[RaicickKida]

A big Preliminery Final weekend at Joondalup, with NO lead-up games at all !!!

Colts Preliminery Final to be played at Claremont

Reserves Preliminery Final to be played at Lathlain (same time as the league game?)

League Preliminery Final to be played at Joondalup.

SO EVERYONE GET TO JOONDALUP EARLY AND WATCH THE GRASS GROW !! DONT MISS IT....

This is just unbeleivable and no wonder crowds are shiit.... All grades should be played at Joondalup on the day together and make it a huge WAFL day. I think we should just give up with Dorro and his cronies. This comp and its flicker of credibility or profile just does not stand a chance.

Normally myself and Im sure many purists would make the effort to get there early and watch all the grades and talent coming through. I will not bother making the effort going to the game & I am certain many like me feel the same. Why should I make the effort when those in charge of the comp dont make an effort themselves. The WAFL are morons & they are doing this comp no favours whatsoever. Expect another big day with a landscape of empty outer banks and probably more seagulls than people..... What a joke you blokes are.

[MauroDarudo]

Normally id agree but with the disgrace that is arena joondalup when it comes to change room facilities theres no way they could accomodate all the teams.

[Kotyara]

Gasman, I tend to agree with your views on this site but why one earth should:

- Perth Reserves and Claremont Colts not receive a home final after winning 16 and 17 games out of 20?
- Perth and East Fremantle players be forced to travel much further than they would to Joondalup compared to Lathlain?
- Perth and Claremont miss out on revenue from bar and food sales?

[Abnorbprootly]

My opinion is based on the overall good of the WAFL, and this system they have just deteriorates the crowds. Having 3,012 at Claremont Oval for a 2nd Semi Final on an Eagles free day is a total disgrace.

And before all of this home ground final stuff, all finals were at Subiaco Oval (Colts,Reserves & League) anyway....

I have no problem with the league sides getting home finals at suburban grounds. That is a good thing especially because the WAFL have ignored this comp to the stage where crowds at finals are this bad. But the Colts & Reserves should play finals wherever the main game is. Simple as that. As for food and bar revenue, I wouldnt have thought a crowd of barely 200 at these other games would have such a massive financial gain for the clubs.

Your opinion is yours and thats fine, but all I am saying is the image of the WAFL (and we are all blood-linked to this competition) is taking a battering. I am only thinking of the longer term future of our competition and I just dont see any long term future at all if we as a whole dont get smarter about it. Having 3 finals at separate grounds isnt smart in a general sense. And home ground advantages are honestly overblown. Its all grass, goalposts at either end & the same pigskin to kick around. If players these days see that as a negative or positive effect either way, then they are not really concentrating on the job in front of them the way they should.

Us WAFL supporters are in the minority these days I understand that. But that minority is shrinking severly every single year and the portrayal of our biggest month of the year being played out in front of empty grass banks does not help. You would think both the Colts & Reserves teams would love to play in front of bigger crowds and a few neutral fans just to add to the novelty of finals football. I remember last year at East Freo Oval seeing the WP and EP reserves playing the last quarter out in front of about 5-6000 spectators. Had that game been at another venue they would have played in front of mates and parents.

[pKgGpUlF]

I disagree with you on the home crowd advantage thing gasman - it is and always will be a big advantage in wafl i believe. but i strongly agree with you on the play all 3 games thing. Its how it used to be and it makes an occasion of it.

[Nurba]

A big Preliminery Final weekend at Joondalup, with NO lead-up games at all !!!

Colts Preliminery Final to be played at Claremont

Reserves Preliminery Final to be played at Lathlain (same time as the league game?)

League Preliminery Final to be played at Joondalup.

SO EVERYONE GET TO JOONDALUP EARLY AND WATCH THE GRASS GROW !! DONT MISS IT....

This is just unbeleivable and no wonder crowds are shiit.... All grades should be played at Joondalup on the day together and make it a huge WAFL day. I think we should just give up with Dorro and his cronies. This comp and its flicker of credibility or profile just does not stand a chance.

Normally myself and Im sure many purists would make the effort to get there early and watch all the grades and talent coming through. I will not bother making the effort going to the game & I am certain many like me feel the same. Why should I make the effort when those in charge of the comp dont make an effort themselves. The WAFL are morons & they are doing this comp no favours whatsoever. Expect another big day with a landscape of empty outer banks and probably more seagulls than people..... What a joke you blokes are.

Agree 110%

[Piediahef]

I understand what you are saying Gas but i am assuming a ground like Subiaco Oval can cater for different clubs on the same day much better than the standard club grounds so for instance can you imagine how WP would feel not being able to get access to their own change rooms until maybe 3qtr time in the ressies and then where does all the gear go for the Perth ressies and where do they go for a shower and to get changed? And doubly worse for the 2 clubs sharing the visitors rooms at Joondy. I think that plays as much if not more into it than necessarily giving reserves and colts teams a home ground advantage. And then there is the support staff to rub down players, tape them up etc.... I reckon it would be a nightmare.

If the prelim final was being played at Leederville then perhaps it could be done because there are two new sets of home ground change rooms there and perhaps the old WP change rooms and visitors rooms are still there? I do agree with you it would be a much better spectacle for the crowd and even the 2 reserves teams and be great for the build up of the crowd and the atmosphere. Why not let 2 u/16's teams in the Joondy area play their final as a curtain raiser? I don't think they would give a shit about having a shower afterwards or where they got changed, they would just be thrilled to be able to play on a big stage. I reckon they would jump at the chance.

[Investblogger]

Trying to remember what happened when WP played SD in a Prelim at Joondalup in 08. The colts and ressies definitely played beforehand. I think perhaps the ressies used change rooms within Arena? The away changerooms are small enough at Joondalup without the need to share them.
At Leederville they have used changerooms at the Loftus Centre for curtain-raisers (state game, finals)

[stoneeZef]

And now apparently the WAFL have asked that people use public transport to get to the Joondalup game. Apparently there is a massive religious convention (or something like that) on at the Arena Venue at the same time. Parking will be basically impossible.

What a cock-up across the board.

They couldnt organise a root in a whore house.

[slimfifa]

I think you'll find the evangelic conference is at the church opposite the Arena Gas on the opposite side of the car park. If the prelim final was on a Saturday then it wouldn't be a problem. I know the WAFL have scheduled the finals to avoid clashing with the Eagles finals games and fair enough but seeing that all grades are being played at different venues i can't see why the league final can't be played on the Saturday and brought forward to say a 1pm start to give Eagles fans plenty of time to see their WAFL team and get to Subiaco Oval for the 5.50pm start.

Perhaps the conference was booked in the first place on a Sunday expecting most WAFL games are played on a Saturday? Play the prelim final on a Saturday at 1 or 1.30pm and everybody wins.

[slimfifa]

Not much the WAFL can do about some freak show religious conference.

[Feflyinvelf]

I reckon that would be right up the alley of some of those goons in your grandstand Robbo. They've probably got their tickets to that event for a sing-a-long to tune up before the usual WP...WP... chant before the first bounce!