asking for that much am I?

[always right]

Pretty sure Peter said most of the ideas wouldn't be implemented till 2015.

That's alright then. Please proceed to treat us like absolute shit in the meantime.

[bulldogtragic]

That's alright then. Please proceed to treat us like absolute shit in the meantime.

And that's "if" it isn't delayed for any reason! Or get us so far on our knees well take a worse offer just to survive or have calls to do something unpleasant with us or our licence.