This is actually the heart of the problem.
Collingwood, Richmond, Melbourne and Hawthorn are the MCG co-tenants.
Ess, StK, Carlton, Kangas and Bulldogs are the Telstra dome co-tenants.
Fine so far.
Then it starts to go pear-shaped. Geelong want to play somegames in Melb but they want them at the G. BAd luck is the usual answer but as reigning premiers they have a bit of clout just at the moment. Money tlaks in AFL circles.
Ess and Carl want their bigger games at the G also. Collingwood just say "get stuffed" whenever the AFL start talking about the dome. Money talks. Still probably manageable though.
Now the Hawks have "Done the right thing by the AFL" and moved some games down to Tassie. The AFL will be nice to them because they are hoping to get something they really want form the Hawks. So all the pressure goes onto Richmond and Melbourne. Too many games at the G and not enought at the dome to fulfil contractual obligations.
The only way to resolve it properly is for one of the four MCG tenants to become a permanent Telstra dome tenant once the Kangas exit Victoria.
It won't be Collingwood, it shouldn't be Melbourne or Richmond for historical reasons.
Do the AFL have the courage to shift the Hawks permanently to the Dome? I doubt it very much.
Personally, I think 8 home games and 4 or 5 away games at the G each year is better than being a permanent TD tenant.
Hopefully, a few years down the track, the Hawks become a permanent fixture in Tassie and the problem will resolve itself.
Until there are no more than eight Victorian teams we are going to experience these problems.
