Preview Rd 4 Geelong V Melbourne Fri April 4 2025 740 pm @ GMHBA

[cats_09]

I never said dont do works, i said find a better time: i.e the 6 month where no football is getting played every year.

Not to be a smart ass, but which 6 months is that? The first of the practice matches are in Feb, with the grand final the last Saturday of September - that's only 4 months between the end of one season and when teams have their first hitout of the next season. If we add in the AFLW, they play through to the end of November, so it's really only 2 months of no football

Also, why in your opinion is it ok to inconvenience people during the summer school holidays where there's events like cricket, tennis etc, but not the odd football match - remembering that there's 5 regional lines that Vline looks after and each of those lines would undergo annual maintenance on a set schedule; not just the Geelong line

When you're tasked with maintaining over 3500km of track, it doesn't matter the time of year as rail closures will inconvenience people but it's obvious they've got key times of year they try to avoid conducting these works - Xmas/NY period, F1 weekend, Easter long weekend and AFL grand final as examples of when they try to keep all the lines open

There's a total of 4 games of AFL being played in Vic during these works, so if they're looking to cause as minimal disruptions to football fans utilising the Geelong line, it's actually not too bad

 

[iameviljez]

Footy trains between Geelong and Melbourne probably account for a couple of thousand patrons? I'm not sure it's massive business.

 

[SkittleCats]

If we add in the AFLW, they play through to the end of November,

They played 5 games down there over the 9 week season, and their crowds are a fraction of the mens games, it is not the same. And dont get angry at me for saying that either, it's just the facts. Our highest drawing game down there last year had an attendance of slightly more than 3,000 people, thats less than 10% of what that ground can hold. If it is an exercise in inconveniencing the fewest people then you could do works at anytime during the AFLW season to achieve that.

Also, why in your opinion is it ok to inconvenience people during the summer school holidays where there's events like cricket, tennis etc, but not the odd football match

Because they are prepared to inconvenience people during other school holiday periods when there is football on. On the scale of things i care about, Cricket and tennis in Geelong doesnt compare to football, and i imagine it is the same for many other people.

remembering that there's 5 regional lines that Vline looks after and each of those lines would undergo annual maintenance on a set schedule; not just the Geelong line

The Geelong line would have the highest patronage of all of them id have to guess, and now impacts many more people being that it connect through Wyndham Vale and Tarneit as well as connecting city fans to KP for games via South Geelong. You have a 12 month window to complete works for that line, and they pick the same 2-3 week period in April every year that just so happens to be right at the ****ing start of football season when there would be more patronage than normal due to football.

When you're tasked with maintaining over 3500km of track, it doesn't matter the time of year as rail closures will inconvenience people but it's obvious they've got key times of year they try to avoid conducting these works - Xmas/NY period, F1 weekend, Easter long weekend and AFL grand final as examples of when they try to keep all the lines open

Great, do it in the first week of Feb then, or really any time in Feb, there is literally nothing on. Or better yet, any time in November, when there is equally as little happening anywhere.

There's a total of 4 games of AFL being played in Vic during these works, so if they're looking to cause as minimal disruptions to football fans utilising the Geelong line, it's actually not too bad

Its ****ing abysmal. And i can easily think of a few weekends between October and March when there is no football on at all, and nothing else going on down there, that would disrupt far fewer people. Do it then.

 

[goyoucatters]

I've been on this board for over 17 years. And I truly never imagined that I would live to see the day when a preview thread for an upcoming game became a detailed exploration of the work scheduling of V/Line.

Truly the most epic thread derailing of all time.

#punintended

 

[Munich]

If it's not complaining about weather it's complaining about trains.

What next

 

[cats_09]

Footy trains between Geelong and Melbourne probably account for a couple of thousand patrons? I'm not sure it's massive business.

To add to that, I'd assume Geelong games in Melbourne (especially "home" games) would have a higher patronage when compared with Geelong home games in Geelong, even more so on a Friday night

Last year we had 4 night games at KP - our round 1 match against St Kilda on a Saturday night which was a sellout, the other 3 didn't get close

Our only Friday night match was against Port & we had less than 30k in attendance

We then had 2 further Saturday night games:

• against Richmond, just over 31k
• against the Bulldogs, just under 28k

I can imagine there'd be more folks returning home from work via the train/coach service on Friday night than those specifically traveling down for the footy

 

[Art Vandelay_]

I happen to know a vline engineer who supervises lots of these 'works' over the years. Its data driven.

Less patronage during easter where people go away, less using trains for work. More patronage in summer with longer hours of daylight and better weather.

 

[bruce lindner]

Clark has proven to be too good for VFL so we should persist with him in the senior side.
Clohesy has had a taste of senior footy and has showed good signs - would be happy for him to return to the VFL for a week or two to fine tune some aspects of his game, stay hungry and then return with vigor and refinement.
Blicavs seems to relish playing on Adelaide Oval and competes well with O'Brien - perhaps we consider bringing Stanley in this week to keep Blicavs less banged up for the short turnaround into GR.
Mannagh to ideally come in and add a legitimate clearance and defensive option around the stoppages and goal scorer.
I'm really not sure how we can better utilise O'Connor - feel like he's teetering on the fringe of selection at the moment and could even drop back to substitute this week while Knevitt comes in for a full game on the familiar home track.
(It has already been mentioned previously by many of the Cats brethren that we have some significantly underperforming forwards (who don't need to be named) - hopefully they rediscover some hunger, urgency and sustained contribution this week).

 

[SkittleCats]

To add to that, I'd assume Geelong games in Melbourne (especially "home" games) would have a higher patronage when compared with Geelong home games in Geelong, even more so on a Friday night

Last year we had 4 night games at KP - our round 1 match against St Kilda on a Saturday night which was a sellout, the other 3 didn't get close

Our only Friday night match was against Port & we had less than 30k in attendance

We then had 2 further Saturday night games:

• against Richmond, just over 31k
• against the Bulldogs, just under 28k

I can imagine there'd be more folks returning home from work via the train/coach service on Friday night than those specifically traveling down for the footy

This is the last time I'm going to post about the trains as it is derailing the thread and I don't mean it too (it is annoying that it is happening again the one game I basically have to take the train due to work and it being a Friday night). But having said that...

...One thing to remember about our games last year is that many of them were affected by similar rail shut downs due to the works at South Geelong. We really don't know what the average crowd would be for our night games with the new stadium capacity as we have so far never really had a game that hasn't had some rail disruption affecting it. Except for the Saints game which was early in the season.

 

[newcs]

I've been on this board for over 17 years. And I truly never imagined that I would live to see the day when a preview thread for an upcoming game became a detailed exploration of the work scheduling of V/Line.

Truly the most epic thread derailing of all time.

#punintended

"derailing" !! Is that a pun ?

I tried doing a separate thread to warn people about what V/Bus are doing on the weekend.
I chucked in a bit of a vent about V/Line's ways of operation.
How ever someone "derailed" things by saying the topic doesn't require it's own thread and then saw fit to lock it.
It's not the first time it's happened.
It appears that there are a few people in here who are not happy with V/Line.

https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/thre...elbourne-guess-what-v-line-are-doing.1393510/

 

[Mr Meow]

I never said dont do works, i said find a better time: i.e the 6 month where no football is getting played every year.

Bit of a sidenote, is this a way to get around name calling? "Don't be a dickhead" flies, but "You're a dickhead" doesn't? Seems pretty similar to me.

 

[Mr Meow]

If it's not complaining about weather it's complaining about trains.

What next

Weather* the trains are on schedule.

 

[MisterMarcus]

I think the disparity between our best and worst is unusual. And the frequency of these big in game swings is not normal.

A team capable of leading a prelim with minutes left, shouldn’t really be played off the park for a half by St Kilda and Brisbane. Or concede 4 goals in five minutes against Freo for that matter.

Keep in mind we have some pretty inexperienced players out there.

Younger guys still finding their feet at AFL level will always be a bit hot-and-cold, have bursts and quieter periods, run out of gas later in games, etc.

Combine with with a few of our senior blokes having quiet ones, and you can see how these big swings could happen.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Why are we like this?

 

[small 4wards]

Why are we like this?

too nervous about the game, easy to think about trains

 

[Mr Meow]

too nervous about the game, easy to think about trains

Still, we should try to stay on track.

 

[cats_09]

Weather* the trains are on schedule.

What about discussing the 'Extreme Heat Timetables' - combine both trains and weather

 

[cats_09]

too nervous about the game, easy to think about trains

Trains sound like a deflection that Richmond would have used when they've previously complained about playing away from the MCG

 

[iameviljez]

This is the last time I'm going to post about the trains as it is derailing the thread

I see what you did there

 

[Seattle Mariners]

Recovery after the humidity of last week may see some changes

And the fact that you have another 6 day break heading into Gather Round next week.

I could be wrong and you end up going chips in and playing everyone you can including Tom Stewart and Neale.

 

[PeasFC]

Trains aside...

Hopefully Stewart and Neale are passed fit. If Neale is anything less than 100% then I'd rather see him miss - Definitely time to put the acid on Cameron, Henry & Stengle to have a dominant game. SDK could rest forward if neale misses, wouldn't actually mind having a look at this. COS too played some junior footy as a forward so that's a better option than swinging Jack Henry who has been our best down back.

Mannagh would be the perfect sub to come in off an affected preseason for mine.

Knevitt back in for a full game for mine too.

O'Connor is the likely out for Stewart and I'd like to see Mullin retained as the small defender with a role again.

 

[Phipppppa]

Surely we are more worried and interested in the game at hand then some works on a train line…

 

[Gavin Excell]

Why are we like this?

Fans or the team?

 

[CatToTheFuture]

Fans or the team?

Fans

 

[Gavin Excell]

Fans

As in talking about trains or attitude to team?

Re the team, it's clearly we are in transition in a time not unlike 2014/15. Our midfield is quite inexperienced and can easily get picked apart.
Most fans appreciate this I would have thought.