Finally some fixture sense from the AFL

[Square Peg]

Has been advocated by various people of common sense for years, make it happen please Gill

The AFL boss also revealed the League was in early discussions on a potential radical change to the fixture in coming years.

McLachlan's preferred option would involve an initial 17-round season, where every team would play each other once. Following that, the teams would be broken down into three pools of six to add more meaning to the final rounds of the 22-game season.

Under the proposal the top six would play off for spots in the top four; the middle tier teams would fight it out for seventh and eighth spot on the ladder; and the bottom six teams would battle for draft positions.

McLachlan said the proposal had been debated for the past 18 months, although he reiterated any fixture change "certainly wasn't going to happen next year".

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-08-25/midseason-draft-in-2016

 

[Illinois Nazi]

Has been advocated by various people of common sense for years, make it happen please Gill



http://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-08-25/midseason-draft-in-2016

Great idea but won't happen (or at least not properly) because you can't possibly have only one Derby, one Showdown, one Coll v Carl, etc etc etc in a season. The world wouldn't survive it.

 

[Ian Dunross]

I hope you're wrong. I hear what you're saying & fear you'll be right. But imo, they're more special when there's only one per season. Rarity makes it valuable.

 

[juss]

I don't mind the idea, would want to see it trialed for a 2 year period first and then reviewed.

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

Love it.

I've been advocating something a little similar on these boards for years and been mostly laughed at, particularly with the bottom teams playing for draft picks.

Teams, in particular the bottom echelon would play the season right out and it would keep their supporters engaged right until the end.

 

[RodneyMaynard]

Great idea but won't happen (or at least not properly) because you can't possibly have only one Derby, one Showdown, one Coll v Carl, etc etc etc in a season. The world wouldn't survive it.

They could include a 'rivalry round' in round 18 to accommodate this?

 

[royalsfan]

I certainly disagree with the idea of a mid season draft. Buckley says the players should come from non AFL clubs. He can stick that idea - I don't want to lose players from my Royals mid season. If this goes ahead, it will be yet another nail in the coffin of local football. Injuries happen, some years you get a lot, other years you get a few. It's the luck of the draw and always has been.

 

[FullBack30]

What if 7th place is percentage out of the top 6 after round 17, does that mean the highest they can finish is 7th?

 

[soreplums]

What if 7th place is percentage out of the top 6 after round 17, does that mean the highest they can finish is 7th?

That's my take on it. I don't mind it.
I always thought the bottom teams should play off for draft picks and ladder position should come with prize money

 

[RUNVS]

I don't quite understand. When teams are put into their pools after 17 rounds do they retain their points or is it back to square one?

 

[D-N-R]

What if 7th place is percentage out of the top 6 after round 17, does that mean the highest they can finish is 7th?

It would appear that way.

It isn't a very good idea. In the final 5 rounds of the season, we'll see the top six play each other, then, in the first round of the finals, we'll see 4 of them play each other. Again. And a couple of weeks later in the semi finals, these 4 will probably play each other, again, and then we will probably see another one of these match-ups in the GF. Yawn.

The team finishing 6th will have to try and improve their ladder position playing against the strongest teams, when a better and fairer format for the last 5 games would be for the ladder to be divided into 3 groups at the beginning of the season and then make 3 groups of six as evenly as possible from these 3 groups.

A mid-season draft isn't a bad idea, but I would imagine these players would be on short contracts to fill in for injured ones. I'm not sure if there are many full-time footballers in the lower leagues, and many would have to put careers on hold or move states for a few months work.

 

[D-N-R]

I don't quite understand. When teams are put into their pools after 17 rounds do they retain their points or is it back to square one?

According to the article, the top 6 is fixed - they play for the order. The middle six play for 2 spots in the 8 and the bottom six - regardless of their wins - won't be able to challenge for a place in the 8 and will only play for draft picks. This last one would seem to favour the 13th placed team as they would be stronger than the ones below them.

EDIT - I suppose they keep their points, which would make it silly if the 6th placed team lost all their matches and a team in the 7th - 12th group wasn't able to overtake them. Really, it just sounds like a half arsed idea that asks more questions than it answers. If they want a reaction to it, they need to actually spell out how it would work in each scenario.

 

[Rob]

So the top 6 will play each other after 17 rounds, then play each other again in the finals? Seems a bit silly.

I'd just prefer they either did a rolling draw over 4 years so everyone plays everyone else 5 times (with one 'rival' they play twice a year), or simply pick the double up matches at random.

 

[MightyHawks]

So the top 6 will play each other after 17 rounds, then play each other again in the finals? Seems a bit silly.

I'd just prefer they either did a rolling draw over 4 years so everyone plays everyone else 5 times (with one 'rival' they play twice a year), or simply pick the double up matches at random.

Wouldn't be too dissimilar to our last few rounds this year.

 

[D-N-R]

Wouldn't be too dissimilar to our last few rounds this year.

Imagine the regular fixture pairs up the top 4 teams in the last rounds, then they play off in the final 6 group, then they play in the first round of the finals only to meet again in a semi and then the GF. Neutrals might get a bit sick of seeing the same teams again and again and again.

 

[Silent Alarm]

It's not hard to have a 22 round fixture that is still fair over a period of two or three seasons. They should randomly generate double ups or some how seed teams. I still like 22 round season, and the AFL are never going to give that up – just like they won't give up Collingwood, Essendon, Carlton, and the Hawks and Tiges playing one another a lot.

Mid-season draft sucks too.

 

[MightyHawks]

Imagine the regular fixture pairs up the top 4 teams in the last rounds, then they play off in the final 6 group, then they play in the first round of the finals only to meet again in a semi and then the GF. Neutrals might get a bit sick of seeing the same teams again and again and again.

Yep we finished off the year with return matches against the Swans, Freo, Cats and Pies - AFL obviously unable to predict the Pies injury run

A fixture that is actually fair would be terrific

 

[I am Jack]

A fair and equal draw for all would be good - won't happen though, money to be made.
Mid Season draft is a laughable concept. Except that I actually think Gill is serious about this.

 

[seysearles]

Great idea but won't happen (or at least not properly) because you can't possibly have only one Derby, one Showdown, one Coll v Carl, etc etc etc in a season. The world wouldn't survive it.

You'd still get the derbies. Its a really good system. 17rds every team plays each other once. Then 1 derby round. Then the conferences based on ladder position (top 6/middle 6/bottom 6). I am happy that theyre looking at this at last.

 

[TBoyleSuperstar]

I don't mind the idea actually. Sounds good, as for the top 4 you basically get a finals series before the finals but sucks for the bottom 6. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the run the tigers have made this year wouldn't have been possible under this system??

 

[TBoyleSuperstar]

A fair and equal draw for all would be good - won't happen though, money to be made.
Mid Season draft is a laughable concept. Except that I actually think Gill is serious about this.

Strange thing about the mid-season draft. We hear all the time from clubs that they have to teach players a new system and how they want to play and how the players have to buy into the system etc etc, yet we are now suggesting we can just draft in players midseason and have them make a difference??

 

[I am Jack]

Strange thing about the mid-season draft. We hear all the time from clubs that they have to teach players a new system and how they want to play and how the players have to buy into the system etc etc, yet we are now suggesting we can just draft in players midseason and have them make a difference??

That is a good point you raise there. "Adaptation" will be the footy buzz word for 2016 - as players scramble to fit into complex systems.
I know Gil is hell bent on pushing his player movement agenda, but I don't see how this enhances the game.
I really do wish that someone who understands the game, could actually be that person who runs it.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

The AFL thought they could treat the footy public like sheep. Play their teams anywhere at anytime and they will come. They've looked at their attendances and have realized this isn't true, that they were in danger of killing the goose that lays the golden egg. This is a lesson for you Gillon, never underestimate the power of the people, and pay a little more attention to their needs.

As for mid season draft, isn't it bad enough the AFL rapes local league once a year, now they want a second crack? My SANFL team Norwood have lost no less than 27 players to the AFL in the past 3 seasons. It's tough starting every season with a virtually new list. It takes at least half the season for the team to settle down. Then the AFL want to come in and disrupt these clubs even further? Get stuffed AFL, have a bit of respect for football at the grass roots ... just for a change.

 

[Mitchell Madness]

Stupid idea

The issue is unbalanced fixturing, not competitive fixturing

Stop giving the double up games to the same sides each yr, and stop putti the sands sides in the prime timeslots

Problem solved

Wait, that's too logical, and too fair

 

[legend166]

The point of playing for draft picks has never made sense to me. We want the worst team to get the best pick.