Finals Venues

[Panthera Tigris]

yeah good call. Ive watched EZJ play on that oval, and felt that cold damp rise out of the swamp like a zombie, right when the sun dips behind the stand.

and yeah, its a first class surface.

great call. I really hope they do it.

I wonder if Dees actually have the choice of venue?

I reckon it more likely Gil says 'you can choose between Adelaide Oval or The Gabba'

You won’t be surprised to learn, a lot of that surrounding area of York Park (UTAS stadium) was originally a swamp. Used to flood regularly as part of the natural cycle. Over the years it was reclaimed. In fact, when my grandfather was a kid growing up in Launceston in the 1930s. They still referred to a lot of that area colloquially as, “the Invermay swamp”, or simply, “the swamp.”

I agree with you though. I reckon if Melbourne are given the choice, it’s between Adelaide or Brisbane. And to make Brisbane travel, it’s a no brainer. So we get a match played in front of a soulless neutral crowd.

 

[eZyT]

You won’t be surprised to learn, a lot of that surrounding area of York Park (UTAS stadium) was originally a swamp. Used to flood regularly as part of the natural cycle. Over the years it was reclaimed. In fact, when my grandfather was a kid growing up in Launceston in the 1930s. They still referred to a lot of that area colloquially as, “the Inveraray swamp”, or simply, “the swamp.”

I agree with you though. I reckon if Melbourne are given the choice, it’s between Adelaide or Brisbane. And to make Brisbane travel, it’s a no brainer. So we get a match played in front of a soulless neutral crowd.

yeah a tiger local I met up with told me of the swampy history.

I stood on it in early August, and it was a very unique kind of cold.

the closest Id ever felt to the bone refrigerating, kidney numbing, creeping up from below, cold

was on The Yorkshire Mores, nearly Emily Bronte's joint.

then I saw how all the locals had a draw string pulled tight on the bottom of their jackets, and thick rubber-soled boots.

I think its @JimJessTorp who sits out on his front veranda, drinking Boags out of a tall glass, over-looking the Inveraray Swamp?

 

[eZyT]

Interesting. The talk is that the AFL has suggested it is very likely to send a first week final to Tasmania.

But it will be more than likely Sydney vs GWS.

Meanwhile, continuing to serve the *smile* boring fixtures to Tasmania.

*smile* you AFL you bunch

nailed it PT

horrible, cynical, predictability.

they couldnt schedule a less relevant finals game for Tassie, foundation AFL state,

if they tried.

They'lle give you gold coast V GWS when the opportunity arises.

*smile* me.

AFL are *smile*

 

[AngryAnt]

So Tassie has the GWS/Swans game AND the Dogs/Essendon game.

Still not good enough for you?

 

[amc11]

nailed it PT

horrible, cynical, predictability.

they couldnt schedule a less relevant finals game for Tassie, foundation AFL state,

if they tried.

They'lle give you gold coast V GWS when the opportunity arises.

*smile* me.

AFL are *smile*

Buddy is getting closer to the 1000 goal mark and who knows on a fine Saturday in Launceston it could be a possibility so that may bring out a larger crowd.

The Sunday game should get a good crowd as there seems to be a lot of Essendon supporters in Tassie if the Hawthorn/Essendon game was anything to go by earlier in the season.

Interesting that both games are being held at York Park.

 

[year of the tiger]

So Tassie has the GWS/Swans game AND the Dogs/Essendon game.

Still not good enough for you?

Thats great for Tassie - I am just now really pissed the tigers fell in a heap - would have loved to watch the tigers play in the State.

 

[Al Bundy]

McGowan has said players need to be vaccinated. A large number aren’t and clubs would be reluctant now because of potential side effects during finals.

They should tell him to get stuffed imo. He has no right.

What next then anyone visiting WA need a vaccination like he is a seperate country the fwit.
Needs to pull his head in.
Meanwhile WA is struggling to find qualified people for many jobs as he is blocking people coming into the state. Services are begining to struggle. Imbecile

 

[eZyT]

They should tell him to get stuffed imo. He has no right.

What next then anyone visiting WA need a vaccination like he is a seperate country the fwit.
Needs to pull his head in.
Meanwhile WA is struggling to find qualified people for many jobs as he is blocking people coming into the state. Services are beggining to struggle. Imbecile

agree.

tell him to get *smile* and have the GF in Tassie

 

[eZyT]

So Tassie has the GWS/Swans game AND the Dogs/Essendon game.

Still not good enough for you?

I didnt see they had dogs V bombers.

bit half cocked by me.

 

[Panthera Tigris]

So Tassie has the GWS/Swans game AND the Dogs/Essendon game.

Still not good enough for you?

I think that’s a good outcome. And sensible given the unique circumstances.

The original post was written when the media talk was that we were only getting the Sydney vs GWS game and Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth could have been sharing the rest.

The Dogs vs Essendon will be a big draw card. Just like the Hawthorn vs Essendon fixture was earlier in the season. Essendon have a really solid supporter base down here (not so much the Dogs). It will be like a home final for Essendon in terms of crowd make up I would expect. Which is a bonus for them, being the lower ranked of the two and it technically being a Dogs home final.

 

[craig]

100% agree @Panthera Tigris.

I was just wondering 1. what options Melbourne have to play Brisbane and 2. where they'll pick.

If I was Goodwin, Id go to the coldest, wettest, most poorly drained oval in Tasmania, the closest place to them, and the furthest for Brisbane.

what are Melbournes options?

ive read both prelims and GF will be in Perth, so it becomes pretty strategic where and when you go.

especially given if you win a Q final, you get a week off, win a prelim, and have another week off before the GF apparently?

gonna be a really tricky premiership to win.

Gonna be a lot easier now the RFC aint involved with a double chance a fit side and a Tiger King !!

 

[Panthera Tigris]

Buddy is getting closer to the 1000 goal mark and who knows on a fine Saturday in Launceston it could be a possibility so that may bring out a larger crowd.

The Sunday game should get a good crowd as there seems to be a lot of Essendon supporters in Tassie if the Hawthorn/Essendon game was anything to go by earlier in the season.

Interesting that both games are being held at York Park.

Leaving the pure location element of the discussion aside for a moment (the old Hobart vs Launceston civil war chestnut).

The problem we have in Hobart is that the actual venue is not particularly good for football. Bellerive just has no atmosphere and the ground itself just doesn’t play as well as York Park. Plus the AFL prefers venues without a permanent cricket wicket (as Bellerive has).

A lot of this stems back to the 1980s when poor choices were made as to what ground was going to be developed to replace North Hobart as southern Tasmania’s main sporting arena. There was no leadership or methodical decision making.

In the ‘80s the powers that be dabbled with KGV Oval in Glenorchy. Dabbled with Bellerive. Then there was a proposal to build a new stadium at the Hobart Showgrounds (only a block or so away from Glenorchy’s KGV oval) in the early to mid 1990s as part of the Tasmanian bid to join the AFL. When that fell over with Port Adelaide being given the nod instead of Tasmania, the new stadium proposal obviously also fell over and was abandoned. And then we kind of just stumbled into the situation of Bellerive as the main sports venue winning out over time. As a result it’s no surprise you get a kind of half hearted mishmash that we see at Bellerive now. With a fortune spent to get that fairly ordinary result.

 

[Al Bundy]

Not sure if allowed to post (so please delete mods if it has to)

SA & TAS !

IT'S FINALS TIME: Match-ups, venues revealed for week one

The AFL has released the full details for the opening week of the 2021 Toyota AFL Finals Series

www.afl.com.au

 

[AngryAnt]

I think that’s a good outcome. And sensible given the unique circumstances.

The original post was written when the media talk was that we were only getting the Sydney vs GWS game and Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth could have been sharing the rest.

The Dogs vs Essendon will be a big draw card. Just like the Hawthorn vs Essendon fixture was earlier in the season. Essendon have a really solid supporter base down here (not so much the Dogs). It will be like a home final for Essendon in terms of crowd make up I would expect. Which is a bonus for them, being the lower ranked of the two and it technically being a Dogs home final.

That's fair, so you are gonna walk back the *smile* you AFL comments? Or keep it in place because of, well, it's the AFL?

Anyway hope you get a chance to get along there PT.

 

[AngryAnt]

They should tell him to get stuffed imo. He has no right.

What next then anyone visiting WA need a vaccination like he is a seperate country the fwit.
Needs to pull his head in.
Meanwhile WA is struggling to find qualified people for many jobs as he is blocking people coming into the state. Services are begining to struggle. Imbecile

An imbecile who has kept his state almost Covid-free, almost no lockdowns, and got re-elected by a massive majority.

Yeah, he's a real imbecile

 

[Panthera Tigris]

That's fair, so you are gonna walk back the *smile* you AFL comments? Or keep it in place because of, well, it's the AFL?

Anyway hope you get a chance to get along there PT.

Hehe. What would you do Angry? Just keep it in place because it’s the AFL?

Clearly I was a bit premature. And the AFL have pleasantly surprised me.

My wife is a Swannies fan from our time living in Sydney, so she is definitely going along to the Saturday match (Sydney vs GWS).

Unfortunately being a Saturday, one of us has to stay home in Hobart and manage the kid’s activities (sports, dancing etc) so looks like that will be me. If the game was in Hobart I would have been able to do both (manage the kids and get to the game with the wife). But being a two hour drive it unfortunately doesn’t work. Not to worry. I have had a pretty good run myself over the past few seasons heading over to Melbourne watching our beloved Tiges playing finals and leaving the wife at home to manage the kids. So it all evens out.

And I’m not one to get too upset and passionate over the whole Hobart vs Launceston civil war. Plenty of local commentary sooking that Launceston got both games, not fair…sook, sook, sook….Hobart should have got one, Launceston the other etc. Sure for selfish reasons, it would work better for the wife and I if the game was in Hobart. But like I stated in earlier posts. If one is being pragmatic about it. Launceston has the better venue.

I actually grew up in both cities/towns, hence why I don’t get too tied up in the whole north vs south rivalry. You blokes shake your heads at the divisive, parochial shortcomings in our Federation that have been exposed over the pandemic. But I despair at the whole north vs south rubbish that goes on within just our tiny island. When there were cases detected in northern Tasmania early in the pandemic. There were people in the south ready to roll out the razor wire at the 42nd parallel and make official the Cascade-Boags demarcation line and demilitarised zone, that they’ve always been itching for, to keep those filthy, diseased northerners out.

 

[Al Bundy]

An imbecile who has kept his state almost Covid-free, almost no lockdowns, and got re-elected by a massive majority.

Yeah, he's a real imbecile

forcing vax on people if they want to come into the state. yeah. Pathetic
Its not mandatory to have a vax.

edit.. and add what further, he will use the police with teams of doctors going door to door, checking if every1 is jabbed with a vax or not. Those not, jabbing them, those that refuse, grab them out of their homes and slap them in jail until they take the jab. FFS !

 

[DavidSSS]

Vax not forced on people, just can't go to WA if you don't have it. Your choice.

I suspect most AFL clubs are looking at players getting their vaccinations once the season is over because the possible side effects for a short time after the jab. So, I reckon they would have to let the GF teams in without a jab if they want to host the GF.

DS

 

[deedee]

What next then anyone visiting WA need a vaccination

It wont be just WA that you will need one to enter, think you will find you will need to have been vaccinated to get into a game next year.

 

[Panthera Tigris]

It wont be just WA that you will need one to enter, think you will find you will need to have been vaccinated to get into a game next year.

That’s also the policy they are debating in Tasmania at the moment among powers that be. No vaccination, no entry to the state.