EDDIE MCGUIRE proposes 6-week, 21 match finals series with 16 teams. It's a mess and here's why.

[greatwhiteshark]

What would you recommend?

Rolling fixture that goes round and round year after year. It’s the fairest fixture that can be done with this many teams. You will still have some lucky sides and other sides unlucky but no system can fix that.
No blockbusters locked in at all . Let the comp decide the blockbusters on form as we did for 150 years.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

Dead rubber when you drop the first two.

Third game would not be played once it’s two nil

 

[jonnobackpocket]

I would be happy for all 18 teams to play each other, on the ground, at the same time, at the G if it means Eddie would f&@k off and never be seen again.

 

[Osho]

Trying to stay relevant as one ages is a losing battle. But Ed won't go down without annoying the hell out of everyone, I'll give him that much.

 

[Peacock]

I think Eddie said he has taken his fixture idea to Channel 7 and Fox Footy, what an absolute goose, imagine their reactions trying not to laugh at him.

How about this one..

Everyone plays each other once (home team alternates year to year)

If we must have a gather round, then teams are drawn out of a barrel on TV to see who their opponent is.

That's 18 games.

We now add 5 extra games.

Ladder is then split into 6-6-6 after 18 games

Top 6
- Top 6 automatically qualifies for finals
- Points won during season reset to 0 (another alternative is keep points, but each match now counts for 8)
- Top 6 play each other once
- Top 6 can't drop out of the top 6
- 5 games means 3 home and 2 away or 3 away and 2 home, priority given to higher ladder position in regular season.
- Finishing order of these 5 games dictates 1-6 seeding for finals series

Middle 6
- Points won during season reset to 0
- Middle 6 play each other once
- Middle 6 stays in middle 6 and can't go into top 6 or drop into bottom 6
- 5 games means 3 home and 2 away or 3 away and 2 home, priority given to higher ladder position in regular season.
- Winner qualifies for finals as 7th seed
- 2 hosts 3 in a "wildcard" playoff played in bye week before finals series and winner of that game gets 8th seed for finals series

Bottom 6
- Play each other once
- Points NOT reset to 0
- Stay in bottom 6 for draft purposes

Bye week - Wildcard playoff

Finals series commences based on the above seeding

There would be some cracking matches in the top 6 to finish the season and determine finals seeding

"Race" for top 6 would get exciting around week 14

"Race" for 7th 8th seed in second phase would be much more exciting and include an extra wildcard game

Experienced teams would have to start season well or risk missing top 6

It would be interesting to see the effect of 5th and 6th seeds having bad form going into the first final vs 7th 8th seeds with good form

A negative is first week of finals 1v4 2v3 might be boring given those teams would have just played in top 6 match ups before finals

Another negative, might need a week off after first 18 rounds for "selection integrity" reasons

 

[Altum Volantes]

Eddie has been in his Kevin Sheedy Post Essendon Pre GWS era since Collingwood realised he had become a liability.

Desperate to stay relevant and in touch with game, he's reduced to publicly airing any half baked bullshit that pops into his head.

You love to see it.

 

[brutus76]

Once Tassie come in

Play each team once

Then play a rotation 6 teams each year over a 3 year cycle so you end up playing each team 4 times over 3 years

24 game season

 

[Rod Stroker]

Further evidence why Ed needs to STFU and cease imposing his nonsense schemes on the footy community

 

[mchal4]

Next time Eddie should submit his idea on BIGFOOTY first ... before he goes on national TV

 

[Tiger_Of_Old]

Don't have a live ladder until the final round.
Keep everyone guessing.

 

[voorhees]

Next time Eddie should submit his idea on BIGFOOTY first ... before he goes on national TV

I like that idea

 

[Dan26]

Eddie has been in his Kevin Sheedy Post Essendon Pre GWS era since Collingwood realised he had become a liability.

Desperate to stay relevant and in touch with game, he's reduced to publicly airing any half baked bullshit that pops into his head.

You love to see it.

He's got a nasty habit of talking down to everyone too. He's not as smart as he thinks he is.

 

[deck]

Rolling fixture that goes round and round year after year. It’s the fairest fixture that can be done with this many teams. You will still have some lucky sides and other sides unlucky but no system can fix that.
No blockbusters locked in at all . Let the comp decide the blockbusters on form as we did for 150 years.

While I like the idea of a rolling fixture over 3 years or so. It would still lead to massive complaints when certain stars align and 1 team is getting double ups against 4 or 5 bottom teams in 1 year.

The best idea I've seen was Jack Nialls the other week. He had the ladder for double ups be split in 6 groups of 3. 1-3 in 1 group 4-5 and so forth. Each team would play 1 team from each group as the double up. So in affect every team would play 1 double up against 1 of the 3 bottom team and also 1 of the 3 top teams from the season before.

Yeah it still has it's flaws like any fixture that only has 3 double ups plus the fact no one can predict the next years form of teams. But it's probably the closest you can get to even matchups based on the previous years ladder position.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

While I like the idea of a rolling fixture over 3 years or so. It would still lead to massive complaints when certain stars align and 1 team is getting double ups against 4 or 5 bottom teams in 1 year.

The best idea I've seen was Jack Nialls the other week. He had the ladder for double ups be split in 6 groups of 3. 1-3 in 1 group 4-5 and so forth. Each team would play 1 team from each group as the double up. So in affect every team would play 1 double up against 1 of the 3 bottom team and also 1 of the 3 top teams from the season before.

Yeah it still has it's flaws like any fixture that only has 3 double ups plus the fact no one can predict the next years form of teams. But it's probably the closest you can get to even matchups based on the previous years ladder position.

My rolling fixture never ends, it’s just keeps going round and round.

 

[deck]

My rolling fixture never ends, it’s just keeps going round and round.

I understand that. But supporters will complain when a team gets a scenario I posted. Theoretically the current Premier could get a fixture that plays the 4 bottom teams from there Premiership year as 4 of the 6 double ups. This gives no consideration to who finished where the year before.

Jake Nialls 6 pots of 3 gives everyone a very close to equal fixture based on last years ladder and can accommodate rivalry matchups.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

I understand that. But supporters will complain when a team gets a scenario I posted. Theoretically the current Premier could get a fixture that plays the 4 bottom teams from there Premiership year as 4 of the 6 double ups. This gives no consideration to who finished where the year before.

Jake Nialls 6 pots of 3 gives everyone a very close to equal fixture based on last years ladder and can accommodate rivalry matchups.

The rivalry match ups can be the most unfair of all. The dockers get west coast twice this year. The pies get the bombers twice.
The vast majority want to play each other once. That’s it. 17 rounds.
Home and away year after year. That’s as fair as it gets.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

I understand that. But supporters will complain when a team gets a scenario I posted. Theoretically the current Premier could get a fixture that plays the 4 bottom teams from there Premiership year as 4 of the 6 double ups. This gives no consideration to who finished where the year before.

Jake Nialls 6 pots of 3 gives everyone a very close to equal fixture based on last years ladder and can accommodate rivalry matchups.

Supporters wouldn't care as it is swings and roundabouts, rather than the current system where a privileged couple of teams seem to get a very favourable fixture, whilst other teams seem to get shockers.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

I understand that. But supporters will complain when a team gets a scenario I posted. Theoretically the current Premier could get a fixture that plays the 4 bottom teams from there Premiership year as 4 of the 6 double ups. This gives no consideration to who finished where the year before.

Jake Nialls 6 pots of 3 gives everyone a very close to equal fixture based on last years ladder and can accommodate rivalry matchups.

I reckon it would play out fairer than it currently does with only an exception that a top side plays the bottom 4 sides twice as an example.
It happens now.
Roll the fixture, get rid of the locked in games and everyone will be happy.

 

[deck]

The pies get the bombers twice.

No we don't.

 

[deck]

The vast majority want to play each other once.

Based on what. I don't know many who want a shorter season outside the odd person.

 

[deck]

I reckon it would play out fairer than it currently does with only an exception that a top side plays the bottom 4 sides twice as an example.

But every team will play 1 team from each group. 15th isn't vastly worse than 14th most years. Adelaide finished 15th last year and were vastly worse than 14th but are a very good chance of finishing top this year.

Roll the fixture, get rid of the locked in games and everyone will be happy.

You will still have a large number of supporters who are unhappy. How happy will your club and supporters be when they only get 12 games in Perth every 3 years and only 11 the other 2 years?

 

[greatwhiteshark]

But every team will play 1 team from each group. 15th isn't vastly worse than 14th most years. Adelaide finished 15th last year and were vastly worse than 14th but are a very good chance of finishing top this year.


You will still have a large number of supporters who are unhappy. How happy will your club and supporters be when they only get 12 games in Perth every 3 years and only 11 the other 2 years?

We won’t care, we want a fair comp.

 

[deck]

We won’t care, we want a fair comp.

A lot out west think it's unfair you have to travel east 10 times a year.

The problem we will always have is everyone has a different definition of what is fair.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

A lot out west think it's unfair you have to travel east 10 times a year.

The problem we will always have is everyone has a different definition of what is fair.

Most in the West could not care less whether we play Freo once or twice a year. But you are correct everyone is different.
I don’t think it’s as complicated however as the AFL and many Vics make it out to be.
It’s a footy fixture, one of the most simplistic things there is.

 

[Coolangatta]

I think they should just have everyone play each other once and that’s it.

Reverse the fixture every year. Keep it simple, stupid, as they say.