AFL Utopia, what does it look like?!

Jun 16, 2012
25,015
25,575
AFL Club
Sydney
State of origin with the players actually giving a stuff about it. The nrl state of origin is massive and they only have 2 states to battle it out. Afl is a true national sport and their should be more pride and passion row resenting their states.

Get rid of international rules and have origin or an all star game a couple of weeks after the gf.
 
Every team plays each other twice and travels every second week.

Where are you going to play Freo the second time around?

Also, with 8 clubs outside of Vic how do Vic teams travel 11 times?
 
In regards to fixturing, I would have a 17 round season, where each team only plays each other once, and the cycle would be over two years.

The draw would change after 2 years, so that every second season you do not have the same interstate schedule. ie. a rolling 2 year draw.

And then a full State of Origin round robin to make up for the 17 round season.

SA, VIC, WA ALLIES. All play 3 games, top 2 play in the "grand final". On the weekends where the State of Origin is, you have a rijigged foxtel cup, to get the extra games and the u18 championship featuring on a couple of the weekends.
 

LachyH

Debutant
Oct 25, 2012
99
121
Ararat, Victoria, Australia
AFL Club
Geelong
Other Teams
Chelsea FC, Toronto Blue Jays
We have AFL utopia. Our clubs are stronger than they've ever been, we don't have total equality for all clubs, but no professional sports competition across the world does, and our small clubs are comfortable. Geelong and Hawthorn have become AFL power clubs in the last 15 years, there was a time they were small clubs. Collingwood and Richmond both had financial problems in the nineties as well, and they are two of the wealthiest clubs in Australia. St Kilda, Western Bulldogs and North Melbourne have all had their turn at being stronger clubs, which reaps them financial benefits.

I wouldn't change a thing about the AFL. I love the fixture. People talk about the fixture too much. As footy fans, it's strange to me that so many of us are in favour of shortening the season! To me, 22 rounds is not enough footy, I couldn't stand to lose 5 rounds. There can't be complete and total fairness. It can't work that way. The very fact that there are clubs like Sydney who can attract the very best footballers in the country, while St Kilda or Melbourne can not, tells us the competition can not be complete fair and ever for all.

A lot of our fans look at the NFL for guidance with formatting our competition going forward. Yet, their fixture is a lot less 'fair' than ours. They do have a rotating fixture, but over a four or five year period, that doesn't make it even because teams become stronger and weaker. I want to leave our fixture alone.

I want Collingwood to play Carlton and Essendon twice every year. The AFL should make an effort to even the double up matches out across the clubs though. That means the best clubs don't get 5 harder double up matches than the weaker clubs, that means ALL clubs get a mixture of good and poorer clubs twice. You should not be rewarded for being a weaker club, nor should you be punished for being strong.

I don't believe playing everyone once solves the problem, anyway. That isn't the only factor in equalisation measures for the league. And suggesting a 'rivalry' round where teams get a second opponent is dangerously close to having five double up matchups anyway, wouldn't mind being the team who gets GWS twice. So, that would be an injustice anyway.

Our teams play a tough game, that's what we love about footy, but I don't want to cut our season short. The best way the AFL can go about fixing any perceived inequalities in the fixture is doing a better job at not allowing Port Adelaide two games against Gold Coast and GWS like they did in 2013, and not giving Hawthorn 7 finalists to open the season, and 5 double up matches against 5 finalists. All teams should play a top 4 team twice, and a bottom 4 team twice, and 2 finalists twice and 2 non finalists twice. Some teams will improve and some will fall away, but you can't predict the future. At the very least, the AFL can attempt to give all teams across the competition a fair and equitable draw.
 

Hodge is God

Norm Smith Medallist
Mar 4, 2012
6,487
4,014
Wollongong
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Other Teams
Aussie Cricket Team, Brisbane Heat
State of origin with the players actually giving a stuff about it. The nrl state of origin is massive and they only have 2 states to battle it out. Afl is a true national sport and their should be more pride and passion row resenting their states.

Get rid of international rules and have origin or an all star game a couple of weeks after the gf.

The problem is the club is number one in AFL, as opposed to the state in NRL.

I am not sure players or fans would want their stars to miss games (and risk injuries) playing 'special' games.

I hope it never happens.
 
Jun 29, 2006
20,124
22,123
Nthn Beaches
AFL Club
Sydney
Other Teams
BBGFC and LRGC
1 rep game and used to kick off the season.
Piss the preseason GF off coz noone cares except the sponsor. Make the preseason cup simply won by scoreboard over the rounds.
Replace Preseason cup final with 1 big charity all star type game 2 weeks b4 season opens, with teams decided from last season. Big charity event as the main backdrop which also stops clubs from getting overly petty about their players.

All Australian squad increased from 40 to 50. Simple and easy to create the two teams.
2 teams plus 6 reserves between them. Teams selected by GF winning coach (who is the AA coach by default anyway)...OR the AA team V AA 2nds (rest of AA squad). Charity game so clubs better not let down the poor kiddies in wheelchairs and fake injuries to their players..which would happen at any other time of season anyway. Each club provides one ancillary staff such as a physio/runner/doctor. Cash incentive on an incentive basis from the takings to all players as an extra reward for a AA quality season last yr....we arnt communists here.
Seats to the game AUCTIONED in chunks. 5000 free reserved for disabled and their carers. Premium seats and corporate seats auctioned and can be onsold but not redeemed for cash.
Do a deal with the ATO/Gov't...all seats fully tax deductable and corporates to compete with bids for preferential seating. Say 30-40,000 seats to the public....but not at any sort of discount...it might be an expensive game but then it is for charity. Prestige marquee game that doesnt compete with finals and kicks the season off with a huge game.


oh...and getting rid of Carlton from the AFL entirely cant hurt.
 

RuFiO

Norm Smith Medallist
May 9, 2006
8,182
7,923
Neverland
AFL Club
Collingwood
Other Teams
\m/ Babymetal \m/ New York Rangers
Huell-Money-Breaking-Bad.gif
 
Mar 5, 2005
19,379
9,728
Between the Big Sticks
AFL Club
West Coast
36 clubs

12 Victorian Clubs (add Port Melbourne and Williamstown)
9 SANFL Clubs
9 WAFL Clubs
Sydney Swans
GWS GIANTS
Brisbane Lions
Gold Coast Suns
NT Thunder
Tasmania Devils

3 tier promotion/relegation divisions

12 in the AFL Toyota Premier League (Final 5)
--- 3 up, 3 down ---
12 in the AFL CUB Championship League (Final 5)
--- 3 up, 3 down ---
12 in the AFL NAB Challenge League (Final 5)

All 3 Grand Finals played at the MCG on Grand Final Day.
 

Dynamics

Cancelled
Jul 23, 2007
6,791
11,872
AFL Club
Collingwood
My own personal footy utopia:

- Seven lose the rights to the AFL and Nine and Ten do some insane deal to broadcast all games live in HD across their digital channels. Power to the people, bitches. As a result Bruce McAvaney retires and Peter Donegan gets his job at the new broadcaster/s. The likes of Whately, Hudson and Connolly get gigs (pre-game for Rohan at this stage, he's still transitioning from the press to flapping his gums) and you have the choice of a couple of commentary teams for each game, as you do with the radio. Bob Murphy also gets a gig when he retires and someone asks Emma Quayle if she's interested in TV work.. Tom Harley gets into coaching, Brian Taylor is committed and Luke Darcy is taken out the back and shot. Twice.

- 17 round season with a rivalry round and an all-starts game (19 round season if two extra teams come in).

- No COLA for any club.

- No extra cap room for any reason.

- No priority picks.

- No exclusive games, ala ANZAC Day.

- Free agency made a little more open (by maybe a year or two) but the club is compensated with picks from the receiving club. F*** it, footballers aren't slaves, let them go where they want to go and compensate the club they leave directly via their new club, not by punishing other clubs in the draft. Alternatively, clubs aren't permitted to fire players until they become free agents. There's loyalty for you.

- MRP is abolished and Mark Fraser takes up carpentry or plumbing full-time. But not in my neighbourhood, as I don't see how me getting arrested for offensive language is my idea of utopia.

- Canberra gets a team (not that anyone will go,and I don't even live there any more. It would just be cool).

- Tassie gets a team.

- The top few picks are allocated via lottery, NBA style. Teams may still tank in order to MAKE the lottery but they won't tank for weeks and months to ensure they come last and get pick 1. The remaining picks allocated as per usual.

- A mid-year draft where clubs may bring in a couple of mature aged players from the VFL/SANFL/WAFL etc. Gives clubs an extra chance to cover injuries and gives players in the next tier a chance to show their wares on the big stage. How picks would be allocated, I have no idea!

- Authentic Southern BBQ served at all grounds (ribs, brisket, pulled pork, beans, coleslaw, fried okra and so on), along with real Buffalo wings and Chicago hot dogs. Maybe some blackened red snapper, gumbo and some proper New England clam chowder with Graham Crackers. Ok, so I miss American food.

- Fat Yak pilsener on tap. I don't drink these days but it would be nice to know that it was there, just in case.

- Rule changes every three years, capped at two changes.

- Video review is scrapped. Umpire's word is law. And yes, that's coming from a Collingwood supporter who is old enough to know what that means.

- No microphones on umpires unless they learn to stop being immense utensils.

- Option to have only crowd noise for all games on TV.

That'll do for now.
 

Barry_Badrinath

Brownlow Medallist
Aug 23, 2011
19,104
62,066
Bathing in Premiership Glory
AFL Club
Richmond
Other Teams
Grand Finals at the Gabba
Free agency made a little more open (by maybe a year or two) but the club is compensated with picks from the receiving club. F*** it, footballers aren't slaves, let them go where they want to go and compensate the club they leave directly via their new club, not by punishing other clubs in the draft. Alternatively, clubs aren't permitted to fire players until they become free agents. There's loyalty for you.

They already have that, it's called trading.
 

blaze036

Brownlow Medallist
Apr 27, 2011
19,477
13,373
Melbourne
AFL Club
Collingwood
Other Teams
Gumbies FC
A competition with

Collingwood
Carlton
Hawthorn
Geelong
Essendon
Western Bulldogs
Melbourne
North Melbourne

Sydney
Western Sydney
South Sydney
Canberra
Newcastle

Brisbane
Gold Coast
North Queensland

West Coast
Fremantle
Greater Perth

Tasmania

Adelaide
Port Adelaide

Play every team once +2 rivalry rounds

Every week has a thursday night game. Top 7 make finals, teams 8-11 play in a wildcard round before finals to get the last 2 finals spots, top team gets a weak off first weak of finals
 
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