Opinion How do we fix the compromised season fixture?

[Tarkyn_24]

....seriously this again.

Geelong requests those games because they are FORCED to play Home games at the G, just like Pies at Marvel.
They breakeven when they play at the G IF they meet a certain crowd number...if they have to play say West Coast at the G then Geelong would lose money, they make over a million in revenue per game played at Kardinia.

There is no financial incentive to play outside Kardinia. Geelong will continue to request ALL Home games at Kardinia, it is the AFL that wants to use the Geelong cash cow to meet the MCG games requirement as other clubs keep selling their Home games.

Will happily trade off playing Geelong in Geelong if it means we don’t have to play home games at Marvel, often against sides that play there more often than we do.

A lot would be resolved if clubs were required to only play their home games at their notional home ground. Sorry Essendon and Carlton, but it’s off to Marvel for you.

 

[Gunf]

Will happily trade off playing Geelong in Geelong if it means we don’t have to play home games at Marvel, often against sides that play there more often than we do.

A lot would be resolved if clubs were required to only play their home games at their notional home ground. Sorry Essendon and Carlton, but it’s off to Marvel for you.

We both get screwed by the AFL in this regard.

On a side note i would love to se Pendles play a game at KP before he retires

 

[FootyLad0]

Will happily trade off playing Geelong in Geelong if it means we don’t have to play home games at Marvel, often against sides that play there more often than we do.

A lot would be resolved if clubs were required to only play their home games at their notional home ground. Sorry Essendon and Carlton, but it’s off to Marvel for you.

Exactly, i don't think it's right for Pies to play Home games at Marvel either.

Your second line was spot on.

 

[Tarkyn_24]

Nope we want all 11 home games at KP we are forced to play 1 or 2 at the MCG per year due to

1 Clubs selling home games (Hawks, Melb)and the MCG contract requiring so many games
2 Clubs like Coll don't want to play away from the MCG

Point one is moot, because if that were the case allow the Pies and Tigers to make up that shortfall rather than the Cats. The net impact is the same number of games at the ground either way.

Point two is moot, as Collingwood want to play their HOME games at the MCG. The same as Geelong want to play their home games at Kardinia.

I don’t think anyone has suggested that Collingwood dictate where their away games are played (no I’m not talking about Eddie’s irrelevant thought bubbles).

 

[catters05]

Easy, 4 divisions of 5 once tassie and Canberra come in.

You play your division teams twice, 8 games

The other 15 teams in the other three divisions, one year at home, other year away.

You still get the blockbusters, and knowing that in two years you will play everyone at your home and everyone away.

 

[Bunnings]

How come people are talking about geelongs draw they had double ups on last years premier, 2nd on ladder and 4th on ladder (they couldn’t play 3rd cos they finished 3rd)

Play everyone for 4 points, if you play them twice, each game is worth 2 points. Ox used to talk about this on SEN

 

[Gunf]

How come people are talking about geelongs draw they had double ups on last years premier, 2nd on ladder and 4th on ladder (they couldn’t play 3rd cos they finished 3rd)

Play everyone for 4 points, if you play them twice, each game is worth 2 points. Ox used to talk about this on SEN

Because in hindsight we had a fairly easy second half of the year due to teams falling apart this year.

Sydney, Port were supposed to be hard matches in the run to finals but weren't due to both having shit years although we at least got Sydney when they were in good form unlike those who got them in the first half of the year.

The AFL couldn't have gone to the future and looked to see which teams were going to be good and bad to decide the draw first

 

[L_W_P]

The solution was presented 4 years ago and the clubs stupidly knocked it back.

All teams play each other once. Then teams are grouped into 3 based on ladder position. Top 6 play each other a second time to determine final top 6 positions before finals (i.e. double ups involve the best teams playing the best teams). Middle 6 play each other to determine final two spots in the finals. Bottom 6 play each other again so they dont get spanked by the top 12 clubs in the last third of the season as currently.

Fixes literally every problem with the current fixture.

No, it doesn't.

Lets say, during the year, Adelaide played:
Geelong (H)
Brisbane (H)
Collingwood (H)
GWS (H)
Hawthorn (A)

To 'balance' the fixture you're now asking the Crows to travel for 4 of their last 5 games.

The idea of a mini round robin within the season just cannot possibly be balanced when it's reliant on the randomness of ladder positions.

 

[Lavender Bushranger]

Fixture will never be fair, unless it's random.

Like the Melbourne Cup, horses in barrier 24 have f**k all chance of winning, whilst horses with a good barrier get a genuine advantage.

It's not equal - but as it's randomly drawn, it's fair.

Footy fans hate to acknowledge it, but favourable draws give them a significant advantage.

Playing genuine home games is a huge gift that not all clubs get. Travel, recovery time, etc. make a massive difference over the course of a season.

Unless everyone plays each other twice, home and away, and everyone has a genuine home ground, and every plays on the same day - it's never going to be equal.

And honestly, my opinion is that the AFL would go broke without their 'maximisation' model. Without big clubs getting big crowds, I don't think the game could survive.

So basically, it'll never be equal, and will never be fair either.

Just cross your fingers that your club gets one of the advantages.

 

[gungho]

Answer: Pretty easily. Every team plays each other once.
Will never happen though.

 

[DocSholl]

I think there are plenty of logical ways to make the fixture fairer, but that relies on the AFL wanting it to be fairer. Which they clearly don't.

 

[The_Todd07]

No, it doesn't.

Lets say, during the year, Adelaide played:
Geelong (H)
Brisbane (H)
Collingwood (H)
GWS (H)
Hawthorn (A)

To 'balance' the fixture you're now asking the Crows to travel for 4 of their last 5 games.

The idea of a mini round robin within the season just cannot possibly be balanced when it's reliant on the randomness of ladder positions.

You also have to look at the number of home games total. If you are splitting after 17 rounds, some teams will have played 9 home games, others 8.

The chances of each group falling perfectly into place where each team finish with 11 home games, is astronomically small. There will be teams with 12 home games and others with only 10.
And that's before even trying to balance who played who and where.

Apart from the competitive unfairness, how do teams sell memberships based on an unknown number of home games. Which will remain unknown until 3/4 of the way through the season.

 

[Magpie Since 1986]

Given how woefully bad the bottom 3 have been in recent years , is there any reason they don't use 3 team bands instead of 6??

E.g 16th-18th , 13th -15th etc .

Collingwood got none of Wce , Rich or North twice but apparently Adelaide was a bottom 6 team equivalent , a bottom 3 band would have fixed that .
You may have teams from 16th-18th jump up the ladder but far less likely with tighter bands .

 

[randyzany]

Geelong chooses to play home games against Collingwood at the MCG for gate receipts.

It’s ironic your coach comes out and says clubs should be able to choose where they play their 11 H&A games, but finals should be at home….hahaha!!

From what I understand a full capacity game at the G is the equivalent of an average Geelong home game at Kardinia Park. So no, if Geelong do request games against Collingwood (which is doubtful) at the G it's to accomodate the Geelong supporters who live in Melbourne and not for financial gain.

 

[brutus76]

Once Tassie come in

Play each team once (18 games)

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

The simple and most common sense approach but seeing this is AFL they'll come up with some other BS

 

[randyzany]

Well they’re not going to choose to play a public holiday blockbuster at a suburban ground.

Richmond, Carlton and Essendon play at KP from time to time so why can't Collingwood and Hawthorn? Hawthorn have in fact played at KP in recent years. It just Collingwood that the AFL seems hellbent on keeping them from ever playing at KP again. Last time was in 1999 I believe.

Anyway what has that got to do with the AFL forcing Geelong to schedule home games at the G?

 

[Red Black and Blue]

Talent issues are a way more significant disparity than the fixture.

 

[VinnieB]

....seriously this again.

Geelong requests those games because they are FORCED to play Home games at the G, just like Pies at Marvel.
They breakeven when they play at the G IF they meet a certain crowd number...if they have to play say West Coast at the G then Geelong would lose money, they make over a million in revenue per game played at Kardinia.

There is no financial incentive to play outside Kardinia. Geelong will continue to request ALL Home games at Kardinia, it is the AFL that wants to use the Geelong cash cow to meet the MCG games requirement as other clubs keep selling their Home games.

No. Your coach stated that you should be able to choose where you play your Home games. He knows he plays 5 games at the MCG on top of his home games at home (the only club in Victoria that has its own ground and a true home ground advantage). Geelong want to play some bome games at the MCG given that’s where finals footy is played.

I would guarantee every other club would love to be the sole tenant of their home ground and play 5 games at the MCG each year.

That’s the biggest advantage in the AFL.

 

[VinnieB]

I’d also like to understand why Geelong gets to play the 3 worst teams in the AFL 4x in 2024 and 4x in 2025, while the Pies only gets to play them 3x in both 2024 and 2025.

Cats have always got it easy.

 

[crows dude]

Everyone play each other once.

Four week break mid season for state of origin carnival

Every state and territory involved

 

[The_Todd07]

I would guarantee every other club would love to be the sole tenant of their home ground .

Other Victorian teams having their own ground....what kind of fantasy bullshit is that

 

[Saints4ever]

The solution was presented 4 years ago and the clubs stupidly knocked it back.

All teams play each other once. Then teams are grouped into 3 based on ladder position. Top 6 play each other a second time to determine final top 6 positions before finals (i.e. double ups involve the best teams playing the best teams). Middle 6 play each other to determine final two spots in the finals. Bottom 6 play each other again so they dont get spanked by the top 12 clubs in the last third of the season as currently.

Fixes literally every problem with the current fixture.

This is perfect.

I some how hadn’t heard of this system but it’s absolutely brilliant and 100% fair.

Why they hell didn’t t they bring this in.

 

[PhatBoy]

I’d also like to understand why Geelong gets to play the 3 worst teams in the AFL 4x in 2024 and 4x in 2025, while the Pies only gets to play them 3x in both 2024 and 2025.

Cats have always got it easy.

I’d like to know why a grown man has the coping skills of an infant, over a game where people kick a bag of air around. Who shat in your corn flags you poor thing.

Suck it up you sook.

 

[PiCkLeJuiCe]

How come people are talking about geelongs draw they had double ups on last years premier, 2nd on ladder and 4th on ladder (they couldn’t play 3rd cos they finished 3rd)

Play everyone for 4 points, if you play them twice, each game is worth 2 points. Ox used to talk about this on SEN

hmmm..... So a team playing, say, the reigning premiers Brisbane once - has to only beat them once to get 4 points. If you are fixtured to play them twice, you have to beat them twice to get the same 4 points.

I get how the logic works against crap team.

Maybe the answer is a points system like the AFL draft. Higher teams, away from home are worth more points than playing the 18th team on your home ground. It would weigh results to give a fairer outcome but it would be too complex to understand.

 

[Gunf]

From what I understand a full capacity game at the G is the equivalent of an average Geelong home game at Kardinia Park. So no, if Geelong do request games against Collingwood (which is doubtful) at the G it's to accomodate the Geelong supporters who live in Melbourne and not for financial gain.

What happens is Geelong request 11 home games at KP and the AFL go well no how about 9 or maybe 10.

And Geelong go well if we have to have 1 or 2 at the MCG can it be against high drawing teams such as Coll so we don't lose as much money.