AFL Game Day R5 2023 - Gather Round

[bornadog]

I don't know what I'm saying most of the time.

If they just play the showdown in gather round you're not maximising profit would be their thinking.

We get stiffed with the draw I'd love to know what we request v what we get.

For years I have argued with people about Blockbusters and think it is just ridiculous to sacrifice the integrity of a sport just for money and no other reason. We may as well let Collingwood, Carlton, Essendon and Richmond play each other every week at the G and the rest can just play each other. We would really maximise profits.

I agree, the fair thing to do is have the derby at Gather round and SA can keep gather round every year. But as you know the AFL has no integrity as a sporting organisation.

[macca]

For years I have argued with people about Blockbusters and think it is just ridiculous to sacrifice the integrity of a sport just for money and no other reason. We may as well let Collingwood, Carlton, Essendon and Richmond play each other every week at the G and the rest can just play each other. We would really maximise profits.

I agree, the fair thing to do is have the derby at Gather round and SA can keep gather round every year. But as you know the AFL has no integrity as a sporting organisation.

I don't really understand this concept of having all the AFL teams play in SA. Isn't SA a football state already ?
If they want to promote footy, run it inn one of the non-AFL states like QLD, Tas and Sydney.

Logistically this may be a challenge as the grounds need to be AFL standard.

As for blockbuster pretty much agree, its all about the $$$ for big club members and ticket gate sales and the cable TV subscription.

Maybe I should not complain, at least there is Free to Air coverage unlike test cricket.

[Bulldog4life]

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/...jobid=29607559


Four Points: Gushing about Gather Round; the heart of the Bombers; in the Danger zone


Gather Round for home wins
Peter Malinauskas is a canny politician. He bought his state a round of football, untold investment, tourist dollars and the two local teams two more home games. And with home games came two wins. As far as dividend on political investment this is as good as it gets.

Integrity is a word unknown in the AFL when it comes to fixturing but in a competition where only half has a true home ground advantage and teams don’t play all others twice, where the Victorian teams travel half the amount of the non-Victorian teams, this is yet another added inconsistency.

This isn’t to diminish either the Crows or Power’s performances for they were superb and both thoroughly deserved their wins. Adelaide were stronger, ran the ball better, and looked like they would win from the first bounce. Port grew into the game in grim conditions, were far cleaner in the critical last quarter and were just as deserving.

This isn’t about that. This is about a competition where two, and only two, of the competition’s teams get an extra home game and the well-accepted advantages that flow from that. Put it this way, Port finished 11th last year, only won 10 games but seven of them were at home. The Crows finished 14th, won eight games and five of those were at Adelaide Oval.

In a 23-round competition, two teams get 12 home games. Fourteen teams get 11 home games and one neutral game. And two teams – Carlton and the Western Bulldogs this year – get 11 home games and 12 away games.

Put like that it’s hard to find a fairness argument in it. And yes, fairness, like integrity, is only ever whispered at the AFL and anyone heard to do so is quickly escorted from the building.

The gushing about Gather Round that came across the border – which for those not there was like pictures of food at a restaurant on a Facebook page, “Look where I am, you really you should be here” – means that of course this round was by all other measures an outrageous success. It will happen again, it should happen again. It was great; it brought eyeballs and cash to the game.

But it didn’t help that pesky integrity question. And for that Carlton and the Dogs can feel most aggrieved. They were the two teams that played an additional away game.

And before those in South Australia start frothing and flexing their fingers to thunder out a stern email about the hypocrisy of Victorians and travel and the VFL running the competition, don’t. This same unfairness issue affects the WA, NSW and QLD teams when two teams from one state only get an extra home game.

The clearest thinker in the game, Leigh Matthews, a Brisbane three-time premiership coach and board member made the same point.

It’s not insurmountable. The most obvious answer is that next year the round kicks off with a Showdown, Adelaide v Port.

[hujsh]

Another potential solution here is to add another 'gather round' (say in WA for the sake of argument) so the WA teams would play the SA teams in both rounds giving them each a home and away game while the other teams get 2 neutral rounds.

[angelopetraglia]

Another potential solution here is to add another 'gather round' (say in WA for the sake of argument) so the WA teams would play the SA teams in both rounds giving them each a home and away game while the other teams get 2 neutral rounds.

mmm because the AFL has a history of prioritizing fairness in their fixture before maximizing revenue ... ha

[Boots]

All I know is, when I tuned in to watch the game all the commentators were crowing (har har) about Adelaide's win the night before and talking up Port. It didn't feel like a game we were meant to win.

What do you want to bet that if the showdown isn't in Gather Round next year, we play port again. Because "tradition" or "rivalry" or some such utter tripe.

[hujsh]

mmm because the AFL has a history of prioritizing fairness in their fixture before maximizing revenue ... ha

Of course... BUT this would probably be a good revenue booster which makes it something in the realm of possibility. Main issue is it's two extra games a year, not sure what the AFLPA response to that is.

[GVGjr]

What did people think of the booing of Horne-Francis?
I don't like booing unless there is a dirty act you want to respond to but ongoing booking to me just isn't on.

[chef]

What did people think of the booing of Horne-Francis?
I don't like booing unless there is a dirty act you want to respond to but ongoing booking to me just isn't on.

It was pretty shit imo, hes just a kid at the end of the day wanting to go home. Must eat at him a bit.

And most people probably don't even know why they are doing it too.

[GVGjr]

It was pretty shit imo, hes just a kid at the end of the day wanting to go home. Must eat at him a bit.

And most people probably don't even know why they are doing it too.

There is no logical reason for our fans to do it but I could sort of understand if it was North supporters.

He's still very likely to be a great player but I'm not sure we can keep saying it's part of the game when we know the toll it took on Goodes.

[Go_Dogs]

There is no logical reason for our fans to do it but I could sort of understand if it was North supporters.

He's still very likely to be a great player but I'm not sure we can keep saying it's part of the game when we know the toll it took on Goodes.

Yeah, I kinda get it from North fans (don’t agree with it) but if it’s just general footy fans then it’s a bit off the mark.

Unfortunately the coach coming out and making a statement just draws more interest to it and I suspect we’ll see more of it rather than less as a result. What a world we live in…

[GVGjr]

Yeah, I kinda get it from North fans (don’t agree with it) but if it’s just general footy fans then it’s a bit off the mark.

Unfortunately the coach coming out and making a statement just draws more interest to it and I suspect we’ll see more of it rather than less as a result. What a world we live in…

It's frustrating that making people aware of poor behaviour is more likely to create a bigger problem but doing nothing and ignoring it won't fix it either.

[angelopetraglia]

What did people think of the booing of Horne-Francis?
I don't like booing unless there is a dirty act you want to respond to but ongoing booking to me just isn't on.

I don't think there is a logical answer. However, I do think Kane Cornes baiting North fans all summer and not letting the issue of him leaving go and the ongoing continued reference to the ice bath incident has contributed to it.

[GVGjr]

I don't think there is a logical answer. However, I do think Kane Cornes baiting North fans all summer and not letting the issue of him leaving go and the ongoing continued reference to the ice bath incident has contributed to it.

As I mentioned before, there could be plenty of reasons for North supporters to do it but I question the impact on some of the things Cornes has said as fuel for people supporting other clubs to do it.
The appears to be a culture that gets right into the hate part of attending games. I get people booing a dirty act by a player but I don't understand why JHF should be on the receiving end of boos from non North supporters.

[Dry Rot]

As I mentioned before, there could be plenty of reasons for North supporters to do it but I question the impact on some of the things Cornes has said as fuel for people supporting other clubs to do it.
The appears to be a culture that gets right into the hate part of attending games. I get people booing a dirty act by a player but I don't understand why JHF should be on the receiving end of boos from non North supporters.

Agreed.

Why would say a Dogs fan boo him? It's nonsense.