Will we ever get a "locked in AFL-approved" annual game?

[saintspremiers]

Bloody hopeless Melbourne get their locked in Queens Beay match. The MND thing has thankfully kept growing so that's a positive, but prior to that it was a locked in annual fixture.

We also have
Hawks/Cats Easter Monday
Blues/Tigers Thursday season opener.
Bombers/Pies Anzac Day
2X showdowns/derbies per annum
Latest one in Dogs/Kangas Good Friday - will they trial those two teams again next year and then lock it in?

We now appear to be the ONLY Victorian team without a special event game FFS!!!

Oh the Maddie's Match - well, that's never on a special time slot or against the same team so doesn't count.

We did have Saints/Carlton on Monday night after Mother's Day for years but that was counterproductive and unpopular to go to

[Sainter_Dad]

Isn't Maddies match always St Kilda v Richmond due to the Riewoldt connection????

Aside from that - do you really think our form line for the past 10 years warrants a reward like a marquee game?????
Hells we can't even get regular appearances at the 'G.

[Saintlester]

So what has Carlton's form of the last 10 years showed to give them the right to the season opener?

I think we should go to the AFL and submit for maybe a "Heaven V Hell" annual match against Melbourne. Play it on the Saturday or Sunday afternoon of one of the bye weekends so it has stand alone status.

Other than that the only other one is to make "Maddie's Match" an annual and lock it in with Richmond. Same time every year.

[longtimesaint]

Bloody hopeless Melbourne get their locked in Queens Beay match. The MND thing has thankfully kept growing so that's a positive, but prior to that it was a locked in annual fixture.

We also have
Hawks/Cats Easter Monday
Blues/Tigers Thursday season opener.
Bombers/Pies Anzac Day
2X showdowns/derbies per annum
Latest one in Dogs/Kangas Good Friday - will they trial those two teams again next year and then lock it in?

We now appear to be the ONLY Victorian team without a special event game FFS!!!

Oh the Maddie's Match - well, that's never on a special time slot or against the same team so doesn't count.

We did have Saints/Carlton on Monday night after Mother's Day for years but that was counterproductive and unpopular to go to

There's also dream time at the G with Essendon and Richmond.

[Proph3t of egan]

We have the police match with hawthorn every year in Tasmania

[Sainter_Dad]

So what has Carlton's form of the last 10 years showed to give them the right to the season opener?

I think we should go to the AFL and submit for maybe a "Heaven V Hell" annual match against Melbourne. Play it on the Saturday or Sunday afternoon of one of the bye weekends so it has stand alone status.

Other than that the only other one is to make "Maddie's Match" an annual and lock it in with Richmond. Same time every year.

There will never be a 'Heaven v Hell' game - too close to religious connotations

You would have more chance of a 'Coca Cola Cup' Saints (Coke Zero) v Swans (Regular Coke) match

[WellardSaint]

So what has Carlton's form of the last 10 years showed to give them the right to the season opener?

I think we should go to the AFL and submit for maybe a "Heaven V Hell" annual match against Melbourne. Play it on the Saturday or Sunday afternoon of one of the bye weekends so it has stand alone status.

Other than that the only other one is to make "Maddie's Match" an annual and lock it in with Richmond. Same time every year.

When they play Tigers, 85k turn up to the game.
Saints will get 85k but it does take EIGHT games to get to that total

[loris]

We have the 'Pride Match' which we now share with Sydney Swans. One season it's played at Etihad, the next season it's played at SCG.

[desertsaint]

we should ask for the season opener against collingwood - replicating the first ever vfl round to celebrate the roots of the afl. richmond are not a foundation club so wouldn't qualify. remove the queens birthday from collingwood and give it to carlton as compensation.

[White Winmar]

Hooray, the gay pride game. There's a winner. 33,000 last year was almost a protest vote. Like NZ, another dud concept we've been lumbered with by HQ.

[The Recruit]

Agree. It cannot be against an interstate team. We should have done everything we could to
A....get the good Friday game
B....have a women's footy team

Instead of wanting a 'special game' during the year however why don't we just win enough to make Grand Final day ours...do that 3-4 years in a row then nothing else matters.

[saintspremiers]

We have the police match with hawthorn every year in Tasmania

That's hardly a marque match and not in Victoria and not a standalone time slot either.

[saintspremiers]

We have the 'Pride Match' which we now share with Sydney Swans. One season it's played at Etihad, the next season it's played at SCG.

Again doesn't count. Has to be standalone time slot and a Victorian venue always.

[realdeal]

I'm no expert but surely there are some basic rules to start with..

1.) You need to play the same team on any special occasion.. It can't rotate, if it's 'Maddie's' match then it has to be against Richmond every time or Pride game against Sydney.
2.) There has to be 'an event' in conjunction with the game to give it more ompf. Eg. Dreamtime March, winter freeze. Only having rainbow scarfs don't cut it.

We missed opportunities to go the Miller/Silk police game and a Barker/Whitten cancer awareness game but we need to persevere.

Personally I think we need to follow the Melb/Rich lead and apply for a Queens bday eve match over the bye w/e.. Say against Rich or Gee maybe... Sunday arvo/evening with public holiday and fewer games in the round.. I don't see many other options.

It's a disgrace that every other team has a 'blockbuster' besides us.. This needs to change and be a priority.