Geelong superstar Patrick Dangerfield believes crowds are truthful important to the "soul" of a crippled that he'd similar to play a qualifying last astatine an interstate venue with fans implicit an bare Kardinia Park.
That's contempt Geelong's persistent pleas to the AFL successful caller years to person their location finals staged astatine Kardinia Park alternatively of the MCG.
While the AFL is yet to corroborate its stance connected home-ground vantage for this year's finals series, the anticipation of the Cats playing a qualifying last astatine Kardinia Park is inactive alive.
As Geelong hole to conscionable Melbourne astatine Kardinia Park connected Saturday, successful a clash acceptable to find this year's insignificant premiers, Dangerfield says he'd similar to play a qualifying last successful beforehand of fans successful Queensland, South Australia oregon Tasmania, arsenic opposed to moving retired successful beforehand of nary 1 astatine home.
"I powerfully judge if you gain the close to big a crippled connected your location platform you should person that opportunity," Dangerfield said connected SEN.
"But determination is nary psyche to a crippled successful beforehand of nary one.
"The feeling of moving retired successful beforehand of nary assemblage and trying to beryllium up for the infinitesimal – this mightiness dependable ridiculous and possibly it's antithetic successful finals, but it's hard to get yourself up for a crippled wherever there's conscionable nary atmosphere.
"The ambiance comes from the radical watching, the passionateness that they show. And erstwhile they're not there, erstwhile our fans aren't there, it disappears. And it's hard to enactment engaged successful the game.
"It whitethorn dependable ridiculous, but it's true.
"It doesn't invoke immoderate emotion during the game.
"Your teammate kicks a large extremity and there's soundlessness and you conscionable locomotion backmost to the middle; you restart and distant you go.
"It conscionable doesn't person that unthinkable ecstasy and elation that you consciousness from playing successful beforehand of fans that thrust each bump with you.
"I deliberation we'd beryllium doing a disservice if we went down that way (of playing successful beforehand of nary crowd)."
Dangerfield, however, agreed with an statement enactment guardant by North Melbourne large David King.
The two-time premiership Kangaroo says clubs triumph home-ground advantages successful finals done the hard enactment they enactment successful during the regular season.
"I hold with 'Kingy'; that's wherefore you play rounds 1-22, to springiness yourself the champion opportunity," Dangerfield.
"What bash your supporters want? They privation you to triumph a expansive final. How you bash that? Don't care. Win a expansive final."
Although biased by his ain admission, erstwhile Adelaide Crow Dangerfield said he'd similar to play a qualifying last with fans astatine Adelaide Oval, alternatively than anyplace successful Queensland oregon Tasmania.
"It's an unthinkable spot to play footy," Dangerfield said of Adelaide Oval.
"I bash consciousness there's a peculiar spot successful football's bosom that is Adelaide Oval."
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