Or 25?
Looking long-term, I'll have a go at 24. I think with a Conference System this can work pretty well actually - and a shortened pre-season, perhaps 2 weeks of practise games.
So, we'll start at AFL 2025 (20 Teams)
AFL West (5 Teams; 3 WA & 2 SA)
Adelaide Crows
Fremantle Dockers
Perth Pirates (NEW)
Port Adelaide Power
West Coast Eagles
AFL North (5 Teams; 3 NSW & 2 QLD)
Brisbane Lions
Castle Coast Cougars (NEW) (Based in Newcastle, representing Newcastle/ Central Coast)
Gold Coast Suns
Greater Western Sydney Giants
Sydney Swans
AFL South (5 Teams; 4 VIC & 1 TAS)
Geelong Cats
Hawthorn Hawks
Melbourne Demons
St. Kilda Saints
Tasmanian Kangaroos (Yes, I know, Can't help it - Can't see it happening any other way frankly. Swap in another team if you prefer it that way - even mine, although you'd have to say we're more likely to go to New Zealand now)
AFL Central (5 Teams; 5 VIC)
Carlton Blues
Collingwood Magpies
Essendon Bombers
Richmond Tigers
Western Bulldogs
Ok, so I've mentioned that configuration. But what happens after that?
I think 24 Teams can work pretty well and create intense rivalries. Remember folks - I AM TALKING ABOUT 2050 HERE!!! (How many new clubs have there been in the last 37 years? Yep - 6)
(Names are not important - give the Conferences names of Great Players if that works better)
AFL West (4 Teams, 4 WA)
Fremantle Dockers
Mandurah Marauders (NEW)
Perth Pirates (2025)
West Coast Eagles
AFL North (4 Teams, 3 QLD, 1 NT)
Brisbane Lions
Gold Coast Suns
Northern Territory Thunder (NEW)
North Queensland Nightstalkers (NEW)
AFL East (4 Teams, 3 NSW, 1 ACT)
Canberra Capitals (NEW)
Castle Coast Cougars (2025)
Greater Western Sydney Giants
Sydney Swans
AFL Central (4 VIC)*
Carlton Blues
Hawthorn Hawks
Melbourne Demons
Richmond Tigers
AFL Heartland (2 VIC, 2 SA)*
Adelaide Crows
Collingwood Magpies
Port Adelaide Power
St. Kilda Saints
AFL South (3 VIC, 1 TAS)*
Essendon Bombers
Geelong Cats
Tasmanian Kangaroos
Western Bulldogs
IMPORTANT
*All 10 Victorian/ Tasmanian clubs will rotate through - over a 5 year period - the AFL Heartland Conference meaning they must play in a Conference with the 2 South Australian teams during a given 5 year period. The Other Victorian/ Tasmanian Conferences will be determined strictly based on ladder position at the end of each year.
DRAW/ FIXTURE
Play each team in your Conference twice (Home & Away) - 6 Games
Play every other team once (Home or Away) - 20 Games
TOTAL - 26 Games (13 Home & 13 Away). (This increased number of games for instance allows a relocated club - hello Tasmanian Kangaroos - to still be mandated to play a substantial number of games in Victoria - this can be arranged).
You can add 2 Byes in there for a 26 Round Season spread across 28 weeks.
So. Finals. Well, I am happy with keeping the Final 8 which would be Top 6 Conference Winners and Next 2 best performed sides. So, theoretically, you could have the Top 3 teams in a Conference making the Finals.
Finalists would be ranked on an Overall Ladder to determine seeding and matches.
Or, you could go more down the established system in succesful professional sports and go for the 6 Conference Winners and 4 Wildcards (4 Next best records) - playing off for the chance to make the finals. So, theoretically, you could have every team in a Conference at least make the Wildcard Playoff.
That would mean a 5 Week Finals system. So 33 weeks all up, plus whatever pre-season/ practise games you want.
I think it works really well actually and provides a workable long-term blueprint for the AFL to work to. Also - it keeps 12 clubs in SA/VIC/TAS. Including at least 9 in Victoria to keep the 3 "Southern" Conferences evenly balanced.
If you were looking to add a New Zealand team, it would logically go in one of the Southern Conferences for instance, and you can apply the same logic elsewhere around Australia.
Then - if you go to 25..... 5 Conferences of 5 Teams. Every other team in your Conference twice (4x2=8 games) plus every other team Once (20) = 20+8=28 Games over a 30 week season.... But that discussion is for another day.
Just imagine, if we had a 24 Team AFL in 2050 - you'd have to make one pretty certain conclusion. The game of Australian Football as represented by the AFL is STRONG! STRONGER THAN ITS EVER BEEN!!
Looking long-term, I'll have a go at 24. I think with a Conference System this can work pretty well actually - and a shortened pre-season, perhaps 2 weeks of practise games.
So, we'll start at AFL 2025 (20 Teams)
AFL West (5 Teams; 3 WA & 2 SA)
Adelaide Crows
Fremantle Dockers
Perth Pirates (NEW)
Port Adelaide Power
West Coast Eagles
AFL North (5 Teams; 3 NSW & 2 QLD)
Brisbane Lions
Castle Coast Cougars (NEW) (Based in Newcastle, representing Newcastle/ Central Coast)
Gold Coast Suns
Greater Western Sydney Giants
Sydney Swans
AFL South (5 Teams; 4 VIC & 1 TAS)
Geelong Cats
Hawthorn Hawks
Melbourne Demons
St. Kilda Saints
Tasmanian Kangaroos (Yes, I know, Can't help it - Can't see it happening any other way frankly. Swap in another team if you prefer it that way - even mine, although you'd have to say we're more likely to go to New Zealand now)
AFL Central (5 Teams; 5 VIC)
Carlton Blues
Collingwood Magpies
Essendon Bombers
Richmond Tigers
Western Bulldogs
Ok, so I've mentioned that configuration. But what happens after that?
I think 24 Teams can work pretty well and create intense rivalries. Remember folks - I AM TALKING ABOUT 2050 HERE!!! (How many new clubs have there been in the last 37 years? Yep - 6)
(Names are not important - give the Conferences names of Great Players if that works better)
AFL West (4 Teams, 4 WA)
Fremantle Dockers
Mandurah Marauders (NEW)
Perth Pirates (2025)
West Coast Eagles
AFL North (4 Teams, 3 QLD, 1 NT)
Brisbane Lions
Gold Coast Suns
Northern Territory Thunder (NEW)
North Queensland Nightstalkers (NEW)
AFL East (4 Teams, 3 NSW, 1 ACT)
Canberra Capitals (NEW)
Castle Coast Cougars (2025)
Greater Western Sydney Giants
Sydney Swans
AFL Central (4 VIC)*
Carlton Blues
Hawthorn Hawks
Melbourne Demons
Richmond Tigers
AFL Heartland (2 VIC, 2 SA)*
Adelaide Crows
Collingwood Magpies
Port Adelaide Power
St. Kilda Saints
AFL South (3 VIC, 1 TAS)*
Essendon Bombers
Geelong Cats
Tasmanian Kangaroos
Western Bulldogs
IMPORTANT
*All 10 Victorian/ Tasmanian clubs will rotate through - over a 5 year period - the AFL Heartland Conference meaning they must play in a Conference with the 2 South Australian teams during a given 5 year period. The Other Victorian/ Tasmanian Conferences will be determined strictly based on ladder position at the end of each year.
DRAW/ FIXTURE
Play each team in your Conference twice (Home & Away) - 6 Games
Play every other team once (Home or Away) - 20 Games
TOTAL - 26 Games (13 Home & 13 Away). (This increased number of games for instance allows a relocated club - hello Tasmanian Kangaroos - to still be mandated to play a substantial number of games in Victoria - this can be arranged).
You can add 2 Byes in there for a 26 Round Season spread across 28 weeks.
So. Finals. Well, I am happy with keeping the Final 8 which would be Top 6 Conference Winners and Next 2 best performed sides. So, theoretically, you could have the Top 3 teams in a Conference making the Finals.
Finalists would be ranked on an Overall Ladder to determine seeding and matches.
Or, you could go more down the established system in succesful professional sports and go for the 6 Conference Winners and 4 Wildcards (4 Next best records) - playing off for the chance to make the finals. So, theoretically, you could have every team in a Conference at least make the Wildcard Playoff.
That would mean a 5 Week Finals system. So 33 weeks all up, plus whatever pre-season/ practise games you want.
I think it works really well actually and provides a workable long-term blueprint for the AFL to work to. Also - it keeps 12 clubs in SA/VIC/TAS. Including at least 9 in Victoria to keep the 3 "Southern" Conferences evenly balanced.
If you were looking to add a New Zealand team, it would logically go in one of the Southern Conferences for instance, and you can apply the same logic elsewhere around Australia.
Then - if you go to 25..... 5 Conferences of 5 Teams. Every other team in your Conference twice (4x2=8 games) plus every other team Once (20) = 20+8=28 Games over a 30 week season.... But that discussion is for another day.
Just imagine, if we had a 24 Team AFL in 2050 - you'd have to make one pretty certain conclusion. The game of Australian Football as represented by the AFL is STRONG! STRONGER THAN ITS EVER BEEN!!
