http://www.theage.com.au/realfooty/news ... 07259.html

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NOW YOU'RE JUST SOME CLUB THAT I USED TO KNOW.

Carlton v Geelong 2004: 25,037 at Optus Oval.
Carlton v Geelong 2005: 45,758 at Telstra Dome.

That's over 20,000 that disagree with you Jack.

What a ridiculous comment/comparison.

How many would have been at the G? Which was Jack's proposal. And he's exactly right, we'd need BIG crowds at the Dome to pay for the huge rental fee

A couple of points on a topic that's been done to death, but probably warrants discussion in the week leading up to the last ever game at Princes Park.

1. Spending the money we'd need to spend to keep Optus Oval at the standard required to host AFL football all for the sake of just FOUR games a season against low-drawing teams (average attendance probably 14-18,000) would be complete lunacy and show absolutely zero business sense.

So I'm not surprised J.E. proposed it.

2. The current board actually preferred the MCG to Telstra Dome in principle, but the AFL pretty much refused to schedule our games at the G. We all know this, so bitching about not being full-time tenants at the G is just a waste of breath. The club cut the best deal it could with limited leverage.

3. The time to go to the MCG was a decade ago, but we decided to spend over $7,000,000 building the Legends Stand, racked up a huge debt and missed the boat. That's our tough shit.

4. None of us know the figures, but I couldn't imagine the break-even figures being much different for the G or TD. Besides, I doubt we'd get too many more than 45,000 at the G for a game against Geelong. And don't forget, when you're playing at the G, you can't count all those MCC members as paying customers either.

Would've got a LOT more last Friday night I reckon, as the only thing keeping the crowd down last week was the ticketed match situation

It's all about break even point. At TD it was about 32-33K a couple of seasons ago, not sure if it's the same these days. Let's assume for this point in case.

At Optus, the break even point is 11-12K.

So using the crowd figures above;
14K more than break even at TD
14K more than break even at OO

BUT here's the advantage at TD
more commercial exposure, greater FTA coverage, eg Friday nights, better facilities for corporates, members, and supporters.

We're better of at TD, financially so far.

The test will be against lower drawing crowds at this ground and the G. Of course, Carlton's current form won't help with upcoming games at TD.

The break even point is bollocks!!!suppose 15k went to a Carlton Freo game at Optus...and 12 , 000 were members..cos now we have 33,000 members and not 25,000 members like under Jack...
How many paying customers would add to the club coffers????

At the Dome we might have crowds of 45k but 25k would be paying customers..(against Hawthorn) cos they want to come along.... and they will pay their money at the door to do so...
Or alternatively.. how many of 22,000 at PP would be paying members and how many members... members have already handed their money over to the club...

so the 11/12k doesnt wash does it????

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The AFL decide the scheduling. There is only one more Fri night game at the G for the rest of the year: Collingwood-Essendon in Rd 16. All other matches are at TD or interstate.

Bloddy hell,

I hope not many more like last friday. That must be the addage any exposure is good exposure, eh?

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"Two roads diverged in a wood,
and I,
I took the one less travelled by,
and that has made all the difference."

Robert Frost

John is being mooted for "Dancing with the Stars" : The Final indignity.
Oh well at least it's not "Celebrity Circus".
Maybe Australia will love him as much as a certain far right politician after all.
He could dance with Goddard, Wells and Tenace they look like stars.