Tbh I'd be happy for teams just to play everybody once, then the home/away teams are reversed the next season. Bring in a couple more teams and that brings it up to a 19 round season which is more than fine. I know it would never happen because the AFL is purely about the money and broadcast rights, but it would get rid of a lot of the dead rubber matches at the end of the season and stops it dragging out. No more clubs selling matches either; every home game is played at teams' actual home ground. Maybe have a few state of origin round-robins just to pad it out a bit. The whole who has the toughest/easiest draw thing we go through every year is just bloody tedious and makes the AFL look like a backwater league.
IMO the best situation for the Grand Final would be for the higher placed team to get the home game at their actual home ground but I know that's not super feasible because the AFL love to make the day into some second rate Super Bowl affair featuring some washed up imported act. No corporate seats either, they can GAGF, just the fans who support the actual teams. If the game is going to become truly national we need to lose the focus on the MCG being the "home of footy". Kids from the Gold Coast, or Western Sydney or Tassie should be able to dream of playing in the biggest game of the year in their own state.
IMO the best situation for the Grand Final would be for the higher placed team to get the home game at their actual home ground but I know that's not super feasible because the AFL love to make the day into some second rate Super Bowl affair featuring some washed up imported act. No corporate seats either, they can GAGF, just the fans who support the actual teams. If the game is going to become truly national we need to lose the focus on the MCG being the "home of footy". Kids from the Gold Coast, or Western Sydney or Tassie should be able to dream of playing in the biggest game of the year in their own state.
