What do we have to do to keep Good Friday Footy?

[Topdog]

Bit of a paradox really - we definitely didn’t play good enough footy in 2018 to deserve a marquee game next year, but without one we’re not going to build the brand to pull supporters nor the draw for stars to want to come and play for us.

My point is, We need to play better to earn it. But really... Essendon? Come on! Might as well make it the second Dons v Pies game for the year and officially throw all this equalisation PR fluff out the window.

Why do people keep talking about clubs having to "earn" it? It doesnt exist, Carlton had 7 Thu/Fri games in was it 2017?

[AshMac]

Why do people keep talking about clubs having to "earn" it? It doesnt exist, Carlton had 7 Thu/Fri games in was it 2017?

Of course we have to earn it - we are a lower tier club. Emotion aside, there is no commercial sense in putting the dogs up for marquee games - aside from the argument of equalisation which is BS in every way but $$ handouts.

I haven’t seen it but I imagine Gil’s bonus structure is 70% revenue, 20% crowd size and 10% engagement fans/quality of game.

Carlton have 50k+ active members after 10 years of hugging the bottom half of the ladder - I imagine the AFL are desperate for them to succeed as they’ll have 20-40k dormant fans just dying to get behind winning and pretend they’ve been on the journey. They’re still a top tier club despite being an absolute basket case.

Yes - it s**ts me that is the case, tired of hearing all the equalisation BS from the AFL but then be subjected to fixturing, compensation for FA and how they promote the sport but it’s how it is. Bottom line - if we want to be recognised and rewarded with a bigger membership base and marquee time slots then we need to win more games and play better footy over a sustained period.

[GVGjr]

It's a very much uneven competition when the smaller clubs don't get a chance to grow their membership and sponsorship by having a fair smattering of high profiled and prime time games.

The AFL were in a unique position where they could have easily given North and us a chance to grow the game on Good Fridays over say a 3 or 4 year time frame instead they really just didn't give it a chance.

[bulldogtragic]

It's a very much uneven competition when the smaller clubs don't get a chance to grow their membership and sponsorship by having a fair smattering of high profiled and prime time games.

The AFL were in a unique position where they could have easily given North and us a chance to grow the game on Good Fridays over say a 3 or 4 year time frame instead they really just didn't give it a chance.

I hate what I'm about to say, but the AFEL did give us a chance in 2017. We were all over Friday nights, good Friday, Saturday nights and a good split between FTA and Foxtel. Mercedes saw that exposure and jumped on/committed. We *!*!*!*!ed ourselves here, no one else to blame. I said at the time the 22 players on GF day didn't just win a flag, they set us up financially in the long term and that's a great legacy. But many of those 22 and others who gave life to our financial state, then went and shot their great legacy in the back of the head. The standard we played at in prime time justified the AFEL taking them away. Sure the AFEL were waiting for a reason to take them away, but the pathetic standard we played at for many prime time games in 2017 was embarrassing. Frankly the way we played in many good TV slot games this year was atrocious too. The good Friday snub is utter bullshit, but we were given a rolled gold chance to elevate the club into the next category up.

Your point that it's generally an uneven playing field is not disputed, but in our individual case if Biggs did more 'wall of Biggs' and not Instragraming, if Dahl was 'motovated', if Libba wasn't on a bender still, if Stringer wasn't a footy club cancer, if we used ruckman for the season and so on and so on, maybe we at least sneak into finals in 2017, maybe win an extra prime time game or two, maybe we keep more of the prime time games we lost. Sometimes we all have to put our hands up and own our own behaviour, to take responsibility for the outcome of our actions. This is one such case. We made our bed, then shit in it, now we have to lie in it until the players and coaches collectively cam demonstrate we have a new sustainable brand of footy that the general public will want to watch (thus the AFEL and Ch 7 make more money). The sooner this happens the better, or wait for Mercedes to walk out the door at the end of the contract. Or keep hearing the Shiels & Wingard's talk about big games drawing them to other clubs. It's not a level playing field I agree, but we blew the chance to move the club to the other (good) side of the playing field. The saboteurs have been moved on, now let's see if the coach changes things up with a bunch of kids and turn our trajectory around.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Hard to argue with any of that BT which is why I was so vocal in 2017.

Many took the line of "doesn't matter, we won a flag" but I wanted us to capitalise in every sense of the word. There was a huge opportunity to continue to grow the club off the back of a fairytale ending but we absolutely blew it like few have before us.

I remember having a few debates with posters on this forum about our 2017 season while it was happening. I'd say 8/10 were satsified with the premiership and either thought we'd click into gear or were too busy watching replays, even early in the year when we were struggling to beat woeful sides like Brisbane. Sad thing is, our supporters/members weren't alone - the whole club was asleep at the wheel daydreaming about the past.

Subsequently, two years on and we are complaining about having no prime time exposure. Is it wrong? Yes, it's utter BS that a cheating scumbag club like Essendon are continually rewarded but by the same token we had our own destiny in our hands and we threw it up against the wall.

[SquirrelGrip]

This year’s Good Friday game is all about the following week’s ANZAC Day game. Brisbane’s only got its Easter Thursday game so they could give Collingwood a break before ANZAC Day. Same with Essendon and this year’s Good Friday. What they should have done is send the Bombers over to Perth for the later Good Friday game to give them the break and then had us or Saints play North. That would have also produced better TV ratings in Melbourne overall.

What I’d love to see for Good Friday is a rotating three-way between us, North and Saints. The winner gets to host the game next year, the loser gives way to the other team. It would generate a great 3-way rivalry and provide a unique element to a marquee game. The Royal Children’s Hospital Shield.

[bornadog]

I hate what I'm about to say, but the AFEL did give us a chance in 2017. We were all over Friday nights, good Friday, Saturday nights and a good split between FTA and Foxtel.

It was great to play 9 Thursday/Friday matches, but only two were home games.

[bulldogtragic]

It was great to play 9 Thursday/Friday matches, but only two were home games.

At least we had the exposure that came from them. Home games at Etihad were still under the old shit deal from a revenue perspective. That exposure closed Mercedes I dare say. If we waited until the end of 2017 to get Mercedes, do you think we even get their ink? We had a golden chance in 2017 to grow all aspects of the club. The players didn't take it, so now it's back to the same old thing again. Hopefully, if we get the chance to be premiers again, there's a cautionary tale here.

[bornadog]

At least we had the exposure that came from them. Home games at Etihad were still under the old shit deal from a revenue perspective. That exposure closed Mercedes I dare say. If we waited until the end of 2017 to get Mercedes, do you think we even get their ink? We had a golden chance in 2017 to grow all aspects of the club. The players didn't take it, so now it's back to the same old thing again. Hopefully, if we get the chance to be premiers again, there's a cautionary tale here.

After the premiership in 2016, I said to my wife, my biggest concern is going backwards and not making finals

I want a dynasty, I want more premierships and I want to see us finish on top of the ladder after the H&A - something we have never achieved. I have never said at least we won a premiership, I am hungry like the wolf.

As per every year, I am optimistic about next year.

[AshMac]

At least we had the exposure that came from them. Home games at Etihad were still under the old shit deal from a revenue perspective. That exposure closed Mercedes I dare say. If we waited until the end of 2017 to get Mercedes, do you think we even get their ink? We had a golden chance in 2017 to grow all aspects of the club. The players didn't take it, so now it's back to the same old thing again. Hopefully, if we get the chance to be premiers again, there's a cautionary tale here.

I agree.

Also doubt you are saying this, but it’s more than just the players. The coaching staff have to take a huge look at themselves. I can understand a bunch of 23 year old lads flying off the rails, they needed to be reigned in and they weren’t. I’m the most disappointed hat we didn’t go hard for some solid experience in our coaching staff this year. Would have loved Ratten, but surely he is eyeing the senior job at saints when richo surely gets the ass after next season.

[hujsh]

It was great to play 9 Thursday/Friday matches, but only two were home games.

Who cares? As BT said you play those games for the exposure and home or away you're one of two teams in the prime time slot.

[GVGjr]

The Western Bulldogs want another crack at Good Friday game

The AFL have not closed the door on the Western Bulldogs playing on Good Friday once again despite overlooking them in the slot in consecutive seasons.

The Bulldogs will catch up with the AFL soon to ensure they are considered for the slot in the future after Essendon was drawn to play North Melbourne on Good Friday this season at Marvel Stadium.

Good Friday football drew just 33,966 people in 2018 when St Kilda played the Kangaroos after attracting 42,814 the previous season when the Western Bulldogs played North Melbourne in the first game ever played on Good Friday.

A sell-out is expected next season when the Bombers play North Melbourne in round five and the AFL is keen to eventually lock in the fixture so the same opponents play each other on Good Friday for three to five years.

Head of AFL Fixturing Travis Auld said the Western Bulldogs remained a chance to play on that day again.

"We haven't locked in the opponents. North have had the [Good Friday] game for three years and they have been pushing for that opportunity for a long time," Auld said.

"The Bulldogs were the opponent in year one and did a really, really good job. I know they are interested in it [and we're] happy to have a conversation about the role they might play going forward.

"We need to make a decision about whether at some stage we lock in the two teams for a period of time ... that is a conversation we will have after this has all settled down."

It's understood the Bulldogs were frustrated that the investment they put in to make Good Friday a success had not been rewarded with another game scheduled in that slot and some clubs are concerned that all the marquee slots go to the same clubs rather than being shared across the competition.

Western Bulldogs CEO Ameet Bains told the club website that they were happy overall with the fixture but they would continue to push to play on Good Friday.

"Our major disappointment is again missing out on being involved in a Good Friday game after the great success of the inaugural event in 2017, when we successfully partnered with North Melbourne," Bains said.

"We firmly believe opportunities for marquee games need to be more evenly shared across the competition.

"Regardless, we will continue to support this concept, and the Good Friday appeal, in the strong hope that we can again be part of this fixture in 2020."

This year there will be two games played on Good Friday after West Coast requested the chance to play a home game on the public holiday and they have been drawn to play Port Adelaide at Optus Stadium that night after North Melbourne plays Essendon.

[bornadog]

AFL can get stuffed as far as I am concerned.