July 25, 2007
State Premiership Home/Away
At the moment the State Premiership is played as a once off single match at KGV between the Northern and Southern Premiers. It has been suggested the best format for this fixture would a true home and away series.
A home and away series with the winner being declared on aggregate scores may very well be the best and fairest way of deciding the State Champion but do clubs really believe the State Premiership is a worthwhile trophy to pursue in this manner??
I welcome your thoughts.
BJ - I’m not a club but can I comment anyway?
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Prospectively South v. Somerset in a one-off game at KGV is a bit silly. A final over two legs is much better, but may then take two weeks after the end of the season? Sat/Sun with a bus sponsor? Not really practical I think.
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It could be played at York park as a curtain raiser to some silly footy game - that would be interesting! Or the FFT could build a ground at Campbell Town.
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Without a Statewide comp. in place I think this game/games should happen. It’s the only chance for the FFT to promote the game (and clubs) in the State. Whatever the format or location it would be much better than the rep. games anyway.
Comment by tasblue — July 25, 2007 @ 5:30 pm
I think it’s logical for a home/away battle to happen, but since when has logic been involved in anything the FFT do?
Tasblue I’m not one to call AFL/Aussie Rules “silly” but either way I don’t think you’ll get it before a match as you have a slight problem with ground markings. If you’ve ever seen a game at Pontville you’ll see it doesn’t quite work right, and definitely wouldn’t be allowed before any high-level AFL/Aussie Rules game.
I have little knowledge of northern grounds, so my question is, other than York Park, is there a good (mainly) neutral ground with a stand/spectator facilities similar to KGV? Or would it just be played at the Northern team’s home ground? Reason I’m asking, as if it’s a Southern team other than Zebras/Knights, it puts them at a SLIGHT disadvantage if it’s at the home team’s ground up north, but not down south.
Comment by Ril — July 25, 2007 @ 5:55 pm
I understood that the statewide cup final is always played at KGV but the state final is alternated between north and south. Which would mean the north host the final this year. Could anyone clarify this for me
Comment by uncle t — July 25, 2007 @ 7:22 pm
Ril,
Look out - BJ’s Chickenfeed “sarcasm meter” may be set off again!
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Why not just a ‘home and away’ (gee - what a rubbish programme) at the two clubs’ home grounds? Unless it was meant as a fundraiser for the FFT to be held at KGV of course?
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If Knights or Zebras win through then all proceeds for their ‘home’ game should go to teams they’ve beaten en route?
Comment by tasblue — July 25, 2007 @ 7:38 pm
uncle t i think you may be right? i have been involved in the last 3…. zebras vs devonport at kgv 2004, knights vs l’ton city at riverside 2005 and knights vs somerset last year!! i would imagibe that the pattern would be that this years game will be up north!! obviously no involvement though worst luck!!! lol sth hobart my tip!!
Comment by Corey Smith — July 25, 2007 @ 8:15 pm
Home and Away much better for a state final. No argument. Regarding grounds I would imagine that all teams play the few grounds so many times that I wouldn’t imagine that a Southern team would find any Southern “neutral” against the North and vice versa. We could of course always be like golf. They are playing their 36-hole regional pennant finals at 9-hole golf courses. It isn’t just FFT that get it wrong.
Comment by A Whisper — July 26, 2007 @ 8:11 am
I cant see why it wouldnt be played as a simple home and away fixture with away goals rule. But it would be better to know this at seasons start. If you win the north or south premier league, you will be playing an extra two weeks at the end of the season, three if your good enough to be playing in the state wide cup final!
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I dont think anyone up here has a problem with the state cup final being held at KGV. Its like wemberly in the FA cup or the MCG in the AFL grand final, if you get there your playing at KGV, but as for the state premiership, which I might add is based on the winner of the home and away season, I think it only fair that the teams get equal chance to win such on occasion by playing at each others venue.
Comment by Captain Australia — July 26, 2007 @ 8:56 am
Good call CA,
‘it would be better to know this at seasons start’ what was happening..
Too often new league formats and competitions are dreamed up and then fall over when a new proposal happens along..Thinking of the failed statewide challenge while teams had a bye… Historically (over the past 30 years ) STas or FFT as they are now known have changed the rules for statewide competitions far too often.
Through the 80’s we had a statewide league with a finals series..when this went by the wayside some sort of state final was started..It was then a simple home and away fixture with away goals rule. (One year I think one leg was played on Devonports back training ground after a flood on the main ground)
This has been dropped back as Corey says of recent years to alternate venues between north and south I think it had something to do with Clubs being in both the cup and the state final and not wanting to play three finals games in three weeks.
As for the statewide knock out cup yes it has almost always been played at KGV except one year when two Northern teams made the final and Prospect was the venue.
Like CA..I just reckon FFT should settle on a format for 2008 then stick to it for 5 or 10 years not just 2 or 3.
Comment by interested spectator — July 26, 2007 @ 9:58 am
The final used to be over two legs until due to time constraints it was limited to the one match .University made the trip to Devonport without a return game .
I remember standing in the rain for 2 hours waiting to present the trophy . Since that time I beleive it has been a one off event alternating between North and South . This year I assume the Southern champions will travel .
I beleive the venue depends on the contestants . North west coast champions the game is played in Launceston notwithstanding the previous year’s venue..
A Launceston team means the game is played in Hobart or Launceston dependent on the previous year’s venue.
Comment by Brian Roberts — July 26, 2007 @ 10:16 am
I must have mistyped the latter part of the above , just put it down to age.. It should read
I beleive the venue should depend on where the contestants hail from. If North west coast Clubs are champions the game is played in Launceston notwithstanding the previous year’s venue..
If a Launceston team are champions the game is played in Hobart or Launceston dependent on the previous year’s venue.
Comment by Brian Roberts — July 26, 2007 @ 5:16 pm
Firstly let me say that I am the president at Somerset, but I have an opinion to! and this is my opinion not necessarily the club perspective. FFT already have our clubs proposal regarding this issue.
I beleive that the state playoff should be played as a single match at the home of the southern or northern premier. Even years in the south and Odd years in the North. The only negative is that it is at one teams home ground. Not such a big bias these days. The pluses are many..promoted properly by the host club you should get a large crowd and these matches deserve a large crowd as they are the 2 best teams in the State!. It allows the game to be taken to different areas of the state, it allows the home club to promote through to the junior associations that are around the club’s area. It provides an opportunity for the club to get as many sponsors and sponsor events to the match, it allows the club to generate considerable income, especially as the following year they will have to go south or north etc. (currently it costs our club approx $1000 to play in hobart).
Our club travels further each year than any other senior club in the state, if we won next year i would love to play at Clarence or Taroona or even KGV because I want this match to attract a large crowd with lots of support. I know that the host club will get a terrific benefit from hosting the match and that we will always have a good chance to win the match.
With our preseason cup then a tough home and away series as well as the state cup we don’t want another match were we will be travelling unnecessarily. One match is enough to decide the issue.
Comment by browny — August 12, 2007 @ 10:08 pm