Analysis 2016 AFL Fixture

[mad_eagle]

You can't really argue about the strength of opponent at this point in time, teams will rise & fall through next season and what seemed easy/hard at one point might all of a sudden take a turn in the other direction.

That said, I don't think I'll ever forgive those campaigners at AFL house for giving us eight six day breaks!!! I think where Freo are at (five) is right on the money for the WA clubs, but eight is pulling the piss big time.

Can't help but think that the AFL gave us a double up against Brisbane to try and make it up to us a little bit...

 

[Prem87]

Not mad at the draw itself, but I think the amount of 6-day breaks is a bit excessive given we're one of the biggest travelers in the competition...

The AFL always find a way to screw us over.

 

[eagles_4_life]

What's with the time of the first game? I get with the heat it's better to have it late but on a Sunday it's kinda messed up

 

[mad_eagle]

Based off of 2015 & what we know after trading etc.:

Rd 1-7 = Brutal with the exception of Brisbane, anything better than 4-3 and I'll be happy.
Rd 8-18 = Soft stretch, with the exception of Port @ AO, Bulldogs @ ES & Norf @ DS. Anything less than 8-2 through the middle of the season & we won't make top four.
19-23 = I don't think 4-1 is unrealistic, get to round 23 and rest up over the bye week!

 

[mad_eagle]

What's with the time of the first game? I get with the heat it's better to have it late but on a Sunday it's kinda messed up

It's Easter Sunday, so no work the following day. If it was a normal week it would have been a 2:40pm start.

 

[Smeg Head]

What's with the time of the first game? I get with the heat it's better to have it late but on a Sunday it's kinda messed up

TV stations basically dictate completely the timing these days, so in the case of games at Subi that is Foxtel. They probably wanted it live into Melb at night,

 

[eagles_4_life]

It's Easter Sunday, so no work the following day. If it was a normal week it would have been a 2:40pm start.

Oh right cheers for that

 

[Keys]

There's a possibility I might be able to get to the Sydney game at the SCG. Weekend pantskyle 's

 

[pantskyle]

There's a possibility I might be able to get to the Sydney game at the SCG. Weekend pantskyle 's

Ok but you better not get me banned from any bars.

 

[Keys]

Ok but you better not get me banned from any bars.

If that happens I'll be blaming vonn

How hard is it to get tickets to the SCG?

 

[pantskyle]

If that happens I'll be blaming vonn

How hard is it to get tickets to the SCG?

Should be sweet, I'd just buy as soon as they are on sale, worse case I know some Swans members.

 

[vonn]

Should be sweet, I'd just buy as soon as they are on sale, worse case I know some Swans members.

Like me?

 

[pantskyle]

Like me?

You're one of several

 

[vonn]

You're one of several

I'm the *most important.

 

[Keys]

Should be sweet, I'd just buy as soon as they are on sale, worse case I know some Swans members.

Like me?

You're one of several

Except he doesn't like you

 

[pantskyle]

I'm the *most important.

Can we sit together and hold hands?

 

[vonn]

Except he doesn't like you

:O
As long as POTY likes me...

 

[vonn]

If that happens I'll be blaming vonn

How hard is it to get tickets to the SCG?

Not hard at all. If worse comes to worse give me a shout.

 

[DohjDuckDipDive]

Of course it is to do with factual evidence. It has nothing to do with the media. One of the Rugby World Cup coaches was talking about the various studies that have been conducted which show that players need a seven-day break to recover from an 80-minute contact sport and that didn't even involve the travel aspect WA players face. Considering AFL it generally played for 120 minutes it is even more taxing.

All AFL clubs have done their own research and it is their biggest bugbear.

Of course it can contribute to a loss. You play a game at the Gabba in high humidity say 80% on the Saturday afternoon (or even twilight) and can't get a flight until Sunday morning. Your opponents, say Collingwood, play on a Saturday afternoon at the MCG in 15C.

By the time Eagles players get to Perth it is Sunday afternoon and have had four days and three nights in Brisbane. Collingwood players have slept in their own beds and travelled nowhere.

When they play on the Friday night Collingwood players have an advantage.

The odd six-day break is manageable but to ask an AFL club like West Coast to have eight six-day breaks over 22 rounds is taking the piss.

I understand the disappointment with this but bear in mind - 6-day breaks don't happen in isolation. Once we get to a Friday we have to get back out to a Sunday somehow, and because of that we have six 8-day breaks in our fixture. (Someone should compare how that ranks against the other teams btw!)

If a 6-day break is a disadvantage, 8 has to be an advantage. I don't think you can argue that 7 is some kind of perfect number and 8 is not an advantage.

Also as Nisbett has said, our longest road trip (the Gabba) is played leading in to the bye.

The only thing is, coming out of our bye we have a Thursday game then a Sunday, which is a 10-day break. I think with the proximity to the bye that can't be good for match fitness. Hopefully any injuries that crop up can be dealt with around then I guess!

 

[Noctorniquet]

Excerpt from an interview with Nisbett

"As a club, we are also looking forward to a number of other initiatives in this fixture, including:



• Starting our 30th season with a home game against Brisbane, who also entered an expanded VFL competition in 1987
• Playing three games at the MCG, which is a significant improvement on the one game we played there in-season in 2015
• Two Friday night games at Domain Stadium
• Tackling the longest road trip in the AFL, when we play Brisbane at the Gabba in round 13 on a Saturday afternoon leading into our mid-season bye
• Playing a Thursday night fixture against Essendon at Domain Stadium as we come out of that bye
• Playing the Sydney Swans at the SCG for the first time since 2010. We also play GWS at Spotless Stadium, creating two opportunities for our Sydney fan base to see the team live
• Hosting the first night Carlton Draught derby in round three at Domain Stadium

 

[ioppolo]

Why is round 23 a floating fixture if there's a bye before finals?

 

[ep2018]

Why is round 23 a floating fixture if there's a bye before finals?

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

[Suma Magic]

Why is round 23 a floating fixture if there's a bye before finals?

Potentially so they can put some games at the same time if a couple of teams are fighting for the same spot.

A Monday night "play-off" fixture has also been discussed.

 

[Nuke Fremantle]

https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sport/afl/a/29939675/short-spells-to-trouble-eagles/

West Coast are one of four clubs set for eight six-day breaks, along with Hawthorn, North Melbourne and Richmond. The average across the 18 clubs is six.

I'd argue that with Hawthorn, Norf and Richmond all being Melbourne clubs the effect of multiple 6 day breaks is somewhat eased by virtue of less travel than a non-Vic club. In this aspect of the fixturing we've been deadset dudded.
Interesting to see that Fremantle are whinging about their travel but they only have five 6-day breaks, fewer than the league average.

 

[iLikeIt]

We did have an easier draw than most other teams this year so it was inevitable the fixture was going to be tougher in 2016, especially as we finished 2nd. The 6 day breaks aren't ideal but I am confident with our balance and depth we will manage fine. There is no reason we can't finish top 4 with this fixture if we are as good as everyone seems to think. Three games at MCG is good (couldn't expect we'd get too many more than this) and two against Adelaide is also good. We knew we'd have two against Freo and Hawthorn so no surprises there. All in all I think it's reasonably fair.

I think Freo's fixture is worse than ours. Lots of travel and they don't have the same depth to effectively do player management through the season. Still think both WA teams will finish top 4 personally. And if we don't, the fixture shouldn't be an excuse for us.

What I don't think is fair, is Geelong's fixture. Who the hell have they managed to bribe? I am not sure I have ever seen a softer fixture than theirs. All seems a little too convenient for the AFL to be gifting Geelong in particular an easy draw given what happened in the trade period. Trying to give benefit of the doubt but...