Hall set to face former teammates twice in 2010

[Scraggers]

Hall set to face former teammates twice in 2010



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BARRY Hall can start preparing for a return to his former home ground with news the Western Bulldogs will meet the Sydney Swans twice in 2010.

The AFL will officially release next year’s draw on October 30, with clubs having been sent a draft earlier this week.

However the League looks certain to cash in on the expected interest a Hall-Swans showdown will create, with the two clubs scheduled to meet twice next season.

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[LostDoggy]

Er -- so the concept of randomness (and the associated fairness) doesn't seem to fit into this manipulated concept of fixturing they're still ridiculously calling a 'draw'? What do they actually 'draw'?

So many compromises are made that is seems ludicrous to even call it that anymore. It seems just a couple of lawyers sitting around deciding who they want to play when. Might as well ask them to hand in a script as well so we know how they want the season to pan out.

Bloody hell.

[bulldogtragic]

Just proves they can manipulate whatever they like, for whatever purposes they like. Just like wording up McInerney to slaughter us

[Sedat]

The next couple of years will be a good time to be playing the Swans twice a season.

[azabob]

Just proves they can manipulate whatever they like, for whatever purposes they like. Just like wording up McInerney to slaughter us

Don't mention the war!! It had finally quietend down!

[ledge]

But we are over the moon if they give us the first game at home for Johnno, works both ways.

[Dry Rot]

The next couple of years will be a good time to be playing the Swans twice a season.

Agreed, especially for me!

[KT31]

The next couple of years will be a good time to be playing the Swans twice a season.

Can we arrange it so both will be in Canberra ?
Only game I made it to this season.

[Ozza]

We seem to play the Swans twice most years anyway (not 2009 but generally we do now that we send a home game to Canberra). I can't remember the last time they beat us (possibly 2007 I'd say). We have beaten them 4 times in a row.

Play them 4 times I say!

[LostDoggy]

Er -- so the concept of randomness (and the associated fairness) doesn't seem to fit into this manipulated concept of fixturing they're still ridiculously calling a 'draw'? What do they actually 'draw'?

So many compromises are made that is seems ludicrous to even call it that anymore. It seems just a couple of lawyers sitting around deciding who they want to play when. Might as well ask them to hand in a script as well so we know how they want the season to pan out.

Bloody hell.

See article below. It's not often I agree with Robbo or Grant Thomas, but they are absolutely spot on with this one, which is what I've been saying. The AFL is an absolute, utter joke and are incompetent morons not fit to run our wonderful game. We love it DESPITE you, not because of you, morons.

Grant Thomas says integrity forgotten in AFL draw
Mark Robinson From: Herald Sun October 08, 2009 12:00AM

FORMER St Kilda coach Grant Thomas has again lashed the AFL, this time over the league's want for marquee matches above a draw of equality and integrity.

Thomas labelled AFL broadcasting manager Simon Lethlean a "puppeteer" who orchestrates match-ups for the good of the AFL, and not the clubs.

Thomas described as a disgrace Lethlean's comments that a massive trade, such as Barry Hall from Sydney to the Western Bulldogs or Brendan Fevola from Carlton to Brisbane Lions, could, and did, change the draw because of interest in the game.

"I always thought the draw was about equality and integrity," Thomas told the Herald Sun yesterday.

Lethlean's comments bemused Thomas.

"The AFL would schedule two Western Bulldog-Sydney matches to capitalise on interest in Barry Hall playing against his former club," Lethlean wrote on the league website.

"If trades are big enough that they create a need or interest for a certain match-up to occur, we certainly accommodate that after it's happened."

Thomas, who also commented on ninemsn.com.au, said the AFL draw was not an "invitational event" or about "match-ups".

"The AFL have denied their most valuable asset - their supporters - the one thing that any competition relies on and that is integrity," he said.

"Watching Fevola and Hall playing against Carlton and Sydney respectively - twice - pales into insignificance against the need for a draw that is as fair, equitable and with as much integrity as possible."

It's been revealed three of the top four sides this year - Geelong, St Kilda and the Western Bulldogs - will play each other only once next year.

It means teams such as Essendon, Hawthorn, Brisbane, Carlton and Collingwood will have to play most of the top-eight sides twice, including the top three of this year.

"Remember that for every action comes a reaction," Thomas said.

"That is does that mean the Collingwoods, the Hawthorns, Brisbanes, the Adelaides and the Carltons etc., who will all be desperately attempting to take the next step towards a Grand Final berth, will be stopped in their tracks by a fixture that sees them playing last year's top three, twice, and also each other twice? It's rubbish."

[Hotdog60]

It all boils down to dollars, if they were fair dink um about the draw it would handled like the lotto and each club gets thrown in the barrel and randomly drawn.

[Sockeye Salmon]

I started complaining about this when they started guaranteeing Collingwood, Carlton and Essendon return games against each other every year.