David EdwardsSchedule Once More Favours The Favourites
October 25th 2006 13:43
Well the AFL have announced today their schedule for the 2007 season. As usual there were some winners, some losers and some indifferent clubs to how the fixture has panned out.
First of all the big winner is once more… Collingwood. That’s right, the team that most fans love to hate has by far the easiest ride into the finals. As they only have to leave their home state a total of four times in the entire season.
In fact, the Magpies are in Victoria from Round 12, and have the easiest time in what defines the finals. With so many games in front of their supporters, even if a game is regarded as ‘away’ (it seems in Round 15 that Geelong will host Collingwood… at the MCG), it looks like we can already lock the black and white army is preparing to fail at yet another finals campaign.
All personal shots aside, what is more interesting how much the former glory side of Essendon has fallen out of the fixture’s favour. Not only do they have to travel to both Adelaide and Perth twice, but they are slated to play three of the top four sides last year two times throughout the season, and are forced to play against the other top four team (Sydney) away.
The Premiers, West Coast, could be either hot or cold from the schedule. First of all, they are forced into a Grand Final rematch against Sydney in Sydney, meaning they cannot unfurl their premiership flag until the next round. But they have an alternating schedule in home and away games, something that is rare for any side. Plus they are travelling between Perth and Melbourne for the last seven rounds, so they will either be fully prepared for the Melbourne trek in September or they will be so tired from it they will not be able to stand up in the finals.
All in all, meaning other than the one-sided Collingwood fiasco, they AFL 2007 fixture is shaping up quite well. They have finally added the Sunday twilight as a permanent timeslot, and depending on how this season pans out, we’ll see how it stands up. But all in all, the AFL can be proud of how much they had to fork out for this new scheduling software, because I cannot think of the fixture ever being so even sided for most clubs.
On a completely different matter, the South Dragons in the NBL played for the first time tonight with Heal at the helm, and once more they have crashed out against Adelaide, 103-88. How long do many people think it will take for Heal to return as just a player again?
Until next time, sports minds.
First of all the big winner is once more… Collingwood. That’s right, the team that most fans love to hate has by far the easiest ride into the finals. As they only have to leave their home state a total of four times in the entire season.
In fact, the Magpies are in Victoria from Round 12, and have the easiest time in what defines the finals. With so many games in front of their supporters, even if a game is regarded as ‘away’ (it seems in Round 15 that Geelong will host Collingwood… at the MCG), it looks like we can already lock the black and white army is preparing to fail at yet another finals campaign.
All personal shots aside, what is more interesting how much the former glory side of Essendon has fallen out of the fixture’s favour. Not only do they have to travel to both Adelaide and Perth twice, but they are slated to play three of the top four sides last year two times throughout the season, and are forced to play against the other top four team (Sydney) away.
The Premiers, West Coast, could be either hot or cold from the schedule. First of all, they are forced into a Grand Final rematch against Sydney in Sydney, meaning they cannot unfurl their premiership flag until the next round. But they have an alternating schedule in home and away games, something that is rare for any side. Plus they are travelling between Perth and Melbourne for the last seven rounds, so they will either be fully prepared for the Melbourne trek in September or they will be so tired from it they will not be able to stand up in the finals.
All in all, meaning other than the one-sided Collingwood fiasco, they AFL 2007 fixture is shaping up quite well. They have finally added the Sunday twilight as a permanent timeslot, and depending on how this season pans out, we’ll see how it stands up. But all in all, the AFL can be proud of how much they had to fork out for this new scheduling software, because I cannot think of the fixture ever being so even sided for most clubs.
On a completely different matter, the South Dragons in the NBL played for the first time tonight with Heal at the helm, and once more they have crashed out against Adelaide, 103-88. How long do many people think it will take for Heal to return as just a player again?
Until next time, sports minds.
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