My prediction: Friday September 9 - Geel v Haw (MCG) 7:40 pm (Ch 7) Saturday September 10 - StK v Syd (Etihad/ANZ/SCG) 2:40 pm (Ch 10) Saturday September 10 - Coll v WCE (MCG) 7:20 pm (Ch 10) Sunday September 11 - Carl v Ess (MCG) 2:10 pm (Ch 7) This will allow WCE to have a week before travelling over to play Collingwood in the final. It will enable the Collingwood final rather than the Saints/Swans final to be played prime-time, and a very decent lead-in to the news in WA. It means WCE are not playing in the morning WA time which would be diabolical for ratings. It will ensure no matter what, that the losers of the qualifying finals will have 7 days break at least before playing in their semi final. It also means that the losers of the QF will have an extra day to prepare than their opponents, which is fair enough.
In the past the top 4 play on Friday & Saturday night, and given the Saints/Swans has to be played on Saturday (MCG cant have 2 games on same day) the only lock is the Ess/Carl one. Would have loved it if Saints/Swans & Ess/Carl was the same day as all my mates are Bombers and it would of been one hell of a day watching the footy!!
The structure I propose was used to great effect last season. Ain't broke, no need to fix it. If you swap the QF you get the right concern that the Friday QF team gets a big advantage over the Sunday EF team. You also have WCE screaming about 6 days and travel to play in a QF. Would be really surprised if that happened honestly. I reckon the structure proposed maximises crowd attendance as well. Friday and Sunday would be interesting to see which sells more tickets. Both 80-85 I'd suggest. Saturday will probably get 40k at Etihad, 30k at ANZ/SCG. MCG final maybe 55k. Not sure because ticket prices are ridiculous and Pies didn't get a massive crowd to the Doggies final last year.
Nobody ever knows anything for certain with the AFL but the above ticks most of the boxes. I'll be super keen for my team to kick things off aginst such a strong rival in the Cats ! I seem to remember in the past the AFL has tried to schedule Sydney finals at night in prefernce to a Saturday day game. So perhaps they may tweak the above by "switching" the Saturday games with perhaps a late afternoon/ twilight start for the Collingwood vs WCE game so folk in the West aren't too p####d off by a god awful early start. If they do this would WCE be able to travel back to Perth on the Saturday night? If so this increases the possibility as Andy D could argue this rewards West Coast for finishing in the top 4. I guess we will all find out for sure late on Saturday night or early Sunday once the final 8 is 100% locked in.
All been confirmed. As was mentioned before Coll/WC game on afternoon to allow them to fly back & have 7 day break Hawthorn vs Geelong on Friday Night at MCG Collingwood vs West Coast on Saturday Arvo at MCG StKilda vs Sydney on Saturday Night at Etihad/ANZ/SCG Essendon vs Carlton on Sunday at MCG
Yeah fair enough I am OK with that. Had another commitment on the Saturday which I'm just going to go "whooska" to most likely.
Just a quick one, if Hawthorn snare 2nd place (Win by 15 goals against the Suns, and Geelong lose by 20 points or so), then the Friday night final cannot be played as Geelong V Hawthorn. It would be unfair for the team finishing 2nd to have a 6 day break against the team finishing third, who will have a 7 day break. What are everybody's thought on this?
@bigbadbunks i reckon that while it might be "unfair" it's ceratinly no big deal - if we are good enough we are good enough !! @stkildathunda - do you have a link? go Hawks!
@ Tassie Robbo tweeted that they were confirmed and SEN have announced it aswell... Robbo actually sent me a private message to confirm the Saints game after i asked him. No link that i know of yet on news sites (but have only just got home and havent looked) @bigbad Think they only guarantee top spot a 7 day break dont they? Its hard this year cos the Saints/Swans game has to be played on Saturday so it limits their flexibility.
If it goes that way BigBad every potential option screws one team at the expense of another, with the only one that doesn't hurt the higher finishing team being 1v4 on the Friday night. Sure, the AFL could put Coll v WCE on the Friday night, but I can hear the screaming now about 6 days, interstate trip, regardless of finishing position. Hawks v GC could easily have been played on Friday night when the draw for final round was worked out, but that would be too intelligent. (And probably presumptuous given Geelong were more than likely undefeated and on top at that stage, and Pies-Hawks would have been an overwhelming favourite for the first week of finals)
@lucas I know what you are saying, but an interstate trip for the 2nd placed team and a six day break, yet the 4th placed team an interstate trip and a 7 day break...hmm Regardless, I don't really care - As The TassieHawk stated, we could play it on the moon on Tuesday and we'll still knock off the Cats
Fez that was my thought initially, mainly because of WA viewers. If C10 has any say in proceedings it will be Sat night at MCG. Would anyone outside of Saints and Swans fans watch their game? zzz I can see the point BigBad with the Whorks having to travel this weekend (should have been Friday night but we all know how Channel 7 wants it all exclusive and treats it with honour and respect...) The interstate trip is probably why there is the rumour going round that half the Whorks will take this week off. I guess that means we can count out Hawthorn making that late charge into 2nd place. Personally I think the Cats are even money anyway this weekend, and due to the unsettled nature of the Pies' best lineup, any of the top 3 could easily win this year.