AFL Draw 2002

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News just in (from a friend of mine) - here's the requests from all the culbs for 2002 draw:

Each of the 16 AFL clubs have submitted their requests for the 2002 season draw. The following is a summary of the key points:

Adelaide:
Have asked for 12 games at Football Park with the remaining 10 to
be in Perth against Fremantle. Want mainly Sunday afternoon games
so that their supporters can get over Chardonnay-induced hangovers caused by Saturday trips to the Barossa and Clare Valleys.

Brisbane:
Are lobbying heavily to have all games in Brisbane, Adelaide,
Sydney, Perth, Darwin, Singapore and Tanzania - anywhere really except Melbourne where they are utterly shit-house.

Carlton:
Apart from 10 games at Optus Oval and one in Sydney, Carlton wants two games on a soccer pitch, four games on a lawn tennis court, three on a bowling green, and none whatsoever on anything resembling a full-size football ground.

Collingwood:
The Magpies have asked the AFL for "blockbuster" fixtures
against Essendon, Carlton, Richmond, Hawthorn, Geelong, Adelaide,
Melbourne, the Kangaroos, Sydney, Brisbane, West Coast, Port Adelaide, the Bulldogs, St Kilda and Fremantle.

Essendon:
Essendon have asked to be able to switch games from Colonial Stadium to the MCG, to Waverley, to Sunshine Reserve, to West Wyaong Sports Ground at will, depending upon whatever stupid, hair-brained idea Kevin Sheedy has at any given minute. Have also asked for its games to be telecast live immediately after Video Hits on Channel 10.

Fremantle:
The Fremantle Football Club has complained that the 2001 AFL draw is completely unfair. The Dockers have asked the AFL why Carlton, Collingwood, Hawthorn, etc. get to play Fremantle twice in 2001, while the Dockers haven't got to play against Fremantle yet since joining the league in 1995? Fremantle are hoping to play the Dockers twice in 2002, obviously seeing it as an opportunity to boost their own percentage.

Geelong:
The Geelong Football Club has asked for no games at Shell Stadium
in 2002. The club says that it is too much to expect Geelong players to travel from Geelong to Kardinia Park every second week and that the strain of the long, hard trek clearly shows in the Cats' results there. The Cats have also asked for the AFL to pay for Sam Newman to be flown around the country, preferably to a State that Geelong aren't playing in.

Hawthorn:
Have simply photocopied this year's draw and faxed it through to
AFL headquarters for next year. The Hawks are still pinching
themselves that they've got to play all the [snip] teams twice in 2001, and won't play anyone decent until round 9.

Kangaroos:
The Kangaroos have asked the AFL to schedule games in the city
during S11 type demonstrations. That way they can get a 'rent-a-crowd' without having to pay for it!

Melbourne:
Melbourne members have asked that no MFC games be scheduled
during the ski season. Also, in a special request, the Demons have asked to play several games at Tullamarine Airport to take into account that David Neitz has the turning circle of a Boeng 747.

Port Adelaide:
The Power have asked for exactly the same draw as in 2001
that is 30 games in a row at Football Park. Port Adelaide has also asked for at least 8 games on Thursdays, to coincide with pension day.

Richmond:
Richmond has asked for 22 home games in 2002 so that Tiger
players won't be traumatised by wearing white shorts. Matthew Knights in particular is sick of opposition fans using his huge white shorts as a projector screen for watching drive-in movies.

St Kilda:
The club's 2002 draw request message arrived on Friday but, in
keeping with St Kilda tradition, it self-destructed on Saturday.

Sydney:
Rodney Eade has asked for the home and away season to be reduced to three games. To back up the point, the Swans have been playing for the last four weeks like their season is already over.

West Coast Eagles:
Have asked for 22 interstate games in 2002 so that people in Perth forget how woeful they are. The Eagles would also like the AFL season to start 4 weeks after the WAFL season so that their recruiting people can get some idea what 28-year-old hacks might be available for call up during the year.

Western Bulldogs:
Requested home games in Iraq, Libya, Iran and El Salvador have been rejected by the governments of those countries because,to quote the 'Butcher of Baghdad': "... even terrorist regimes have standards."


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