Alastair Clarkson calls out AFL ‘gift' to Collingwood: ‘I'd like to be the Pies'
The Kangaroos finished their two-week stint in Western Australia with a brave six-point loss to Fremantle at Optus Stadium on Saturday night.
A week earlier, North Melbourne beat West Coast by 10 points in Bunbury - a coastal town about two hours south of Perth.
The two matches in WA were technically North Melbourne home games.
It's part of a three-year deal worth about $7.5m in which North Melbourne will 'host' two games a season in Perth.
The Kangaroos agreed to the deal given their current contract with playing games in Tasmania is winding down. As one of the poorest clubs in Victoria, selling games is a necessary evil.
Over their past nine matches, North Melbourne have played at Marvel Stadium (three times), Barossa Park, Adelaide Oval, Ninja Stadium, the MCG, Hands Oval and Optus Stadium.
It's in stark contrast to Collingwood, whose huge crowd-pulling power means they are often scheduled to play at the MCG and rarely have to travel interstate compared to other sides.
In Collingwood's fixture this year, 14 of their 23 games are at the MCG, and they only have six interstate games - one of which was for Gather Round.
It's no wonder Pendlebury had a chuckle with North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson when they crossed paths recently.
'It's funny. I ran into Scotty Pendlebury, I was on the same plane when I came back from the Hall of Fame on Wednesday,' Clarkson said.
'Anyway, he was laughing about the amount that we've had to travel, compared to the gifts that they get playing at the MCG on a regular basis.
'I'd like to be like the Pies and just play at the MCG most weeks.
'But the Collingwood side are able to generate their revenue from their crowds and their opportunities.
'They get to play at the MCG and North aren't in that position at this current time.
'So we need to get on the road and play our games (in) Tassie, (or) in this case WA.
'We're happy to do so, because if we don't it puts the competition and our club in a perilous state if we can't balance the books.'
A crowd of 31,408 attended the North-Fremantle game on Saturday night.
Although Fremantle understandably enjoyed the bulk of the support, there was a large contingent of North fans, and they let their presence be felt when the Kangaroos stormed from 28 points down to level the scores late in the match.
Dockers ruckman Luke Jackson kicked the match-winning goal with three minutes remaining to secure the 10.13 (73) to 10.7 (67) triumph.
North next face Carlton at the MCG on Saturday in what marks just the second time this season the Kangaroos will play at the 'Home of Football'.
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