Grand Final played in Melbourne?

[fourplay]

The way he phrases it suggests that he thinks it's the NSW govt's decision where the GF gets played. "The New South Wales Government ought to give serious consideration" etc etc.

He should be asking channel 9 instead. They hold the real power over the NRL.

 

[Perth Red]

Having spent the last 4 days in Sydney ,would anyone notice? You'd be hard pressed to know they play RL in Sydney (if you don't pick up a paper) let alone that it was GF week. Compared to how the city centre of melbourne comesa alive during AFL GF week long celebrations the Sydney city is totally non plussed that a RL GF is taking place!

 

[The Tank]

And it's the NRL's fault. They do f**k all. What, a breakfast? Big f**king deal!

 

[adamkungl]

Having spent the last 4 days in Sydney ,would anyone notice? You'd be hard pressed to know they play RL in Sydney (if you don't pick up a paper) let alone that it was GF week. Compared to how the city centre of melbourne comesa alive during AFL GF week long celebrations the Sydney city is totally non plussed that a RL GF is taking place!

what actually goes on in Melbourne? The city "comes alive"? wtf does that even mean.

 

[Funky Munky]

i think its time there was one at suncorp

 

[Perth Red]

what actually goes on in Melbourne? The city "comes alive"? wtf does that even mean.

It means there is a big focus and promotion on the fact that a GF is taking place! There is not one single thing anywhere in the city that I could see to suggest the NRL Gf was taking place in Sydney this weekend.

The City of Melbourne sponsored Toyota AFL Grand Final Parade 2008 will take place on Friday 26 September, between noon and 1pm, travelling along Swanston and Collins streets before finishing with a presentation of the players from Geelong and Hawthorn to the crowd on the steps of the Old Treasury Building.

In celebrating Grand Final Week, 22 – 27 September, the City of Melbourne has again partnered with the AFL to deliver an exciting week of free activities in the city, to coincide with the school holidays.

The Lord Mayor John So said all Australians eagerly await that “One Day in September” each year.

“The annual Toyota AFL Grand Final Parade has been held in Melbourne’s CBD for the past 30 years and the City of Melbourne is proud to support the free event, which draws a crowd of 80,000 to the CBD each year.

“To reach the Toyota AFL Grand Final is a major accomplishment and I would like to wish the two teams all the best for when they battle it out on the hallowed turf of the MCG,” The Lord Mayor said.

Councillor Carl Jetter, Chair of Council’s Marketing and Events Committee said that in 2007 the Toyota AFL Grand Final Week Live Site at Federation Square was attended by 212,500 fans, up from 161,700 visitors in 2006.

“In 2008, the program of activity continues to grow at Federation Square to include live television and radio broadcasts, more interactive activities, a performance by Wicked, children’s performances and extra player appearances.

“The Toyota AFL Grand Final Experience will also be established for the first time on the Crown Riverside and for 2008, the Toyota AFL Grand Final Parade will be telecast live by Channel 7,” Cr Jetter said.

The AFL has produced a Footy Passport listing the daily schedule of free activities and events on offer at Federation Square. For further information go to www.afl.com.au.

 

[ME SO HORNBY!]

Please god, no. Brisbane should get 10 GF's before Melbourne ever gets one.

x a billion

 

[Goddo]

Perth Red, did you miss the massive copy of the Telstra Trophy (its not a cup) at Darling Harbour? The massive coverage in the Telly, which talks about nothing else, the crowds watching Parra trainning, the mini footy field set up in Martin Place, free BBQs around the city....

Yeah Sydney doesn't do anything to promote the game. :roll: Try visiting a place before passing judgement. Much of the "atmosphere" in Melbourne is the result of media sensationalism, talking it up constantly, saturating all forms of coverage, creating the illusion of a "buzz", and painting a few trams...

Seriously, they treat AFL like a religion. I am surprised the AFL hasn't bought the sandstone anglican cathederal next to flinders street station to use as their headquarters yet.

EDIT: "The Lord Mayor John So said all Australians eagerly await that “One Day in September” each year"

Why do Victorians make such huge generalised claims? I couldn't give two sh*ts about the AFL grandfinal, and neither could most of NSW or QLD. Last time I checked thats half our population.

 

[melbourne_belle]

Perth Red, did you miss the massive copy of the Telstra Trophy (its not a cup) at Darling Harbour? The massive coverage in the Telly, which talks about nothing else, the crowds watching Parra trainning, the mini footy field set up in Martin Place, free BBQs around the city....

Yeah Sydney doesn't do anything to promote the game. :roll: Try visiting a place before passing judgement. Much of the "atmosphere" in Melbourne is the result of media sensationalism, talking it up constantly, saturating all forms of coverage, creating the illusion of a "buzz", and painting a few trams...

Seriously, they treat AFL like a religion. I am surprised the AFL hasn't bought the sandstone anglican cathederal next to flinders street station to use as their headquarters yet.

EDIT: "The Lord Mayor John So said all Australians eagerly await that “One Day in September” each year"

Why do Victorians make such huge generalised claims? I couldn't give two sh*ts about the AFL grandfinal, and neither could most of NSW or QLD. Last time I checked thats half our population.

In all honesty I hate AFL, but the NRL could take a few lessons from the AFL regarding the media and NRL should be treated like a religion in NSW.

You may not give a sh*t about the AFL GF and neither do I but they put on an excellent week and generate a lot of buzz and media coverage for it.

As for Victorians making huge generalisations, take a look at a lot of the posts in this thread making generalisations about Victorians, hypercritical much?

At least this is creating some talk about RL in Melbourne, the more coverage it gets the better. IMO the GF should always stay in NSW, not MEL or QLD but a little competition for it is great for league and may get the NSW government to flick in a little more cash for it.

 

[Bulldog Force]

Why is everyone jumping up and down? It would be great to have cities bidding to host it ala the NFL.

Fuggsake, we don't have to be as insular as the Victorians are. Playing a RL GF on the MCG would be considered sacrilege to most Victorians - do it I say. Be like an unwelcome visitor.

Anything to piss the bastards off is fine by me. Imagine the look on Demetrious face!

Would be the best thing we could ever do.

Gee-up.

 

[Bulldog Force]

Oh and with regards to the sporting capital of the world comments, it's not in regards to how many participants we have in national sides. It's all to do with the level that we, the public, attend top flight international sport. I think our records pretty good if you ask me, but I'm not here for an argument...

Yeah, 10,000 a game at Melbourne HOME games :lol:

 

[Evenflow]

Yeah, 10,000 a game at Melbourne HOME games :lol:

12,000. Dickhead.

 

[Bulldog Force]

12,000. Dickhead.

 

[BuffaloRules]

There are a couple of other NRL teams that would love to be getting 12,000 average crowds...

 

[Evenflow]

It that what you doing when you were blatantly wrong and posted 10K?

 

[krudmonk]

No one would be able to see the bloody game, way too far from the action.

This is the real matter at hand.

 

[Coppo_ForeverYOUNG]

It that what you doing when you were blatantly wrong and posted 10K?

Even if its 12k its still a sh*thouse home crowd for the so called "home of sport". All you ever hear is some stupid f**ken cow bell

 

[madunit]

"Let's not kid ourselves. Melbourne is the sporting capital of Australia," he said.

You're kidding youself Mr Hulls. You couldn't even Pack the smaller Etihad stadium for Origin, and not even half fill it for last weekends GF qualifyer. What makes you think you can get a 100k to a league game. f**k, not even 100k went to the AFL there last weekend!

Sporting capital of Australia...my arse! Sadly, I think that title lies with Brisbane. During the winter months here, only the AFL is given airtime. There's no mention of Union, Soccer, League.

Then there's the fact that AFL is the only game shown live, all other football codes are played after midnight, IF THEY ARE AIRED AT ALL!

At least Brisbane, and to a lesser extent Sydney, give all codes fairly equal and fair airtime on TV. Melbourne fears any game, no matter what code, will take the interest away from their AFL.

"And what better opportunity to showcase rugby league and Melbourne Storm than to be considering having a grand final here in Melbourne."

Hows about getting 30 thousand to a storm home final match first. Eels and Dogs get 70k and The Storm, attempting to reach their 4th straight GF, can't even get half of that, in a similarly sized stadium.

When Melbourne can get crowds in excess of 20k per match in the regular season, then, and only then, shall it even be considered slightly laughable that the GF be played at the MCG.

Personally this whole idea comes across more as a spiel sprouted by the MCG, as it appears they have upset the AFL and may lose the ANZAC day clash and the GF in the not too distant future, so maybe this is some sh*t dreamt up to keep the greedy MCG bigwigs happy.

 

[broncos_warriors_storm]

Melbourne is the sporting capital of Australia. It holds many big events and it is only the greedy channel 9 that pulls other sports away because of afl. Soccer is shown on fox sports only in brisbane, while you get AFL live on HD channels most of us cant see. and Union is played late at night so unit, you are very wrong there. Brisbane only shows league this much because of the fact its the only sport queensland are extremely good at. so Melbourne should host the final and even Brisbane as a second option, but why would you have it in sydney, they dont even deserve it

 

[madunit]

Melbourne is the sporting capital of Australia.

It isn't, not by a long way. I've lived in Sydney and Brisbane for over 2 years in both, and in 6 months in Melbourne, I've seen less sports than ever before.

It holds many big events

As do all the other states.

and it is only the greedy channel 9 that pulls other sports away because of afl.

It's not greed, it's stupidity. Nine only have rights to Rugby League, there's no excuse why they can't show NRL matches live all across the country.

Soccer is shown on fox sports only in brisbane,

It's the same in every state.

while you get AFL live on HD channels most of us cant see.

AFL is live on Channel 10 and Channel 7 on standard free to air in every state, as well as on the HD channels. No one is missing out on AFL.

and Union is played late at night so unit, you are very wrong there.

Union is played on a delayed telecast in Brisbane and Sydney, but more often than not it is telecast only 1 or 2 hours later, not 5 or 6 hours like in Melbourne (if it is telecast). Tests/Bledisloe cup games are shown live more often than not in Brisbane and Sydney. I don't think it was even telecast in melbourne this year.

Brisbane only shows league this much because of the fact its the only sport queensland are extremely good at.

What a load of horsesh*t. Brisbane have AFL live, Rugby League live, local club Union shown live on weekends on ABC and they promote the f**k out of their Soccer side. I've not seen a city anywhere as passionate about ALL sport as Brisbane.

so Melbourne should host the final and even Brisbane as a second option, but why would you have it in sydney, they dont even deserve it

DESERVE IT???

SYDNEY IS WHERE THE GAME WAS f**kING BORN!!!!!!!

Thats like saying Melbourne don't deserve the AFL Grand Final.

It's the home of the game in Australia.

I've read some dumb arguments in the past, but this sh*t takes the f**king cake.