My Solution to Fixturing Problem

[Mr Fonebone]

I am not sure if anyone has put this idea out there before but here goes ( using my team as a example ):

• The AFL fixtures are done in four year blocks.
• Each team will have a designated rivalry teams eg Freo has West Coast.
• Each side plays each other once in the first 17 rounds and then their rivalry team in the round 18.
• They then play 4 of the other 16 teams in the last four rounds.
• These teams are swapped around in the next three seasons.
• The result is that each side plays their rivalry side 8 times over a four year period and plays each of the other 16 sides twice in the same period.

For example using Freo:

2016 Season

Rnd 1 - 17 Plays all clubs
Rnd 18 Plays WCE
Rnd 19 Plays Ade
Rnd 20 Plays Bri
Rnd 21 Plays Car
Rnd 22 Plays Col

2017 Season

Rnd 1 - 17 Plays all clubs
Rnd 18 Plays WCE
Rnd 19 Plays Ess
Rnd 20 Plays Gee
Rnd 21 Plays GWS
Rnd 22 Plays GCS

2018 Season

Rnd 1 - 17 Plays all clubs
Rnd 18 Plays WCE
Rnd 19 Plays Haw
Rnd 20 Plays Mel
Rnd 21 Plays NME
Rnd 22 Plays PAD

2016 Season

Rnd 1 - 17 Plays all clubs
Rnd 18 Plays WCE
Rnd 19 Plays Ric
Rnd 20 Plays STK
Rnd 21 Plays SYD
Rnd 22 Plays WBD


I call this the sleiwos quadrennial intergrated balancing system (SQUIBS)

Don't hold back on your praise.

 

[Pusswah]

How about we manipulate the fixture to maximise revenue instead?

 

[Tex Support]

Who would you say is each teams rivalry side?

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

So like the NFL basically, I like it

 

[Mr Fonebone]

Who would you say is each teams rivalry side?

For the Interstate clubs its easy.

For the vic clubs well that could decided by ballot I suppose.

 

[Tex Support]

For the Interstate clubs its easy.

For the vic clubs well that could decided by ballot I suppose.

Some Vic clubs would argue they have more than 1, with equal importance, which would no doubt stuff this all up...

FTR it looks ok.

 

[hutchy31]

Gil's only just got his office to work up the 17-5 proposal based on their review of BF postings, and now you start this thread? He'll be all over the place.

 

[FootyJunkie]

For the Interstate clubs its easy.

For the vic clubs well that could decided by ballot I suppose.

Carl v Coll (still the biggest Vic rivalry, white collar class v blue collar class)
Mel v Geel (oldest clubs, city v country)
Ess v North (regional north/west rivalry)
Rich v Haw (regional eastern rivalry, make up for the fact that they have never met in a final)
StK v WB (for historical underdog romantics, 1 flag each, south/east v west)

Could possibly reshuffle some of these after the four years are up for the next cycle, if desired

keep the following "blockbuster" contests to one match meetings to increase bragging rights

Opener - Carlton v Richmond
Good Friday - Carlton v North
Easter Monday - Hawthorn v Geelong
Anzac Eve - Melbourne v Richmond
Anzac Day - Collingwood v Essendon
Dreamtime - Essendon v Richmond
Queens Birthday - Collingwood v Melbourne

 

[BF Tiger]

I've seen a lot worse. Well done.

 

[lusheslewis]

• The result is that each side plays their rivalry side 8 times over a four year period and plays each of the other 16 sides twice in the same period.

Five times.

I like the idea but don't think it improves upon the current system enough that the AFL would change it.

 

[Furn2]

What if you keep getting the best teams twice ?

 

[YES! YES! YES!]

Good idea, but 4 years is a long time in terms of football.

Most teams' form are bound to change in that period. Especially with Free Agency.

Therefore, randomly assigning 4 teams per year over 4 years will add more error to the fairness of the fixture than the status quo of randomly assigning 4 teams over 1 year.

They should do what the ICC did for the WC and make 2 pools based on the previous year's ladder position (ie. Pool A gets: 1st, Pool B gets: 2nd and 3rd, Pool A gets: 4th and 5th, etc...)

 

[justbetter]

why not extend the season so that everyone plays each other twice, more games during summer while I kick back in my air conditioned home theatre having a beer sounds awesome

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

What if you keep getting the best teams twice ?

Tough t***ies

 

[Stopher]

At least if you follow a set formula like the OP, you can accept that some draws will simply be tougher than others through pot luck rather than HQ manipulation.

Not a bad effort.

 

[Old_Man_James]

One of the better Proposals.

Issues will come around how to designate the rival team for North, St Kilda, Melbourne and WB. Saints Vs Demons is a awesome sounding rivalry from a mascot perspective, not so much a football one. North v WB, for being neighbors?

There still will be some hard luck, but at least if they do the double up draw once every 4 years, you can see those tougher years coming in advance and plan accordingly, eg. free agents or hold off on retirements of better players.

 

[radiojake]

Am I the only person who thinks that the Rivalry games (showdown, western derby, q clash, essendon collingwood etc etc) shouldn't neccesarily always be twice a year -

I reckon there'd be extra bite in the match if you knew that if you lost you had to wait 12 months for redemption, rather than 10 rounds later

 

[longsuffreosupp]

This has been my idea for years (not trying to claim credit or anything)

A good balance i think

Rivalry teams imo
derby
showdown
q clash
whatever the sydney one is
coll v carl
rich v ess
geel v haw
melb v nth melb
stk v wb

 

[Porked04]

Am I the only person who thinks that the Rivalry games (showdown, western derby, q clash, essendon collingwood etc etc) shouldn't neccesarily always be twice a year -

I reckon there'd be extra bite in the match if you knew that if you lost you had to wait 12 months for redemption, rather than 10 rounds later

I personally like knowing we can bank 8 points off the Crows at the start of each season

 

[Shane Hird]

I like it. Let's do it.

 

[radiojake]

I personally like knowing we can bank 8 points off the Crows at the start of each season

considering you've only done that twice in the last 5 years, you must be pretty dissapointed

 

[Damon_3388]

What if you keep getting the best teams twice ?

You suck it up, and get better.

 

[Furn2]

You suck it up, and get better.

Tough t***ies

So what does this fixture solve then ? when some teams can still have a much harder draw than others ?

Except for losing a bunch of money of course ?

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

It's a good idea if you only play finals every 4 years, otherwise it's no really different to what happens now. Maybe we could and build them up like the Olympics or Soccer World Cup.

It's an uneven fixture now so short of going to a 17 or 34 round season nothing will make it fair unless something like the 17/5 proposal is taken up.

 

[Fyfetheknife]

I think it's good, but instead of teams playing their rival twice they should just play a random team which they aren't already playing twice that year, preferably one relevant to their position from the previous year.