if you were given the choice between lockdown and playing in front of zero people, or no lockdown and playing in front of a crowd - what would you choose?
I personally can’t get my head around that people can’t see why it makes sense for 2 weeks given the current situation in Melbourne. if Melbourne was out of lockdown tomorrow, sure! come home! but that’s not happening
Playing at a decent ground where more Essendon fans can get to go and watch would be nice too.
I couldn’t agree more. It seems like the AFL would lean hard on X to make it work how they need/want it to work.
This is also our second extended stint interstate after we were in Perth for a fortnight.
I guess the upside is that they are out of Melbourne, away from exposure sites, able to train with some continuity in a better climate. The GWS situation favours us also.
But there’d be nothing like playing GWS and Sydney at Marvel.
If someone said I could do my job for the next few weeks on the Gold Coast instead of cold, desolate Melbourne, I’d fly the freaking plane myself.
I’d choose letting our players live in their homes with their families.
So in lockdown and no crowds in this case.
I don’t want to hear Stringer crying after the game because he didn’t get to say goodbye to his children… because our club executive didn’t stand up for them.
Yes COVID has stuffed things… yes we are doing things ‘on the fly’ but the priority should be to play home games… and be home. Not stuck in a hub.
Have we not heard how damaging that was to our players last season?!!! Why would we put them through that again without fighting tooth and nail?
Pretty much. Because the competition committed to the entire playing group that nobody would be hubbing longer than 3 weeks this season. Because the entire playing group said they’d rather not okay at all then go into prolonged hubs again. Playing both GWS and Sydney in conservative weeks means it makes complete sense that if anyone was going to hub now so they could be re-united with their families, it would be us.
Unsurprising comments from unsurprising posters.
Last year they were stuck in Queensland for about 10 weeks…this is 3 weeks…in the middle of a Melbourne winter.
With our young team, it’s an ideal opportunity to get to know each other.
Only one player in the players up there has kids. Only about 3 married players on the list, and 2 of them are injured and both are either recent or expectant fathers.
Easy 80%. I would have guessed 90+%. There were bugger all North supporters there.
Some neutrals too?
Very few … people at gates entering, leaving after the game & just generally getting food drink etc were nearly all wearing Essendon gear.
Agree that there’d be way more in SA, Tas or WA, but still strong Essendon support.
So new fixture is announced and SA announce restrictions??
We are on Sunday… probably about 6pm (same as the Sydney derby).
The Sydney derby didn’t have any dew present. Anyone know why? No smart ■■■ answers please
Don’t you wonder why it’s always Queensland tho?
Surely we should be playing in Perth
Spot on.
Playing our home games in the Gold Coast, and only getting 5,000 to a game. Anywhere else would have been 10,000+
We’re on The Gold Coast for GWS & Sydney’s benefit…… not for our own.
Is it really that big of an issue though?
Ticket sales and getting more Essendon supporters to the game to give us a Home ground advantage when we’re playing for a Finals spot……. Are they big deals?
In the current Covid environment where they are trying to juggle a hundred things to make sure the competition can continue, I wouldn’t have really thought so.
Sunday, July 25
Sydney v Fremantle at Metricon Stadium, 12.30pm AEST
Geelong v Richmond at the MCG, TBC
Essendon v GWS Giants at TBC
Seems like there is still hope the game can be in Melb if Lockdown isn’t extended until Monday.
Also rules us out for the Friday night slot vs Sydney as we can’t play off 5 day break