Fair Competition

[redmania]

I've been having some debate with friends about the unfairness of the AFL and which teams get a leg up. Or which teams have the more advantage over others.

The two that came up were Geelong and Collingwood. Collingwood for the G and lack of travel and Geelong for the home ground advantage. What others do you see and why?

 

[grassman75]

I've been having some debate with friends about the unfairness of the AFL and which teams get a leg up. Or which teams have the more advantage over others.

The two that came up were Geelong and Collingwood. Collingwood for the G and lack of travel and Geelong for the home ground advantage. What others do you see and why?

It’s not Geelongs HG Adv for me….well it is, its the fact that its not all in and the same weak and low drawing teams play there every year. It would even be more fair if they made Collingwood go there more than once in 20 years

 

[maddog37]

They simply need to change the fixture so each team plays each other once away and once at home in a rolling draw year on year. No fancy bullshit and manipulation of match ups.

Only then will it be fair.

 

[dogwatch]

They simply need to change the fixture so each team plays each other once away and once at home in a rolling draw year on year. No fancy bullshit and manipulation of match ups.

Only then will it be fair.

Agree, but it will never happen. The networks and the bean counters run the game.

If you want fair fixturing you are more likely to find it in an amateur league or the under 14s.

They can afford fair fixturing. The AFL can’t (or won’t).

 

[scooter600x]

The golden triangle of Collingwood, Carlton and Essendon playing against each other twice every year.
The same clubs copping home games on Mother's day.

 

[DiamondDogs8]

Gold Coast and Brisbane currently having 4 academy prospects between them in the first round, whilst sitting 1 and 2 on the ladder respectively.

 

[Dogs_r_barking]

Even though our fans turned up in the Good Friday game against Norf, we were shafted in favour of Carlton.

And strangely it’s always Norfs home game

 

[Mr. Walker]

I think we have to face the realities of the situation. The AFL will always have maximising income ( I will be generous) in its top three priorities. To achieve this maximising the number of blockbuster games among the larger drawing teams in a 18 team 24 round competition means someone misses out. As a nod to fairness the AFL allocates equalisation funds to the ones who miss out. With the aforementioned priorities this is best we can hope for.

 

[Munnez]

Gold Coast and Brisbane currently having 4 academy prospects between them in the first round, whilst sitting 1 and 2 on the ladder respectively.

Suns will turn into a powerhouse if they can hang onto them. Could see them doing a threepeat if everything goes right. AFL wants it to cement them in long term on the Gold Coast

 

[dogwatch]

I think we have to face the realities of the situation. The AFL will always have maximising income ( I will be generous) in its top three priorities. To achieve this maximising the number of blockbuster games among the larger drawing teams in a 18 team 24 round competition means someone misses out. As a nod to fairness the AFL allocates equalisation funds to the ones who miss out. With the aforementioned priorities this is best we can hope for.

Correct.
Their top three priorities are
1. Maximising Revenue
2. Maximising Revenue
3. Maximising Revenue

The insidious part of allocating equalisation funds is that in the view of the bigger clubs and the AFL it justifies perpetuating various practices (like blockbusters) that help grow those bigger clubs even further, at the expense of the smaller clubs.

It also means that smaller clubs and their fans are told to shut up about inequities and be grateful for the generosity of the powerful.

A bit like the social welfare system really. What will break the intergenerational cycle of inequity is genuine equal opportunity, not handouts.