Proposed 17-5 three tier fixture

[Seeds]

the final six rounds would be a hell of a lot more interesting right now if this fixture was in place. Not to mention more just. The season is teetering with boredom for about 9 teams at the moment. They have nothing to play for and it's making games as dull as dishwater.

 

[El_Scorcho]

I've said it lots of times now

Base the draft order not on finishing position, but the order in which the clubs were mathematically eliminated from the finals race.

So the first team that mathematically can't make it might be decided in round 16 or something. That team has now locked in pick 1 and has absolutely no incentive to lose, at all. They can go hard and try to win as many games as they can, and might finish 15th or something.

Under this system, there will never be a game you play where you are out of the finals race and you could improve your draft position by losing. The incentive to lose is basically gone.

 

[Quinz]

That is absolutely idiotic.

So you could potentially have teams on the same win/loss ratio when this system starts. Then the one in 6th loses the next 5 straight, while the one in 7th wins the next 5 straight. You now have a team finishing lower on the ladder than a team it is 20 points ahead of in terms of wins recorded on the ladder.

This is actually quite likely because the team in 6th has to get fed to the lions playing the rest of the top 6 for 5 weeks, while the team in 7th gets to pound the teams from 8-12th.

Not to mention that once teams are locked in their bracket they have no incentive to win until the final five games start. A team with a 12-0 start will rest half their team for the next five weeks.

The 17-5 system is ill thought out.

 

[jackess]

I've said it lots of times now

Base the draft order not on finishing position, but the order in which the clubs were mathematically eliminated from the finals race.

So the first team that mathematically can't make it might be decided in round 16 or something. That team has now locked in pick 1 and has absolutely no incentive to lose, at all. They can go hard and try to win as many games as they can, and might finish 15th or something.

Under this system, there will never be a game you play where you are out of the finals race and you could improve your draft position by losing. The incentive to lose is basically gone.

This depends heavily on fixture though. You could end the season playing easier teams and be knocked out early but end up with a few wins.

 

[makrus]

Heres a crazy idea. How bout we just leave it as it is? I swear i didnt know afl was broken till the media kept telling me it is. The only thing that should change (and i use change but really should just have always been.) Is a fair draw for all. that means more friday nights for wb, brisbane etc and less for carlton and the like. And, share travel around best as possible. That means collingwood leaving melbourne before round 14, as was the way last year or the year before.

 

[El_Scorcho]

This depends heavily on fixture though. You could end the season playing easier teams and be knocked out early but end up with a few wins.

It does, but then so does finishing top 8, top 4 and winning a flag really. While we have this unequal system there will always be teams who are advantaged and teams who are disadvantaged.

 

[jackess]

It does, but then so does finishing top 8, top 4 and winning a flag really. While we have this unequal system there will always be teams who are advantaged and teams who are disadvantaged.

But we shouldn't make an unequal system more unequal.

 

[El_Scorcho]

But we shouldn't make an unequal system more unequal.

I don't agree that it makes it more unequal.

It's really as equal as it is currently. But currently, teams have incentive to lose the last few games of the season to ensure an elite young player is added to their list. Under this system, they are either playing for a finals spot or have their draft position decided.

Yes, you might have slightly easier teams early and harder teams in the last 5 rounds or whatever, but the difference that's going to make is incredibly minor compared to the benefits from removing tanking from the game.

 

[Pessimistic]

Mentioned it before, but id have the 17 rounds, then the top 8 broceed to play the teams again, but at alternate venues

For example hawks would now play eagles at home and freo away and so on. This would take eight weeks, seven games each but there would be some byes cos the fixture wouldnt fit seven weeks neatly.

After that, take a week off and straight to the prelims, 1v4 and 2v3, winners to the grand final

Its essentially starting the finals early but playing more. It would be 17 plus 8 plus 3 weeks. 28 weeks total

The other ten teams would play some kind of under 25 comp, to guivethe younsters some kind of finals practice

 

[Clint Bizkit]

Above all else, the fixture needs to be changed so that before you play any team twice you play every other team first.

Melbourne still haven't played Carlton but we've played St Kilda and Collingwood twice. It's madness.

 

[JackOutback]

Above all else, the fixture needs to be changed so that before you play any team twice you play every other team first.

Melbourne still haven't played Carlton but we've played St Kilda and Collingwood twice. It's madness.

I hate that new quirk, I agree it's rubbish. The Eagles just played Hawthorn for the first time in round 19...

 

[caitsith01]

Above all else, the fixture needs to be changed so that before you play any team twice you play every other team first.

Melbourne still haven't played Carlton but we've played St Kilda and Collingwood twice. It's madness.

Absolutely.

Apart from anything else, this minimises the unfairness that results from playing certain teams twice at the same time of year. E.g. it's not fair if you cop Hawthorn twice when they are red hot form, nor is it fair if you catch Melbourne or St Kilda during a really bad patch twice.

 

[jackess]

Above all else, the fixture needs to be changed so that before you play any team twice you play every other team first.

Melbourne still haven't played Carlton but we've played St Kilda and Collingwood twice. It's madness.

Brisbane play the Hawks for the first time in round 22. I'm not complaining though.

 

[Furn2]

Not to mention that once teams are locked in their bracket they have no incentive to win until the final five games start. A team with a 12-0 start will rest half their team for the next five weeks.

The 17-5 system is ill thought out.

That 12-0 team would then be 12-5 going into the next set of games and if it lost 2 or 3 games and end up 15-8 or something and outside the top 4.

Why would you do that ?

 

[The Blue Baggers]

It's not too hard for every one to play each other once before the return games !!

 

[Pessimistic]

If the top six are then playing each other for the second time, it has to be at the alternate venue from the first time. Might need to allow six weeks to work out the details of it.

Somethings not been discussed much, but the final ladder of these three teams should only be calculated on the 10 games each team plays against the other five top six teams

Otherwise, it wont be fair, there will be compromises and not worth changing for

 

[Billy ray]

First 5 games and last 5 games are the double up games.
Worth 2 premiership points.

Rounds 6 to 17 are teams you play once.
Worth 4 premiership points.

Most even system IF 22 games is a must.

That way most you can get from an opponent is 4 points. No 8 points in the bag if you happen to get a cellar dweller twice in a season.


It's not that hard.... But AFL gonna AFL....

 

[Quinz]

That 12-0 team would then be 12-5 going into the next set of games and if it lost 2 or 3 games and end up 15-8 or something and outside the top 4.

Why would you do that ?

As I understand it the ladder would be reset, teams would be ranked only according to their performance in the five 'post season' games.

 

[Maddhew]

I like it, who does is disadvantage?

 

[Gibbke]

Why not have the top 12 split into two groups down the middle (e.g. 1-4-5-8-9-12 or similar for group A, and the other for B), each team playing the ones in its group to finish the season, and with no 7 cutoff, just a straight race for all 12 teams for the top 8...?

You'd think anyone in the bottom six is out of it, so let them play amongst themselves for whatever incentives you want. A bit rich for team 13 to grizzle about being robbed of a finals spot with five games left, but it's ridiculous to have two teams at 6-7, both actually in the eight after 17 games, and maybe on level wins, suddenly going off in different paths in the manner suggested...

 

[Rawthorn]

How about 3, 6 team divisions, west, central and east, you play each team in your division home and away and play all the other teams once, home one year and away the next. Which is 22 games played

West
Freight
WC
Crows
Port
Cats
Dogs

Central
Richmond
Pies
Bombers
St kilda
Carlton
Melbourne

East
Hawks
North
Swans
GWS
Lions
GC

 

[Rawthorn]

As per previous post, the top team in each diversion based on standings take the top 3 slots in the playoffs, then next 5 spots are based on team record, so if you win your division you get the double chance as well as 1 second placed finisher

 

[Furn2]

As I understand it the ladder would be reset, teams would be ranked only according to their performance in the five 'post season' games.

No it's still a 22 game season and every game counts you just can't jump up groups.

 

[jackess]

How about 3, 6 team divisions, west, central and east, you play each team in your division home and away and play all the other teams once, home one year and away the next. Which is 22 games played

West
Freight
WC
Crows
Port
Cats
Dogs

Central
Richmond
Pies
Bombers
St kilda
Carlton
Melbourne

East
Hawks
North
Swans
GWS
Lions
GC

Why?

 

[telsor]

Above all else, the fixture needs to be changed so that before you play any team twice you play every other team first.

Melbourne still haven't played Carlton but we've played St Kilda and Collingwood twice. It's madness.

Richmond plays GC for the first time since round 1 last year this Sunday...

They'll never have you play every team once first, because it'd just be too obvious how much the FIX in the fixture distorts things.

A team that's in the top 4/8 after 17 rounds then drops out because of tough matchups would be screaming.