Nah, I'll just let Pete know he's free to inject $13.5mil of State funds into the regional side that is the Brisbane Lions. Afterall, there are no other AFL sides in Qld to look after.

Synbad, I didn't say I wanted Carlton to stay at Optus Oval. You'll notice I said Gratton was ''sort of proved right'', in that Geelong's situation casts doubt on the ''urgency'' to leave Optus Oval, which was the selling point of the Carlton Football Club's propaganda. (I'm not holding this against the club because they didn't have a choice. The AFL has a major conflict of interest in relation to Telstra Dome, they desperately need us to play there and the AFL does the fixture).
The state government handout helped pay for the redevelopment of Skilled Stadium, but that still doesn't account for the dramatic turnaround in the club's financial fortunes, playing at a venue that holds less than 30,000. I'm not saying we should play at such a venue. Maybe Geelong would be even better off playing more games at TD/MCG. However, maybe, just maybe, it would be better to play a few games at a ''low break even point'' stadium instead of playing these games at a ''high break even point stadium'' where you lose money.
Blue Vain, I fully understood that the AFL was not going to schedule any games at Optus Oval, which is why people like Maxwell Gratton were completely wasting their time. However, the Geelong example shows that FTA coverage and sponsorship has not been a problem playing at a small venue which cannot host night football. In theory it should be a financial liability, but that certainly hasn't been the case with Geelong in recent years, with or without government grants to redevelop the ground.
You're right Synbad, there was no future at Optus Oval. But you and I probably disagree as to the reasons why.

Not gonna buy into the financials of it coz finance and money aint my go.Would struggle to run a pie stand............But wouldnt it be great to play 2 or 3 games a year at the old girl.......Say,Dockers,Power and Weagles.Know its probably out of the question now,but shit,aint it a great thought.

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All my dangerous friends

Speaking of running a pie stand Mickstar, was it a pie stand that caught fire at Princes Park during the Carlton v Collingwood game in 1982 ?
I saw highlights of this game recently on the Fox Footy Vault and there was a big blazing inferno right next to the old Northey (standing room) stand, roughly on the back flank now occupied by the Legends stand. I was standing in front of the Heatley stand that day so I was a long way from the fire, but I remember it lasting for a long time.
I'd love to hear from any ''eye witnesses'' who were close to the fire that day.

Lets not mention the marginal state seats in Geelong.

Was there that day Hacks,but over the other side on the hill where the current heroes stand is.It was a food stand of some sort.No doubt they were flogging pies............meat pies that is.
The fire took a hell of a long time to put out and i was starting to get real worried.That is the major part of my recollection,that the fire took far too long to bring under control.

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All my dangerous friends

G'day Jarusa

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#DonTheStash

Now where have I heard this before.
Just can't help myself.

As for Geelong, they are going to be the only Victorian club that will be able to match interstaters "home match" supremacy. Good on them.

Why

When we play interstate clubs at TD or MCG, why do we have less home match advantage?

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

BV, MCG & TD also has other supporters (general footy lovers, co-operate) who will never and don't follow CFC. The stadium will never be fully CFC support as such. Been to Perth or Adelaide???? Opposition supporters are not seen let alone heard.

Like it or not, the only way you will get this environment, is with a 35K stadium built for you members only and therefore "fire vs fire".
Most people don't recognise "the value of interstate" grounds when it comes to finals, but they will , they will.

…but not getting enough of the non Carlton people you speak of into OO was one of the main reasons we had to move.

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#DonTheStash

The mistake they made was charging public too much and not allowing "silver members" access into Legends Stand. Bloody stupid. We would have doubled our "silver members" and filled the stadium every week just with that alone.

Anyway this is all "hot air talk" now.

But that's irrelevant to your initial point Surrey.
Skilled Stadium and PP will never host finals.
If you want success in finals, we are playing at the grounds we will eventually host finals on.

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

Maybe we should move interstate and have a home ground just for surrey

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Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil....... the Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.

must ..... fight .... urge .....

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Got to love the stare Down by Setanta on Llyod

Bad example I agree, but wouldn't Geelong love to host a final @ Kardinia Park and serve the interstaters what they receive. Actually I bet they are lobbying this right now, but that's for another day.

I think the GFC, players no.1, would love to play Adelaide, WestCoast, Fremantle, Port Adelaide, Sydney, Brisbane, if not others at Kardinia in front of a parochial crowd any given day, wouldn't you agree?

As I said, all irrelevant now, but lets now be blinded.
The AFL have screwed Vic power houses up and will continue too to the detriment of the competion in Victoria. But again, that's for another day when the sun will shine for all to see.

What we conveniently forget is that even though Richmond Carlton Collingwood and Essendon* are fighting it out at the bottom the AFL is attaining record crowds.. record tv rights etc.
The world has changed and so has football. ... by staying at optus were just driving another nail into our very own coffin... because the AFL will flourish with Carlton in the eight or last.. and till we understand this and do whatever it takes to get back to the top again.. we will just continue languishing at the bottom... pretending were needed for the comp to be healthy....

Those days are over!!!

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Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil....... the Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.

this is what has got me [REDACTED]

why everyone thinks the game is in such a healthy state.

the tv rights is the only thing keeping the game afloat at the moment.

the average punter has been shafted and most people i speak to are sick to death of the way the AFL treats the fans.

if carlton wasnt a side in the AFL i wouldnt watch it and i am one of but many that feel the same.

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Got to love the stare Down by Setanta on Llyod

whatabout crowds in general???

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Due to recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, gas, and oil....... the Light at the End of the Tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Round and round and round we go
Where we'll stop
Nobody knows...

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Writer for SuperCoach Paige www.scpaige.com.au
Twitter - @johnfeeney24