20 Teams, 20 Rounds per year.

[Eshay187]

Along with Tassie, bring in another team.

20 rounds per year.

For broadcasters, with 10 games per week this is ~the same number of home and away games per year as we had in 2010.

Yes, the AFL doesn’t get to double up on “block busters”, but what it loses in short term box office revenue, it makes back in a little something money can’t buy: integrity.

So bring on an uncompromised draw, bring back integrity and carn the Shanghai Dragons!

(Posting off-season style post before the off season to raise awareness)

 

[Coconut_twirl]

TV rights will dictate that will never happen. Canberra would hopefully be team number 20 and it will most likely be the last lot of expansions for a couple of decades (At least). AFL wants the double up blockbusters.

 

[kreuze_missile]

19 rounds per year...?

 

[kreuze_missile]

AFL also needs an extended finals series format.

Probably involving the top 10.

 

[Eshay187]

AFL also needs an extended finals series format.

Probably involving the top 10.

Yeah, def creates the opportunity for playoffs and what not.

first thought was 5-10 play off, but you could get silly (in a good way) and have 3 match series and what-not.

 

[btdg]

Along with Tassie, bring in another team.

20 rounds per year.

For broadcasters, with 10 games per week this is ~the same number of home and away games per year as we had in 2010.

Yes, the AFL doesn’t get to double up on “block busters”, but what it loses in short term box office revenue, it makes back in a little something money can’t buy: integrity.

So bring on an uncompromised draw, bring back integrity and carn the Shanghai Dragons!

(Posting off-season style post before the off season to raise awareness)

How does this raise integrity?

A 19 game season would:
a) mean that teams have an imbalance of home and away games across the year
b) lead to a ladder that is a less accurate representation of the best teams than a 23 match season, simply because more games = reduced impact of random events/chance

So we would get less football, less revenue for the clubs and players, a less even fixture and a less accurate top 8 or finals series.

Sounds like a very bad idea, to be honest...

 

[HairyO]

AFL also needs an extended finals series format.

Probably involving the top 10.

Do you think supporters of 10 teams each year would be okay with fewer regular season games and then a really long finals period?

 

[Joao]

There is no fixture integrity without:

• Playing every team both home and away every year
• Playing home finals at your home ground
• Playing the GF at the highest ranked team's home ground

Since none of those things look likely to ever happen, I wouldn't get hung up on integrity. It's the most half-assed professional sport in the world and I guess that's part of the charm?

 

[HarryBeef]

Along with Tassie, bring in another team.

20 rounds per year.

For broadcasters, with 10 games per week this is ~the same number of home and away games per year as we had in 2010.

Yes, the AFL doesn’t get to double up on “block busters”, but what it loses in short term box office revenue, it makes back in a little something money can’t buy: integrity.

So bring on an uncompromised draw, bring back integrity and carn the Shanghai Dragons!

(Posting off-season style post before the off season to raise awareness)

Who does everyone play in round 20?

 

[Cleavy]

AFL also needs an extended finals series format.

Probably involving the top 10.

no they don't on both fronts.

 

[daniel_4tw]

Absolutely. Either play everyone H&A or play everyone once and rotate home ground each year.

If AFL must, then you can have one ‘blockbuster’ double up round where you play your rival a second time.

A long final series is needed. It feels like finals is just getting started and we go from 4 games, then 2, 2 and 1.

I’ve said it before but we should copy the US sports playoff model. Forget about the huge advantage 4th gets over 5th etc.

Instead, everyone is equal once finals start. 1st v 8th, 2nd v 7th, 3rd v 6th, 4th v 5th. Your advantage for finishing higher is an easier opponent.

Then each game is best of 3. Once home at higher ranked team, then at lower ranked team, then if needed either higher ranked team or play it at the MCG to keep AFL happy.

A lot more finals, everyone gets to see their teams, opportunities for teams to respond to poor losses…

None of this ‘one bad game’ and you’re out.

 

[Walshawk]

Horrible idea. No true fan wants their team to play four fewer games a year.

 

[big_e]

How does this raise integrity?

A 19 game season would:
a) mean that teams have an imbalance of home and away games across the year
b) lead to a ladder that is a less accurate representation of the best teams than a 23 match season, simply because more games = reduced impact of random events/chance

So we would get less football, less revenue for the clubs and players, a less even fixture and a less accurate top 8 or finals series.

Sounds like a very bad idea, to be honest...

A. 19 games - 9 home, 9 away and the Gather Round, neutral venue, is the other one.

B. We had a 17 game season in 2020 and I don't think many would say the ladder was an inaccurate representation of the best teams.

Indeed, a season where you play a few teams twice is more likely to have an inaccurate representation - a few teams got to beat up on West Coast twice this year, while others some had to play a rampant Collingwood twice.

 

[Rod Stroker]

Horrible idea. No true fan wants their team to play four fewer games a year.

They would if it meant their team had a better shot of winning the flag. Less games means less injuries, less travel, less fatigue, less players being "managed", less suspensions...

 

[RonnieRaven]

Who does everyone play in round 20?

Rivalry rd

 

[Walshawk]

They would if it meant their team had a better shot of winning the flag. Less games means less injuries, less travel, less fatigue, less players being "managed", less suspensions...

It would make no difference as all teams would have the same reduction in games.

 

[btdg]

A. 19 games - 9 home, 9 away and the Gather Round, neutral venue, is the other one.

B. We had a 17 game season in 2020 and I don't think many would say the ladder was an inaccurate representation of the best teams.

Indeed, a season where you play a few teams twice is more likely to have an inaccurate representation - a few teams got to beat up on West Coast twice this year, while others some had to play a rampant Collingwood twice.

You can never iron out the weird distortions in the fixture though.

Carlton's first 19 games this season included away trips to Adelaide and Sydney where we played on 5 day breaks, which bookended a bad form slump. After round 19 Carlton were sitting 9th, outside the top 8, but had recovered form and were crushing everyone, but also outside the top 8.

The extra 6 games in 2023 for Carlton included double ups against Collingwood, Melbourne, GWS and St Kilda - that's 4 out of the top 6 teams opponents (plus West Coast at home and Gold Coast away, the latter actually quite a tough one). Carlton had as hard a set of double-ups as anyone, but the extra 'information' provided by those 6 games clearly outweighed the costs of playing harder fixtures.

The key is for the season to be long enough that the best 8 teams get into finals in roughly the correct order, and ideally with the final spots decided by results between contenders. I think we got that this season but it took 22-23 games: ultimately it came down to St Kilda beating the Bulldogs and Geelong to get their spot, and Sydney beating Adelaide (albeit controversially).

Howeverm you don't want the season to be so long that injury/fatigue takes over. If we played another 11 games so everyone played twice, I think the ladder barely changes (or maybe comes down to similar games bewteen those teams), but the real risk would be that players start breaking down and the 'fair' ladder ends up distorted by that.

 

[Black Panther]

Roger Goodell approved

20 teams
2x 10 team conferences
2x 5 team divisions

Play own division twice (8 games)
Play other division once (5 games)
Play 10 teams from other conference (10 games)
23 games H & A total (11 home, 11 away + 1 Gather Rd)

Finals (aka PLAYOFFS!)

Top 3 in each conference get Week 1 bye
WILDCARD! weekend - Teams 4 & 5 in each conference crossover 4v5 with winners joining the other 6
Final Top 8 then allocated via best overall records and finals systems runs as today