Russell calls out “ridiculous” Collingwood fixture call

Dwayne Russell understands why Collingwood fans weren’t happy with playing a home game against the Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium.

Under the current agreement, Collingwood plays two home games a year at Marvel Stadium.

While that won’t be changing, Russell understands why fans weren’t thrilled about having one of those games come against a tenant of the stadium already in the Western Bulldogs.

Russell couldn’t understand why the game wasn’t at the MCG, given it was a standalone Friday night fixture and many more fans than Marvel Stadium’s 53,343 capacity would have likely attended.

The SEN host thinks that the Magpies should only play home games at Marvel against interstate clubs, as they did against West Coast in Round 9.

“It's a worthy whinge,” Russell said on SEN Afternoons.

“The trouble is everyone's forced to play a game at Marvel to make up the Marvel allocation, but don't force Collingwood to play a home game against a Marvel co-tenant, that's just ridiculous from the AFL.

“They also lock out 30,000 fans in the process. A Collingwood home game at the MCG pretty much pulls 70 or 75,000 at least now, whether it's against a Melbourne-based team or even a non-Melbourne-based team.

“I mean, why would you cost yourself 30,000 fans when gate attendance is one of your main parameters in the fixture?

“Why would they schedule that one against the Bulldogs? If you’re going to schedule a Collingwood home game at Marvel, do it against Fremantle, do it against Port Adelaide, don't do it against the Dogs.

“It's a whinge, but I reckon it's a good one.”

Out of Collingwood’s nine home games at the MCG in 2024, four of them come against interstate clubs in Sydney, Port Adelaide, Adelaide and Brisbane.