12 Teams = Level Playing Field

[Sttew]

Leigh Matthews was asked if he was appointed an AFL commissioner what anomaly would he address, to wich he responded "12 teams". Whether he was joking I am not sure but he quickly went on to explain a 12 team competition would mean all teams played each other twice.

It will never happen, but suppose it did, which 6 teams would you have leave the competition? And why?

Here's my 6.

1. Gold Coast - one of the last in, so first out. I'm not convinced Gold Coast is a viable market anyway.
2. North Melbourne - reasons why have been covered in umpteen posts.
3. Melbourne - no time for being sentimental if 6 clubs have to go, but could give them a merger option.
4. GWS - same as GC
5. Western Bulldogs - tough decision, but....
6. Port Power - financial viability questionable

 

[ChrisFooty]

Will somebody think of the television right dollars.

 

[Dirty Bird]

North Melbourne, St Kilda, Western Bulldogs, Geelong, Carlton, Melbourne

Hawthorn ---> Tassie

2 Perth, 2 Adelaide, 2 QLD, 2 Sydney, 3 Melbourne, 1 Tasmania.

We are the AUSTRALIAN Football League afterall, need to act like we're national. Ps, I'd go 14 and save Geelong and Carlton. 26 round season would be great

 

[iDon]

This is going to end well

 

[L_W_P]

Saints + Hawks = East Melbourne Saints/Hawks.
Melbourne + Carlton = Melbourne Blues
Bulldogs + North = West Melbourne Bulldogs/Roos
Essendon + Geelong = Geelong Bombers
Richmond + Collingwood = South Melbourne Magpies/Tigers.
Gold Coast + Brisbane = QLD Lions
GWS + Sydney = NSW Swans
Adelaide + Port = SA Crows.
WC + Freo = WA Eagles.

Gives me 9 teams.

I would then put teams in Burkina Faso, Andorra and Federal Islamic Republic of the Comoros Islands. They could decide their own team names.

Tassie unlucky to miss out but it is already a footy dominated market so there is no room to make $$$$$

 

[KrakFiend]

Hard To pick the 6, but obviously North would be first.

 

[Wallaby]

Top 8 teams from this year plus VFL, SANFL, WAFL, TFL premiers.

Every year, bottom 4 get relegated, the 4 state premiers get promoted. So, yes, if the SANFL is very strong you could get 5 or 6 SA teams in a few years. Or not.

Well, I can dream - it's as realistic as going back to 12 teams in the first place......

 

[Donakebab]

Since the Geelong dynasty has come to an end, may as well relegate them to be a VFL side only.

 

[le dominateur]

I'd go Port, Geelong, WB, Saints, NM & Hawthorn.

Port are a basketcase, the others are because there are too many Vic teams, have to keep the big 4 teams plus Melbourne because of their name.

 

[final fight]

Good thread

10 teams is the way to go.

Carlton
Richmond
Hawthorn
Essendon
Collingwood
Geelong
Sydney
Brisbane
Adelaide
West Coast

Everyone plays each other twice. The 8 teams that get cut will strengthen the VFL, SANFL etc......

18 teams have just diluted the talent pool too much.

Will never happen but if you really wanted to make a really strong AFL competition for only the best players 10 teams is the way to go.

 

[Sttew]

This is going to end well

Yeah, 12 teams playing each other twice each season, and no risk of an unfair draw argument

 

[Catsmaninamerica]

Honestly. This is a dumb idea. TV wont allow it to happen. What they SHOULD do.

Bring in a Tassie team. Bring in a 3rd Perth team. Bring in a NT team. Bring back Fitzroy. (Im not kidding)

Go to 2 Divisions. Two leagues of 11 teams. and mix it up. Not necessarily wast and west coast. yep there will be a talent drain, but the population is ever growing, and playing extra games in Perth, Tassie and NT will get more kids interested in AFL (as will Gold Coast and GWS) the talent pool will be bigger in 10 years as a result.

Do it Vlad. 22 teams. Same as NFL in the US.

 

[RegHickeyStand]

North Melbourne, St Kilda, Western Bulldogs, Geelong, Carlton, Melbourne

Hawthorn ---> Tassie

2 Perth, 2 Adelaide, 2 QLD, 2 Sydney, 3 Melbourne, 1 Tasmania.

We are the AUSTRALIAN Football League afterall, need to act like we're national. Ps, I'd go 14 and save Geelong and Carlton. 26 round season would be great

Yeah, crap.

Do to footy what the national basketball administration geniuses 20 odd years ago when they tried to make that a truly national sport? That sport has been a disaster ever since.

Its no coincidence that AFL is the absolute Goliath of the Australian sporting world, and that its centred in Melbourne.

Rugby can't overtake AFL because it isn't centred in Victoria. Not for want of trying, though.

 

[Dirty Bird]

Honestly. This is a dumb idea. TV wont allow it to happen. What they SHOULD do.

Bring in a Tassie team. Bring in a 3rd Perth team. Bring in a NT team. Bring back Fitzroy. (Im not kidding)

Go to 2 Divisions. Two leagues of 11 teams. and mix it up. Not necessarily wast and west coast. yep there will be a talent drain, but the population is ever growing, and playing extra games in Perth, Tassie and NT will get more kids interested in AFL (as will Gold Coast and GWS) the talent pool will be bigger in 10 years as a result.

Do it Vlad. 22 teams. Same as NFL in the US.

NFL's 32.
Also, NFL works well due to the population base in the US.
Using a similar teamopulation ratio we'd be looking at a 3 team league...

 

[ManWithNoName]

Yeah, 12 teams playing each other twice each season, and no risk of an unfair draw argument

By killing off a third of the league and a third of the league's fans. Brilliant, flawless idea.

 

[Tulip]

Geelong, Collingwood, Hawthorn, West Coast, Sydney, Port Adelaide.

Leigh Matthews you say?

Relevant you say?

 

[Sttew]

By killing off a third of the league and a third of the league's fans. Brilliant, flawless idea.

So when Essendon and Adelaide are fighting for 4th position on the ladder you'll be happy to gift it to the Crows with their easy draw?

 

[Tulip]

So when Essendon and Adelaide are fighting for 4th position on the ladder you'll be happy to gift it to the Crows with their easy draw?

Good point Stuey.

Great point mate.

 

[ManWithNoName]

So when Essendon and Adelaide are fighting for 4th position on the ladder you'll be happy to gift it to the Crows with their easy draw?

I'll suck it up and accept that if we're good enough we'll get there.

Besides, I'd rather finish 5th due to an "unfair draw" than support the Geelong Bombers.

 

[liam_13]

This is such an original thread.

Which teams would you get rid of?

Not an idiot: *Insert humour/deliberate troll here*

Idiot: *Insert serious, reasoned post about North/Port/WB leaving here. And then believe what you actually said*

 

[Defacto]

stupidest idea i have heard

 

[Wonaeamirri33]

3. Melbourne - no time for being sentimental if 6 clubs have to go, but could give them a merger option.

Nice.

The only problem with this categorisation, of course, like the whole concept in fact, is that it's completely and utterly divorced from reality.

Look at your own club if you're talking about those who are up against the wall right now. Geelong - $10 million in debt - more than any other club except Carlton. Membership in such a marked decline it fell 2000 even during a Premiership year.

Whereas the Demons are debt-free, having posted two consecutive record profits in the last 2 years, and 6 consecutive membership records in the last 6 years - up 50% over that time.

We're 7th-highest in the league in average home attendance right now. Not bad for a team currently bottom of the ladder, and having been at or in the general vicinity of the bottom since 2007.

Our base is rock solid. Yours certainly isn't.

 

[dajesmac]

Divisions is a horrible idea.

 

[Eastern Rangers]

20 teams. 19 Rounds + Current Finals system + 3 Weeks of State of Origin.

 

[NTCrow]

Adelaide Crows
West Coast Eagles
Fremantle Dockers
Brisbane Lions
Sydney Swans
Port Adelaide Magpies
Tasmanian Thylacines
Parkville Panthers (Merged Carlton and North Melbourne)
Western Districts Wolverines (Merged Geelong and Footscray)
Toorak Tractors (Merged Melbourne and Hawthorn)
Yarra River Mud Rats (Merged Collingwood and Richmond)
Docklands Dingoes (Merged Saints and Essendon)

GCFC + GWS disbanded because they are crap.
Demons relegated to the VAFA because they are pathetic and choose to play a person charged with a serious violent offence!