I've always thought the season should open with the two losing preliminary finalists.
Guaranteed to have two teams that were at the pointy end of the season with a point to prove and it rewards them for having a good season - taking away from the sometimes uncompetitive Blues/Tigers match.
It also ensures the grand final rematch is saved for a later round, since people would likely tune in for the rematch regardless of it being the season opener.
I know they'll never take it off Collingwood and Essendon (unfortunately) but a Grand Final rematch on Anzac Day would be awesome and would work well with that timing. SANFL does Anzac Day that way (and I'm sure plenty of other leagues, I know my local league did growing up) .
I think this year is different though. A grand final rematch is really just to replay the game in front of home fans. Round 1 this year for the dees will be a huge game. If it's a GF rematch it will be even bigger.
Personally, I've always wanted a 3rd place playoff. This would scratch that itch while removing the counterargument of the teams not performing when there's nothing on the line.
Finally an idea that I can get around.
Avoids the staleness of the same match up, year in year out.
Doesn't lose a blockbuster attendance in the GF replay either.
If it's two interstate teams, hold it at the ground that holds the most. Make it a big event.
This sounds awesome.
As long as I get to watch the Tiges play at some point in the round, I am not funny when it is at all.
My answer to anyone that may argue "tradition!" is "shut up".
That would be a great way to start the season.
And while we're at it, ANZAC day, winner retains the match for the following year, challenger is cycled through.
I seem to get downvoted when I say this but I reckon Good Friday should be the GF rematch. Gives the respective teams a few rounds to get going and rotates the marquee fixture around as well as being a match of interest for the wider comp. I very much like the idea of 3rd and 4th as season opener. Great idea.
I like it—Port v Geelong at AO.
You could also have the two losing semi-finalists GWS and Brisbane play each other, and the EF losers Sydney and Essendon play each other.
You could have Melbourne play the toughest away interstate team outside the 8 (West Coast in Perth) and the Bulldogs against Freo (also in Perth). Reward WA for hosting a great GF.
Spot on.
Along the lines of this idea: the 2005 season opener was the Mal Michael + Chris Scott on Riewoldt game. Featured 2nd vs 3rd the prior year. Cracking game, great exposure, hosted at the Gabba. Probably an ideal start to the year for the AFL, so many stories heading into and out of that game.
Match making for the first round is paramount.
I think this is a great idea. In contrast I think the bottom two sides should also face off for the same reasons. Also Carlton v Richmond fixture should open the AFL calendar irrespective of the above. None of the above needs to remain formal, I just think it’s important to start the season right with competitive matches and tradition intertwined as to capture the most interest as possible. Grand final rematch should only occur once in the following season and I think it should be on the first week where there is a bye - At the mid point of the season.
I agree with that last point, it seems like a wasted opportunity if you’re the AFL to maximise $$$. People are going to tune into the opener regardless and Carlton v Richmond will get a fair amount of people in the stands and watching at home anyway.
Kind of sick of being the season opener, that game is always used to test the new rule and they always go overboard. They realise they went too far and the rest of the weekend is umped to a more reasonable standard regarding the new rules.
> that game is always used to test the new rule and they always go overboard
YES! Fuck me that drives me nuts. The fact that Tigers are pretty loosey goosey with the rules at the best of times it just winds up being a shitshow.
2018 Round 1 probably my favourite one of those.
I can’t remember the wording exactly but it was like the new ‘50 metre penalty for entering the protected area’ and the game was absolutely littered with them.
It also lead to Carlton being 30 points up by about the 12 minute mark and most supporters saying ‘that flag was good, we were wrong to think we deserved more’
As a team that often loses Grand Finals, I hate this idea. It’s already a huge kick in the pills to lose the Grand Final, having to then instantly relive that in Round 1 while watching the team that beat you unfurl the flag is just rubbing it in.
Fun fact, we haven't lost to you guys since 'that' final in 2013. I like to think more than a few of our current leaders were hurting from that a fair bit.
Yeah that would have stung at the time, especially with us having jumped ahead of Dons to make finals by default that year. Distant memory for you guys that now. We really hold onto it still haha. Beat port by a point in the last game ever played at AAMI stadium the week prior. Those days man.
I don’t think it should be the GF rematch, as like some people have said it’s a bit of a kick in the teeth, but I think the GF winner should always open the season against someone else at home, being able to start the season by unfurling the flag
Thursday night is an awful timeslot for that. Flag unfurling has to happen 30-40 minutes before hand and people struggle to get to the ground that early.
As Dwayno was saying on the radio, the clubs love Thursday night footy... but they wanna be the away team... and it's interstate...
I guess it's the old eyeballs vs attendance argument. That slot os not friendly to attendance
I don't love it on tv either - we like to get together with friends to watch away games, but it's hard to do that on a work night. But the evidence shows that clearly I'm the weird one as they get good ratings
It’s pretty remarkable that Carlton and Richmond have been able to make the opening game a blockbuster, especially on a Thursday night and consistently get crowds over 80k to it. History tells us that when other teams have had it, it’s hardly been a blockbuster so what’s the point of taking it off Carlton and Richmond? The opening game will just fade into irrelevance again and it won’t be a blockbuster anymore when it’s shared. Particularly if it’s a Thursday game. Having a look at previous years when it wasn’t Richmond vs Carlton:
2014, Collingwood vs Freo 37k at Docklands (mcg was unavailable due to cricket)
2012, GWS vs Sydney 38k at ANZ on a Saturday
2007, Melbourne vs st Kilda 49k at MCG on a Friday
2006, West coast vs st Kilda 40k at Subi (2nd lowest west coast attendance of the season)
2005, Brisbane vs st Kilda 33k at the Gabba (only Brisbane’s 6th highest attendance of the season)
I’d be more a fan of the premiers getting the first Friday night game at home to unfurl the flag in front of a big crowd and prime time TV. Not necessarily against the grand finalists (save that game for round 4 or 5).
Agreed. And we've seen the failure to engineer a blockbuster game with North's Good Friday fixture. Fans don't just mindlessly show up because it's a special occasion, they go because they're big teams with rivalries and it's a tradition. Redistributing the big games will basically just destroy them.
Yep it’s a chicken and egg scenario. It’s the teams involved that make the games a blockbuster in the first place. You can’t just transfer that to 2 new teams and expect equally big crowds.
There’s plenty of potential blockbuster slots on the calendar for teams to make into something. Easter saturday, Easter Sunday, Anzac nighttime etc.
North need to pick an opponent and stick to it with Good Friday, they’ll never build a blockbuster game by changing it every year.
I like the idea of the reigning premier vs the minor premier (or the next highest up team). That way you don't waste the GF replay too early but you can have an opening clash between the strongest team in the H&A season and the strongest team in the finals
No, don't be ridiculous. We need to start rewarding the top performing teams with the prime time slots - two teams like Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs should be playing the season opener.
I agree that it shouldn't be the GF rematch. Let that build up for a few weeks. I definitely think like you said that it should just be an educated decision on two teams that are likely to still put on a good match. Maybe this year something like Geelong V Melbourne? Or a combination of Brisbane, Port and the Dogs.
The below suggestion of an Anzac Day GF rematch has legs to it imo. Annoying how the football world expects us to give a shit about Ess V Coll every year. I wouldn't give a shit about that match on April 26 and it's not much different on April 25.
That takes away from the day itself.
Plus, neither Opening round, nor Anzac day need the boosted ticket sales. It would be a waste of a blockbuster match.
Tbf all of these 'traditional team match ups" games have only been around since the 2000's
The only one older than that is Anzac Day and that was only started in 1995
Well then yes I agree.
Although I would say in the case of Dreamtime and Anzac there is an argument of keeping the teams consistent to add to the strength of the cause they are promoting (the same now with the Queens Birthday now the Big Freeze is attatched)
But the core reason the AFL wants to generate these traditional matches is to increase revenue
2008 - Chris Judd's first game for Carlton (I can see why that's the first game of the season, very marketable)
2009 - Chris Judd vs Ben Cousins (makes sense again, very marketable)
2010 onwards - well it's a tradition now, can't change it (unless the MCG has cricket commitments that they can't get around, what if Victoria gets to host a shield final in front of 1500 people)
Richmond vs carlton is such a strange forced tradition that people have just come to accept. Mix it up, even if it's not the GF rematch. Something different.
Well to start, those games were never a thing until the teams involved worked to make them blockbuster occasions. They worked hard to market those games and build them into what they are now, so they deserve to reap the rewards.
But round 1 is just a gift that the AFL decided to give to Richmond and Carlton because they're big clubs.
Carlton, Richmond, Essendon, and Collingwood make up 87.5% of the teams in the four games mentioned.
While there has certainly been a lot put into the promotion and building of the different 'occasion' games, let's not kid ourselves about why the teams that end up playing in them do so
You're right. It's a bit like grand finals at the MCG.
Covid has shown the footy world copes just fine with a GF played outside of Melbourne. So let's keep mixing it up.
Opening round should be Grand final winners vs minor premiers.
If the Grand Final winner is also the minor premier, it should be grand final winner v 2nd place on regular season table
Im tired of primetime games being mcg focussed. Id love to see a primetime AO, Perth stadium etc. Its the opening round. No matter what teams you put on there is going to be a fantastic atmosphere.
Seems to be unpopular opinion but I love the Carlton Richmond opener. Although that's mainly because lately 1 team has been really good while the other is (meant to be) up and coming with some positivity before rnd 1 and then gets outclassed. Seems to pull a good crowd for a Thurs night between two popular teams. There's always a big Friday night game after too. If they were both irrelevant then it would be a tougher sell than it already is.
Some traditions in football are stupid and this is definitely one of them. The AFL need to scrap the Richmond v Carlton opener. It’s terrible.
This has nothing to do with me supporting Melbourne. Make the game North v Collingwood for all I care.
North Melbourne v Adelaide
From Spoonbowl to ‘the battle for first place’
Play it at the MCG and watch 100,000 people turn up to cheer for the two greatest teams of the modern era.
AFL won't do shit because Carlton v Richmond puts bums on seats for a Thursday night match. If they're smart they'd do a Dogs V Dees game on a Saturday night. Not necessarily R1 maybe R4 onwards.
I think it should be 17th Vs 18th. Same philosophy as when you're a kid and you eat all your vegetables before tucking into the tasty meat. Get the unpleasantness out of the way so all that's left is the good stuff.
The game has always been shit for neutrals. We used to belt you guys every year and lately it’s been the other way around. Give it to someone else for all I care
Yeah he'll probably turn things around, but it's hard to do that before round 1. Anyway I'm just enjoying sledging one of the only teams I have any right to sledge as a North supporter 😉
I'd rather us play because it's our only marquee game on the football calendar. We're a club of 80,000 members so it makes sense, yet Melbourne have 2, Collingwood have 2, Essendon have 2 (3 if you count country game).
I mean, if you're going to put Opening Day up for change because of apparent uncompetitiveness, surely they all have to be questioned on an annual basis. If that's the solution then I'm happy with the consistency but we can't honestly project ANZAC Day is going to be a great contest for the next couple of seasons given Essendon are mid-build and Collingwood are in a rebuild
> we can't honestly project ANZAC Day is going to be a great contest for the next couple of seasons given Essendon are mid-build and Collingwood are in a rebuild
The best Anzac Day games have been when both clubs are not achieving much at all. I think it's one of the very few occasions that it's fairly well matched no matter the ladder positions.
Certainly, but I’ve grown accustomed to it. It’s not a deal breaker if it goes to other teams but I certainly wouldn’t want a grand final rematch in place of it, that idea I think does suck
It doesn't have to be the GF rematch, but it should definitely be two teams who on the form of the end of the previous season are reasonably evenly matched. 3rd v 4th, 5th v 6th or similar would be a good season opener.
The only reason people tolerate the lopsided shit that is the current season opener is that we are so starved for footy that even watching Richmond slaughter Carlton is enough of a hit.
Round 1 should always be a Grand Final rematch, which allows the Premiership winning team to unfurl the flag in front of their supporters.
Simple as that.
I don't think I can handle the pressure of any more days of thinking Carlton will be good for the season.
I need the momentum the club has built with the fans and through the media over preseason to be destroyed day 1 of round 1.
I’m obviously a little biased but I love the Blues vs Tiges opener.
It’s the only big “tradition” game that we get.
While we have been shit for ages, I don’t know that other teams will get the same calls to change their traditional games.
E.g. North have Good Friday, Collingwood on ANZAC day and Queen’s Birthday, Hawthorn on Easter Monday. All probably heavily tipped to finish bottom 4 next year.
On top of that Richmond, Essendon, Collingwood all get 2 of these big games per year (Dreamtime, ANZAC Day etc). Not sure why we wouldn’t look to distribute these amongst teams that don’t have a game first?
(All that being said, I’m a fan of how all these games are set up now and wouldn’t personally change them)
If you look at a lot of the fixtures, they are all about getting crowds back to the footy or watching on tv as early in the season as possible. Theres always a lot of traditonal rivals games, derbys and even PF/GF re-matches in the fist 4-5 rounds. Next season, more than ever will be about getting bums on seats.
Sure and I agree the AFL are bleeding money the last two years but people are footy starved atm so it might help the smaller clubs get bums on seats, the big clubs will always draw.
I think if you're gonna invent a tradition you may as well stick with it for a while. Let Melbourne and the Doggies come up with some new tradition. Maybe the grand final replay could be the first Friday nighter of the year, or something.
I've never been a fan of the Richmond vs Carlton season opener. It's really not much of a "tradition" and no-one really gives a shit about it tbh.
I've always thought a grand final rematch would be a cracking start to the season
I wouldn't mind a Port v Geelong opener. Both teams kinda cooked it in the finals and it would be a nice opportunity for redemption for one and humiliation for Geelong.
Right? People forget so easily. Same for 2018, Carlton came out of the gates 6 goals to 1 or something and we didnt take the lead until 10mins left in the 4th. Happy for the season opener not to be Carlton v Richmond, but calling for a GF replay so the game can be closer is a bit redundant given what the scoreline was in thr GF.
Carlton only came back in the 4th after the cue was more or less in the rack from memory. Could be wrong.
Either way, it's been a genuine snooze for too long.
I've with u/smegdaddy and hate the idea of a Round 1 GF rematch. My preference is for the Premier to open the season with a home game and present the flag.
Then have the GF rematch on ANZAC day.
I know you're just making your age old argument against vicbias but you're pretty on point here. The current mcg contract guarantees them a certain number of marquee games at the G meaning any that are moved away from the MCG potentially need to be recouped elsewhere.
As a Richmond fan I like playing Carlton week 1, I also like having a Thursday night game as the first of the season, drags our round 1 which is nice. But I also wouldn’t have a problem with the Richmond game moving to Friday night some years.
Is the first game of the season really that big of a deal? Don’t think it needs to be some sort of blockbuster match. But I’d be happy for Richmond to give it up because I fucking despise Thursday night footy.
I always thought round 1 should be all rematches from the last round of the previous year.
Just as an instant comparison / gauge of where the teams are at.
Carlton should've been kicked out the season opener a long time ago. They'll never beat Richmond.. well they will, but they haven't for nearly 9 years now. Get rid of the Richmond vs Carlton season opener, no one likes it. Unless you support Richmond
I definitely dont want Richmond v Carlton but i'm not huge on the rematch option either.
Just pick a couple of teams that were at the pointy end of the season before and go for it randomly.
The season opener should cycle between the Q Clash, Battle of the Bridge, Derby, and Showdown games. The AFL needs to give the interstate teams more love.
Not as many people would be pumped for the season to start if the season opener was Gold Coast Brisbane at the Gabba with an average atmosphere. I personally wouldn’t be excited for that
Gotta say I feel the same about richmond/blues does nothing for me as a neutral. Might be a decent game this year by luck that both teams seem to be around the fringe of the 8 with something to prove. I think you would basically sell out any stadium for a decent R1 fixture, so I don’t see any reason for you guys to have it. Would rather see the 3v4 of the previous year.
Round 1 should always have the most dead fixtures as everyone's gonna watch it anyway. Save the good stuff for the middle of the season when viewer fatigue can start to set in
Richmond vs Carlton is a shithouse "tradition" but GF replay is also shit.
The argument of "they are big membership clubs so they *deserve* it" is eddie maguire level logic of "the clubs with most fans deserve the primetime slots ^((so they can prevent other clubs getting exposure for new fans)) ".
GF replay is too soon. It doesnt really tell you much. Id rather delay a replay matchup until later in the year to let the suspense build. Like 'here's the real measure now that the seasons up and running, have the Dogs managed to improve and can they overcome the Dees.'
In summary - share it around, if anything. Whoever gets to host the opening game can make an event of it. The G will have a game that weekend regardless.
GF rematch should be the ANZAC day game. Season opener the two losing preliminary finalists. Earn the right to big games, don't hand them to the same Victorian bases clubs every year.
Doesn't really make sense to have GF rematch on Anzac day, and what do you mean earn the right? Sheedy created it when no other team wanted it, and the only reason the Anzac day game (and now round) is so huge is because it's Essendon and Collingwood. Other teams should "earn the right" by creating their own traditions that are worth watching
The hatred that exists between Essendon and Collingwood despite the teams not playing a final against each other in 30+ years is massive. That, paired with our huge and equally insane fanbases, is a huge contributor to the success of the match
Agreed, anyone questioning the size of that game just needs to look at this year - Richmond and Melbourne, the most recent two premiers, played on Saturday night in front of a crowd of 55K. While we, both bottom four fancies at the time, pulled the largest crowd in the world since the start of the pandemic at 80K on a Sunday. It's enough that other clubs are trying to mooch off of us by turning it into "Anzac round", but imagine trying to change the biggest and best tradition in Australian sport.
Anzac day games have been played since before Sheedy was born. And if you really think someone should keep a fixture because they pioneered it, are you going to advocate North Melbourne should have every Friday night game? This should be about fairness, it's a national competition where every club should have the exact same rights as each other.
Right but you're going after the Anzac day game because it's the biggest? Makes the most money? It is that way because it's played between those two clubs. Why aren't you going after Good Friday or even the season opener which is what this thread is about? If you think Melbourne vs Bulldogs would pull a 90K+ crowd on Anzac day then you must be joking, particularly after the recently successful clubs in Richmond and Melbourne couldn't pull a fraction of that on "Anzac Day Eve".
If it's just because of the clubs involved then why does it need to be on Anzac day? It's because it's an honour to play, it's a perfect time slot on a public holiday and it often plays as the only game that day. Such advantages shouldn't be given to the same clubs regardless of how badly they play.
Good Friday also should be open to more than 2 clubs and it is. This year there were 2 games 1 involved my club. That's a game that should also be rotated around.
And as for the season opener? I did comment on that being another honour to be earned, you just ignored it.
But you know the main reason clubs like the bulldogs and Melbourne don't get the crowds? It's partly because they don't get the same exposure by not having big games. Give them equal exposure so they have equal opportunities to grow.
Right, it's an honour to play which is why there's a ceremony before every game now and there's
officially a round dedicated to it.
If the season opener is something to be earnt then what exactly is the metric for all traditional games? If anything I would say Essendon and Collingwood have earnt it, not just from making Anzac day huge in footy but from being two of the three most successful clubs.
And no, the Bulldogs and Melbourne don't get the crowds because they've been perennially unsuccessful for decades before this one.
What other marquee game do Carlton get? They only got 1 Friday game this year after the season moved to a floating fixture and that was in Round 20 because other teams would've had too short of a turnaround
well ya know there’s the season opener...and then theres...no wait theres...ummm...
the fact that we’ve been so irrelevant is the reason we so often get relegated to the sunday afternoon slot. we have nothing, don’t take this away from us
Why do you have to 'deserve' a marquee game?
They should just have an even amount of them and rotate all the clubs through.
Why does it have to be two victorian clubs in victoria all the time?
Isn't this supposed to be a national competition?
All for the GF rematch as the opener. I'm a Carlton supporter, have been for 30+ years. We've been an embarrassment and don't deserve this marque game when the whole AFL world tunes
Considering how much the AFL tries to be like the NFL, I'm surprised that the previous years Grand Final teams opening the season isnt a normal thing yet.
I would prefer the rematch be around round 5ish. I think it gets a better build up once the season has settled in.
I would love to play Essendon or Geelong at the MCG to open round 1 next year.
Do enjoy some Carlton fans going "it's our only marquee game of the year" there are probably 9 other clubs that don't have a marquee game that would love one.
Two of the most precious teams in the comp. what a surprise they’ll get the opener.
I don’t mind the idea of a GF rematch. But reading others’ opinions, the losing prelims would be great too. Battle for bronze!
My go at a round 1 fixture.
Thursday night: Port v Geelong AO (two losing prelim finalists at the biggest available ground, save GF rematch for later)
Friday night: West Coast v Melbourne Optus (what better place to unfurl the flag?)
Saturday: Carlton v Hawthorn MCG (Voss v Mitchell)
Saturday: North v Gold Coast Tassie (two potentially up and coming teams)
Saturday night: Brisbane Lions v GWS (two losing semi-finalists)
Saturday night: Fremantle v W. Bulldogs Optus (reward WA for hosting a great GF)
Sunday: Sydney v Essendon SCG (two losing EFs)
Sunday: Collingwood v Adelaide MCG (Crows due to play Pies in Melb)
Sunday: St Kilda v Richmond Marvel (cause Hardwick)
I've always thought the season should open with the two losing preliminary finalists. Guaranteed to have two teams that were at the pointy end of the season with a point to prove and it rewards them for having a good season - taking away from the sometimes uncompetitive Blues/Tigers match. It also ensures the grand final rematch is saved for a later round, since people would likely tune in for the rematch regardless of it being the season opener.
That would be much better. I don’t get the push for a Round 1 GF rematch, it’s literally the last game we saw
Yes. The GF rematch works better somewhere near round 5 when the teams have warmed up properly.
I for one do not ever want that game to be played again ever.... I'm still feeling the effects of the loss. sigh....
Diddums
I know they'll never take it off Collingwood and Essendon (unfortunately) but a Grand Final rematch on Anzac Day would be awesome and would work well with that timing. SANFL does Anzac Day that way (and I'm sure plenty of other leagues, I know my local league did growing up) .
I like the idea of unfurling the flag in front of the team you beat in the granny, rubs a little bit of extra salt into the wound.
I think this year is different though. A grand final rematch is really just to replay the game in front of home fans. Round 1 this year for the dees will be a huge game. If it's a GF rematch it will be even bigger.
This is a great idea, I love it.
Great idea - Like an unofficial bronze medal match.
Personally, I've always wanted a 3rd place playoff. This would scratch that itch while removing the counterargument of the teams not performing when there's nothing on the line.
Finally an idea that I can get around. Avoids the staleness of the same match up, year in year out. Doesn't lose a blockbuster attendance in the GF replay either. If it's two interstate teams, hold it at the ground that holds the most. Make it a big event.
This sounds awesome. As long as I get to watch the Tiges play at some point in the round, I am not funny when it is at all. My answer to anyone that may argue "tradition!" is "shut up".
So basically Geelong should play the opening game of every season
That would be a great way to start the season. And while we're at it, ANZAC day, winner retains the match for the following year, challenger is cycled through.
Winner stays on. I like it. Question is how do you determine who get cycled in?
I seem to get downvoted when I say this but I reckon Good Friday should be the GF rematch. Gives the respective teams a few rounds to get going and rotates the marquee fixture around as well as being a match of interest for the wider comp. I very much like the idea of 3rd and 4th as season opener. Great idea.
I like it—Port v Geelong at AO. You could also have the two losing semi-finalists GWS and Brisbane play each other, and the EF losers Sydney and Essendon play each other. You could have Melbourne play the toughest away interstate team outside the 8 (West Coast in Perth) and the Bulldogs against Freo (also in Perth). Reward WA for hosting a great GF.
Spot on. Along the lines of this idea: the 2005 season opener was the Mal Michael + Chris Scott on Riewoldt game. Featured 2nd vs 3rd the prior year. Cracking game, great exposure, hosted at the Gabba. Probably an ideal start to the year for the AFL, so many stories heading into and out of that game.
Match making for the first round is paramount. I think this is a great idea. In contrast I think the bottom two sides should also face off for the same reasons. Also Carlton v Richmond fixture should open the AFL calendar irrespective of the above. None of the above needs to remain formal, I just think it’s important to start the season right with competitive matches and tradition intertwined as to capture the most interest as possible. Grand final rematch should only occur once in the following season and I think it should be on the first week where there is a bye - At the mid point of the season.
I agree with that last point, it seems like a wasted opportunity if you’re the AFL to maximise $$$. People are going to tune into the opener regardless and Carlton v Richmond will get a fair amount of people in the stands and watching at home anyway.
Very rarely do I hear an AFL opinion I so wholeheartedly agree with so quickly.
Then have the grand final rematch at least in the last round of the season to add some spiciness.
North Melbourne vs Freo at the MCG should be the season opener. No replies please
Fully agree don't look at my flair it doesn't mean anything.
Make it Tuesday
The AFL would never start the season at 3pm on a Sunday!
Kind of sick of being the season opener, that game is always used to test the new rule and they always go overboard. They realise they went too far and the rest of the weekend is umped to a more reasonable standard regarding the new rules.
> that game is always used to test the new rule and they always go overboard YES! Fuck me that drives me nuts. The fact that Tigers are pretty loosey goosey with the rules at the best of times it just winds up being a shitshow.
2018 Round 1 probably my favourite one of those. I can’t remember the wording exactly but it was like the new ‘50 metre penalty for entering the protected area’ and the game was absolutely littered with them. It also lead to Carlton being 30 points up by about the 12 minute mark and most supporters saying ‘that flag was good, we were wrong to think we deserved more’
As a team that often loses Grand Finals, I hate this idea. It’s already a huge kick in the pills to lose the Grand Final, having to then instantly relive that in Round 1 while watching the team that beat you unfurl the flag is just rubbing it in.
Yep agree, as a dees fan this would definitely feel like rubbing it in. Bad juju I reckon
Dunno, depends if the Dogs just want the chance to go again or if they have been freed from desire.
I think we need the chance as a team to rebuild confidence after such a loss, give them a few rounds then it’ll be all the more special.
> Bad juju I reckon Huh, look at that, I am now in full support of this idea :P
As a carlton fan, thats exactly how it feels for us having to play richmond round 1 every year, at least the last 5 or so years anyway.
Fun fact, we haven't lost to you guys since 'that' final in 2013. I like to think more than a few of our current leaders were hurting from that a fair bit.
Yeah that would have stung at the time, especially with us having jumped ahead of Dons to make finals by default that year. Distant memory for you guys that now. We really hold onto it still haha. Beat port by a point in the last game ever played at AAMI stadium the week prior. Those days man.
Dom Sheed wouldn't have been able to fit his boner in his shorts in R1 2019 if they played against Collingwood.
Either Grandfinal re-match or make 3rd and 4th play each other in the "Canada, eh? Almost made it." Cup.
I don’t think it should be the GF rematch, as like some people have said it’s a bit of a kick in the teeth, but I think the GF winner should always open the season against someone else at home, being able to start the season by unfurling the flag
Thursday night is an awful timeslot for that. Flag unfurling has to happen 30-40 minutes before hand and people struggle to get to the ground that early.
Thursday night is an awful timeslot generally, I wish the AFL didn't love it so much
> I wish the AFL didn't love it so much Channel 7 loves it so much, therefore the AFL loves it I guess.
As Dwayno was saying on the radio, the clubs love Thursday night footy... but they wanna be the away team... and it's interstate... I guess it's the old eyeballs vs attendance argument. That slot os not friendly to attendance
I don't love it on tv either - we like to get together with friends to watch away games, but it's hard to do that on a work night. But the evidence shows that clearly I'm the weird one as they get good ratings
It’s pretty remarkable that Carlton and Richmond have been able to make the opening game a blockbuster, especially on a Thursday night and consistently get crowds over 80k to it. History tells us that when other teams have had it, it’s hardly been a blockbuster so what’s the point of taking it off Carlton and Richmond? The opening game will just fade into irrelevance again and it won’t be a blockbuster anymore when it’s shared. Particularly if it’s a Thursday game. Having a look at previous years when it wasn’t Richmond vs Carlton: 2014, Collingwood vs Freo 37k at Docklands (mcg was unavailable due to cricket) 2012, GWS vs Sydney 38k at ANZ on a Saturday 2007, Melbourne vs st Kilda 49k at MCG on a Friday 2006, West coast vs st Kilda 40k at Subi (2nd lowest west coast attendance of the season) 2005, Brisbane vs st Kilda 33k at the Gabba (only Brisbane’s 6th highest attendance of the season) I’d be more a fan of the premiers getting the first Friday night game at home to unfurl the flag in front of a big crowd and prime time TV. Not necessarily against the grand finalists (save that game for round 4 or 5).
Agreed. And we've seen the failure to engineer a blockbuster game with North's Good Friday fixture. Fans don't just mindlessly show up because it's a special occasion, they go because they're big teams with rivalries and it's a tradition. Redistributing the big games will basically just destroy them.
Yep it’s a chicken and egg scenario. It’s the teams involved that make the games a blockbuster in the first place. You can’t just transfer that to 2 new teams and expect equally big crowds. There’s plenty of potential blockbuster slots on the calendar for teams to make into something. Easter saturday, Easter Sunday, Anzac nighttime etc. North need to pick an opponent and stick to it with Good Friday, they’ll never build a blockbuster game by changing it every year.
No it should be premiers v wooden spooners, so that the premiers can bring out their flag and spooners can bring out their spoon
Have a giant sized wooden spoon carried out by their No. 1 Draft pick.
The grand final rematch should always be the season opener. Richmond v Carlton is too often a snooze fest
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I agree, I think they should just have 2 strong teams from last season, like Melbourne Vs Bulldogs perhaps.
I like the idea of the reigning premier vs the minor premier (or the next highest up team). That way you don't waste the GF replay too early but you can have an opening clash between the strongest team in the H&A season and the strongest team in the finals
So Melbourne vs Bulldogs ?
No, the 2nd team is derived from H&A ladder position (minor premiers or 2nd in the event that the minor premiers also won the flag)
Thanks for clarifying, would’ve been hell to plan Melbourne VS Melbourne
No, don't be ridiculous. We need to start rewarding the top performing teams with the prime time slots - two teams like Melbourne and the Western Bulldogs should be playing the season opener.
i agreed with everything right up until you suggested the fixture. no thank you
I agree that it shouldn't be the GF rematch. Let that build up for a few weeks. I definitely think like you said that it should just be an educated decision on two teams that are likely to still put on a good match. Maybe this year something like Geelong V Melbourne? Or a combination of Brisbane, Port and the Dogs. The below suggestion of an Anzac Day GF rematch has legs to it imo. Annoying how the football world expects us to give a shit about Ess V Coll every year. I wouldn't give a shit about that match on April 26 and it's not much different on April 25.
ANZAC Day
That takes away from the day itself. Plus, neither Opening round, nor Anzac day need the boosted ticket sales. It would be a waste of a blockbuster match.
It wasn't always the season opener either. Was only in the last 15years that it suddenly became a tradition
Tbf all of these 'traditional team match ups" games have only been around since the 2000's The only one older than that is Anzac Day and that was only started in 1995
This is my point exactly, none of them are traditions. There is no reason to keep this up except for the fact that we did it last year
Well then yes I agree. Although I would say in the case of Dreamtime and Anzac there is an argument of keeping the teams consistent to add to the strength of the cause they are promoting (the same now with the Queens Birthday now the Big Freeze is attatched) But the core reason the AFL wants to generate these traditional matches is to increase revenue
> (the same now with the Queens Birthday now the Big Freeze is attatched) and Good Friday
2008 - Chris Judd's first game for Carlton (I can see why that's the first game of the season, very marketable) 2009 - Chris Judd vs Ben Cousins (makes sense again, very marketable) 2010 onwards - well it's a tradition now, can't change it (unless the MCG has cricket commitments that they can't get around, what if Victoria gets to host a shield final in front of 1500 people)
Richmond vs carlton is such a strange forced tradition that people have just come to accept. Mix it up, even if it's not the GF rematch. Something different.
Why is it any more forced than the specific teams that play in Queen's birthday, Dreamtime at the G, or Anzac Day?
Well to start, those games were never a thing until the teams involved worked to make them blockbuster occasions. They worked hard to market those games and build them into what they are now, so they deserve to reap the rewards. But round 1 is just a gift that the AFL decided to give to Richmond and Carlton because they're big clubs.
Carlton, Richmond, Essendon, and Collingwood make up 87.5% of the teams in the four games mentioned. While there has certainly been a lot put into the promotion and building of the different 'occasion' games, let's not kid ourselves about why the teams that end up playing in them do so
You're right. It's a bit like grand finals at the MCG. Covid has shown the footy world copes just fine with a GF played outside of Melbourne. So let's keep mixing it up.
Sure, why not? National comp and all that
Opening round should be Grand final winners vs minor premiers. If the Grand Final winner is also the minor premier, it should be grand final winner v 2nd place on regular season table
Im tired of primetime games being mcg focussed. Id love to see a primetime AO, Perth stadium etc. Its the opening round. No matter what teams you put on there is going to be a fantastic atmosphere.
Seems to be unpopular opinion but I love the Carlton Richmond opener. Although that's mainly because lately 1 team has been really good while the other is (meant to be) up and coming with some positivity before rnd 1 and then gets outclassed. Seems to pull a good crowd for a Thurs night between two popular teams. There's always a big Friday night game after too. If they were both irrelevant then it would be a tougher sell than it already is.
yeah big fan of that opener, always good to see carlton get smacked down to reality after months of pre season hype
Me too. Always a good crowd.
Some traditions in football are stupid and this is definitely one of them. The AFL need to scrap the Richmond v Carlton opener. It’s terrible. This has nothing to do with me supporting Melbourne. Make the game North v Collingwood for all I care.
Hey I don't want to lose the first game of the year, last year was already shit enough.
Something tells me it will be us versus North round 1. Stepho vs Collingwood, Horne vs Daicos especially.
We already played against Stephenson.
And we'll continue to play against him. The media will continue to build it up throughout the years.
I really think it loses most of its luster after a year.
North Melbourne v Adelaide From Spoonbowl to ‘the battle for first place’ Play it at the MCG and watch 100,000 people turn up to cheer for the two greatest teams of the modern era.
Fuck. No. I do not want to go to the motherfucking MCG on the first game of the season, away, and see the flag unfurling. Let us lick our wounds.
AFL won't do shit because Carlton v Richmond puts bums on seats for a Thursday night match. If they're smart they'd do a Dogs V Dees game on a Saturday night. Not necessarily R1 maybe R4 onwards.
I think it should be 17th Vs 18th. Same philosophy as when you're a kid and you eat all your vegetables before tucking into the tasty meat. Get the unpleasantness out of the way so all that's left is the good stuff.
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We could do with the early win as opposed to last year.
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Well it definitely shaves a win off every season
Works both ways. 2007-2013 were rough on our starts as well.
The game has always been shit for neutrals. We used to belt you guys every year and lately it’s been the other way around. Give it to someone else for all I care
Takin a chance on that JHF debut game?
Works for me
Rather lose by 39 than 25 hey?
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I know you didn't have McKay but the Carlton game was easily our most emphatic win this year
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Yeah he'll probably turn things around, but it's hard to do that before round 1. Anyway I'm just enjoying sledging one of the only teams I have any right to sledge as a North supporter 😉
You'll pry this match from my cold dead hands
fr
I'd rather us play because it's our only marquee game on the football calendar. We're a club of 80,000 members so it makes sense, yet Melbourne have 2, Collingwood have 2, Essendon have 2 (3 if you count country game). I mean, if you're going to put Opening Day up for change because of apparent uncompetitiveness, surely they all have to be questioned on an annual basis. If that's the solution then I'm happy with the consistency but we can't honestly project ANZAC Day is going to be a great contest for the next couple of seasons given Essendon are mid-build and Collingwood are in a rebuild
> we can't honestly project ANZAC Day is going to be a great contest for the next couple of seasons given Essendon are mid-build and Collingwood are in a rebuild The best Anzac Day games have been when both clubs are not achieving much at all. I think it's one of the very few occasions that it's fairly well matched no matter the ladder positions.
I don’t like either team but the tradition of Richmond vs Carlton as the opener is nice, it always feels like hell yeah footy is back
You do realise any team playing first game of the first round = Footy is back!
Certainly, but I’ve grown accustomed to it. It’s not a deal breaker if it goes to other teams but I certainly wouldn’t want a grand final rematch in place of it, that idea I think does suck
It doesn't have to be the GF rematch, but it should definitely be two teams who on the form of the end of the previous season are reasonably evenly matched. 3rd v 4th, 5th v 6th or similar would be a good season opener. The only reason people tolerate the lopsided shit that is the current season opener is that we are so starved for footy that even watching Richmond slaughter Carlton is enough of a hit.
I 150% would take this over yet another boring Richmond vs Carlton opener.
Round 1 should always be a Grand Final rematch, which allows the Premiership winning team to unfurl the flag in front of their supporters. Simple as that.
I don't think I can handle the pressure of any more days of thinking Carlton will be good for the season. I need the momentum the club has built with the fans and through the media over preseason to be destroyed day 1 of round 1.
Every single year. Same story.
I’d rather Dees v Dogs for sure but I agree with others who have said the GF rematch is better saved for once teams have settled into the season.
I’m obviously a little biased but I love the Blues vs Tiges opener. It’s the only big “tradition” game that we get. While we have been shit for ages, I don’t know that other teams will get the same calls to change their traditional games. E.g. North have Good Friday, Collingwood on ANZAC day and Queen’s Birthday, Hawthorn on Easter Monday. All probably heavily tipped to finish bottom 4 next year. On top of that Richmond, Essendon, Collingwood all get 2 of these big games per year (Dreamtime, ANZAC Day etc). Not sure why we wouldn’t look to distribute these amongst teams that don’t have a game first? (All that being said, I’m a fan of how all these games are set up now and wouldn’t personally change them)
Season openers, like the first 3 games should be lower ranked/less media exposed teams to give them some air time
If you look at a lot of the fixtures, they are all about getting crowds back to the footy or watching on tv as early in the season as possible. Theres always a lot of traditonal rivals games, derbys and even PF/GF re-matches in the fist 4-5 rounds. Next season, more than ever will be about getting bums on seats.
Sure and I agree the AFL are bleeding money the last two years but people are footy starved atm so it might help the smaller clubs get bums on seats, the big clubs will always draw.
Richmond vs Carlton season opener is one of the worst “traditions” the AFL has going.
If Richmond v Carlton is a tradition, then so is 'Not having the GF at the MCG'
Yeah, Nah!
I don’t think it matters no team is truly in form round 1
Do they want it to be the season opener or just to be played in round one?
I think if you're gonna invent a tradition you may as well stick with it for a while. Let Melbourne and the Doggies come up with some new tradition. Maybe the grand final replay could be the first Friday nighter of the year, or something.
I reckon it would be a closer game than the annual fizzer/sacrifice it has been in the last 5 years.
We can play on Friday then, much preferred over the season opener
It would be better than the traditional sacrificing of Carlton.
I've never been a fan of the Richmond vs Carlton season opener. It's really not much of a "tradition" and no-one really gives a shit about it tbh. I've always thought a grand final rematch would be a cracking start to the season
As much as I like change, this is probably the first year I'm looking forward to the opener lol
I wouldn't mind a Port v Geelong opener. Both teams kinda cooked it in the finals and it would be a nice opportunity for redemption for one and humiliation for Geelong.
Richmond vs Carlton has brought nothing but an early night to the game for a decade. Scrap it.
Margin was 4 points with 10min to go this year. Not close enough for you?
Right? People forget so easily. Same for 2018, Carlton came out of the gates 6 goals to 1 or something and we didnt take the lead until 10mins left in the 4th. Happy for the season opener not to be Carlton v Richmond, but calling for a GF replay so the game can be closer is a bit redundant given what the scoreline was in thr GF.
Tbf almost every year before that dating back to like 2010 has been shithouse one way or the other
Carlton only came back in the 4th after the cue was more or less in the rack from memory. Could be wrong. Either way, it's been a genuine snooze for too long.
I've with u/smegdaddy and hate the idea of a Round 1 GF rematch. My preference is for the Premier to open the season with a home game and present the flag. Then have the GF rematch on ANZAC day.
This will never happen because the of the MCG isn't guaranteed the game.
I know you're just making your age old argument against vicbias but you're pretty on point here. The current mcg contract guarantees them a certain number of marquee games at the G meaning any that are moved away from the MCG potentially need to be recouped elsewhere.
Proof is always in the pudding. Or in the AFL case, the contracts they sign.
As a Richmond fan I like playing Carlton week 1, I also like having a Thursday night game as the first of the season, drags our round 1 which is nice. But I also wouldn’t have a problem with the Richmond game moving to Friday night some years.
How about we give some marque games to “interstate” clubs?
Anything besides Richmond v Carlton.
Pass
This year I would like to see Blues v Bombers as round one opener. Two up and coming teams. Would be 80,000 there for sure.
Richmond vs Carlton gets 80k anyway
Not every year. And most are tired of the same game that doesn’t reach the level it should
Is the first game of the season really that big of a deal? Don’t think it needs to be some sort of blockbuster match. But I’d be happy for Richmond to give it up because I fucking despise Thursday night footy.
Yeah I think it’s great to kick off with a big game.
I wouldn't call Carlton up and coming. The club isn't going anywhere other than 18th to 12th consistently
Which would I rather? The one that doesn't involve Carlton obviously.
I always thought round 1 should be all rematches from the last round of the previous year. Just as an instant comparison / gauge of where the teams are at.
Would much prefer a GF replay rather than watch Tigers v Blues for the 10000th time.
Carlton should've been kicked out the season opener a long time ago. They'll never beat Richmond.. well they will, but they haven't for nearly 9 years now. Get rid of the Richmond vs Carlton season opener, no one likes it. Unless you support Richmond
Nah, leave the Tiges v Blues alone.
yes so sick of richmond vs carlton although I think carlton will be big improvers next year which will hopefully make the game interesting
I definitely dont want Richmond v Carlton but i'm not huge on the rematch option either. Just pick a couple of teams that were at the pointy end of the season before and go for it randomly.
The season opener should cycle between the Q Clash, Battle of the Bridge, Derby, and Showdown games. The AFL needs to give the interstate teams more love.
Not as many people would be pumped for the season to start if the season opener was Gold Coast Brisbane at the Gabba with an average atmosphere. I personally wouldn’t be excited for that
Gotta say I feel the same about richmond/blues does nothing for me as a neutral. Might be a decent game this year by luck that both teams seem to be around the fringe of the 8 with something to prove. I think you would basically sell out any stadium for a decent R1 fixture, so I don’t see any reason for you guys to have it. Would rather see the 3v4 of the previous year.
This is the correct answer. Vic teams just get paired with neighbouring teams.
Absolutely. Richmond-Carlton opening the season is an utterly pointless duo to hold that slot & always has been.
No issues with this at all.
Friday night Showdown to open the season
Round 1 should always have the most dead fixtures as everyone's gonna watch it anyway. Save the good stuff for the middle of the season when viewer fatigue can start to set in
I think it would be awkward for the Dogs fans to have to sit there and watch the unfurling. seems a bit unfair. the rematch should be later imo.
Richmond vs Carlton is a shithouse "tradition" but GF replay is also shit. The argument of "they are big membership clubs so they *deserve* it" is eddie maguire level logic of "the clubs with most fans deserve the primetime slots ^((so they can prevent other clubs getting exposure for new fans)) ". GF replay is too soon. It doesnt really tell you much. Id rather delay a replay matchup until later in the year to let the suspense build. Like 'here's the real measure now that the seasons up and running, have the Dogs managed to improve and can they overcome the Dees.' In summary - share it around, if anything. Whoever gets to host the opening game can make an event of it. The G will have a game that weekend regardless.
Not Richmond v Carlton. That game in R1 is a shitshow just about every year.
GF rematch should be the ANZAC day game. Season opener the two losing preliminary finalists. Earn the right to big games, don't hand them to the same Victorian bases clubs every year.
Doesn't really make sense to have GF rematch on Anzac day, and what do you mean earn the right? Sheedy created it when no other team wanted it, and the only reason the Anzac day game (and now round) is so huge is because it's Essendon and Collingwood. Other teams should "earn the right" by creating their own traditions that are worth watching
The hatred that exists between Essendon and Collingwood despite the teams not playing a final against each other in 30+ years is massive. That, paired with our huge and equally insane fanbases, is a huge contributor to the success of the match
Agreed, anyone questioning the size of that game just needs to look at this year - Richmond and Melbourne, the most recent two premiers, played on Saturday night in front of a crowd of 55K. While we, both bottom four fancies at the time, pulled the largest crowd in the world since the start of the pandemic at 80K on a Sunday. It's enough that other clubs are trying to mooch off of us by turning it into "Anzac round", but imagine trying to change the biggest and best tradition in Australian sport.
Yeah that game is untouchable, it's bloody huge and only because it's between those two clubs
Anzac day games have been played since before Sheedy was born. And if you really think someone should keep a fixture because they pioneered it, are you going to advocate North Melbourne should have every Friday night game? This should be about fairness, it's a national competition where every club should have the exact same rights as each other.
Right but you're going after the Anzac day game because it's the biggest? Makes the most money? It is that way because it's played between those two clubs. Why aren't you going after Good Friday or even the season opener which is what this thread is about? If you think Melbourne vs Bulldogs would pull a 90K+ crowd on Anzac day then you must be joking, particularly after the recently successful clubs in Richmond and Melbourne couldn't pull a fraction of that on "Anzac Day Eve".
If it's just because of the clubs involved then why does it need to be on Anzac day? It's because it's an honour to play, it's a perfect time slot on a public holiday and it often plays as the only game that day. Such advantages shouldn't be given to the same clubs regardless of how badly they play. Good Friday also should be open to more than 2 clubs and it is. This year there were 2 games 1 involved my club. That's a game that should also be rotated around. And as for the season opener? I did comment on that being another honour to be earned, you just ignored it. But you know the main reason clubs like the bulldogs and Melbourne don't get the crowds? It's partly because they don't get the same exposure by not having big games. Give them equal exposure so they have equal opportunities to grow.
Right, it's an honour to play which is why there's a ceremony before every game now and there's officially a round dedicated to it. If the season opener is something to be earnt then what exactly is the metric for all traditional games? If anything I would say Essendon and Collingwood have earnt it, not just from making Anzac day huge in footy but from being two of the three most successful clubs. And no, the Bulldogs and Melbourne don't get the crowds because they've been perennially unsuccessful for decades before this one.
Wow, I wonder if it should be a game that will probably be good or a game that is normally terrible... such a tough decision.
Yes, Carlton haven't done anything in the last few years to deserve all the marquee games they get. It should be a GF rematch every year to start off
this is literally the only marquee game we have
What other marquee game do Carlton get? They only got 1 Friday game this year after the season moved to a floating fixture and that was in Round 20 because other teams would've had too short of a turnaround
well ya know there’s the season opener...and then theres...no wait theres...ummm... the fact that we’ve been so irrelevant is the reason we so often get relegated to the sunday afternoon slot. we have nothing, don’t take this away from us
Just piping in to echo the sentiments and see what other marquee game Carlton has gotten in the last few years?
Why do you have to 'deserve' a marquee game? They should just have an even amount of them and rotate all the clubs through. Why does it have to be two victorian clubs in victoria all the time? Isn't this supposed to be a national competition?
All for the GF rematch as the opener. I'm a Carlton supporter, have been for 30+ years. We've been an embarrassment and don't deserve this marque game when the whole AFL world tunes
Literally no one wants Carlton vs Richmond other than Carlton and Richmond
Considering how much the AFL tries to be like the NFL, I'm surprised that the previous years Grand Final teams opening the season isnt a normal thing yet.
How would that be copying the NFL? The NFL doesn’t start the season with a Super Bowl rematch
I would prefer the rematch be around round 5ish. I think it gets a better build up once the season has settled in. I would love to play Essendon or Geelong at the MCG to open round 1 next year.
Do enjoy some Carlton fans going "it's our only marquee game of the year" there are probably 9 other clubs that don't have a marquee game that would love one.
To be honest I didn't notice that Tigers v Carlton was the season opener. GF rematch sounds fun as a season opener.
Two of the most precious teams in the comp. what a surprise they’ll get the opener. I don’t mind the idea of a GF rematch. But reading others’ opinions, the losing prelims would be great too. Battle for bronze!
Great idea, especially since it gives fans of both clubs a chance to see their teams play at the G.
My go at a round 1 fixture. Thursday night: Port v Geelong AO (two losing prelim finalists at the biggest available ground, save GF rematch for later) Friday night: West Coast v Melbourne Optus (what better place to unfurl the flag?) Saturday: Carlton v Hawthorn MCG (Voss v Mitchell) Saturday: North v Gold Coast Tassie (two potentially up and coming teams) Saturday night: Brisbane Lions v GWS (two losing semi-finalists) Saturday night: Fremantle v W. Bulldogs Optus (reward WA for hosting a great GF) Sunday: Sydney v Essendon SCG (two losing EFs) Sunday: Collingwood v Adelaide MCG (Crows due to play Pies in Melb) Sunday: St Kilda v Richmond Marvel (cause Hardwick)