Expansion IS IT TIME FOR TWO DIVISIONS ??

[Purple7x08_24]

I've been against the idea of having conferences and the like but after talking to a colleague of mine in Adelaide today, I'm a little more open to the concept.

Based on the current ladder positions today (Tuesday, 4th August), here's how it might work :

Premier Division
1. PORT ADELAIDE
2. BRISBANE
3. ST KILDA
4. WEST COAST
5. RICHMOND
6. GEELONG
7. GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY
8. BULLDOGS
9. ESSENDON
10. COLLINGWOOD

Champion Division
1. GOLD COAST
2. CARLTON
3. HAWTHORN
4. NORTH MELBOURNE
5. MELBOURNE
6. FREMANTLE
7. SYDNEY
8. ADELAIDE
9. SYDNEY NORTH (new)
10. TASMANIA (new)

• 18 round season (teams play each other twice, one home and one away)
• final 5 in each division with playoffs to eventual premier
• relegation to Champion Division for bottom two teams of Premier Division annually
• promotion to Premier Division for top two teams of Champion Division annually
• two new teams created (eg. Sydney North & Tasmania) who start off in Champion Division
• team lists reduced to 35
• team numbers reduced to 20 (18 onfield plus two interchange/reserves only)
• one national draft for all 20 teams
• all teams who finished 3-10 in Champions Division get an extra priority pick prior to the first round of the national draft (they are given picks 1-8, then are given 9-16 and the remaining 12 teams follow from pick 17 in ladder finishing order)

Advantages

• makes games count for more due to finals eligibility and promotion & relegation
• gives everyone a completely even draw
• clubs get rewarded for being quality player recruitment & development (premiership & promotion)
• clubs get penalised for being continually poor in talent identification & performance (relegation)
• dramatically reduces the reasons for a club to tank
• extra game per week potentially increases broadcast rights value or opens up the option of splitting it between three FTA networks
• 10 teams play finals each year instead of 8
• extra finals each year
• creation of new Norm Smith medal & Brownlow medal (obviously with new names) for Champion Division
• the two new entities can be initially set-up via some (but not all) of the players who are delisted with the playing list reductions

Disadvantages

• clubs in lower division may be prone to player raids from clubs in higher division (some more thought is needed to prevent this from regularly happening)
• due to only 18 rounds, there are 18 less games over the whole year but this may be slightly offset by some extra finals matches
• will need to recruit, train & develop more umpires due to extra game each week

Um, no. This comes up every year and it's always Riccuito that champions the idea.

I've got an idea: leave it as it is.

 

[situationz]

please let this be a joke

 

[Art Vandelay_]

I've been against the idea of having conferences and the like but after talking to a colleague of mine in Adelaide today, I'm a little more open to the concept.

Based on the current ladder positions today (Tuesday, 4th August), here's how it might work :

Premier Division
1. PORT ADELAIDE
2. BRISBANE
3. ST KILDA
4. WEST COAST
5. RICHMOND
6. GEELONG
7. GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY
8. BULLDOGS
9. ESSENDON
10. COLLINGWOOD

Champion Division
1. GOLD COAST
2. CARLTON
3. HAWTHORN
4. NORTH MELBOURNE
5. MELBOURNE
6. FREMANTLE
7. SYDNEY
8. ADELAIDE
9. SYDNEY NORTH (new)
10. TASMANIA (new)

• 18 round season (teams play each other twice, one home and one away)
• final 5 in each division with playoffs to eventual premier
• relegation to Champion Division for bottom two teams of Premier Division annually
• promotion to Premier Division for top two teams of Champion Division annually
• two new teams created (eg. Sydney North & Tasmania) who start off in Champion Division
• team lists reduced to 35
• team numbers reduced to 20 (18 onfield plus two interchange/reserves only)
• one national draft for all 20 teams
• all teams who finished 3-10 in Champions Division get an extra priority pick prior to the first round of the national draft (they are given picks 1-8, then are given 9-16 and the remaining 12 teams follow from pick 17 in ladder finishing order)

Advantages

• makes games count for more due to finals eligibility and promotion & relegation
• gives everyone a completely even draw
• clubs get rewarded for being quality player recruitment & development (premiership & promotion)
• clubs get penalised for being continually poor in talent identification & performance (relegation)
• dramatically reduces the reasons for a club to tank
• extra game per week potentially increases broadcast rights value or opens up the option of splitting it between three FTA networks
• 10 teams play finals each year instead of 8
• extra finals each year
• creation of new Norm Smith medal & Brownlow medal (obviously with new names) for Champion Division
• the two new entities can be initially set-up via some (but not all) of the players who are delisted with the playing list reductions

Disadvantages

• clubs in lower division may be prone to player raids from clubs in higher division (some more thought is needed to prevent this from regularly happening)
• due to only 18 rounds, there are 18 less games over the whole year but this may be slightly offset by some extra finals matches
• will need to recruit, train & develop more umpires due to extra game each week

Should have marketed it as the #VICBIAS 10 + Sydney and Brisbane as de facto #VICBIAS clubs in one division and then the irrelevant 6 in the other just for the melts.

But in all seriousness, doubt we ever see a US style conference system.

 

[sherb]

The old VFA had promotion and relegation, so do the amateur footy leagues, at least they do in Western Australia.

I followed Geelong West in the VFA.

In 72 they won the 2nd Div flag, three years later in 75 they won the 1st Div flag.

 

[sherb]

I don't mind the idea of Divisions, with a flag to be competed for in each division each year.

 

[Coolangatta]

I don't mind the idea of Divisions, with a flag to be competed for in each division each year.

The argument against it as that the relegated clubs would struggle to be promoted and you'd just end up with the same few clubs winning every year like in the premier league.

But I can't help but think if the draft, salary cap, and club funding distribution from TV money remained in place that the division 2 sides wouldn't be so far behind the division 1 teams. As long as the funding is there then surely these teams can be of a professional standard.

Surely supporters of the big clubs would still watch their team play in the second division.

As for top draft picks, they could suck it up and play in the 2nd division while they're developing. Surely it wouldn't be a big deal if there were big clubs playing in the 2nd division and the pay was just as good.

The split could begin at 20 teams, 12 in the top division playing each other twice (plus gather round) and 8 in the second division that play each other 3 times (plus two gather rounds).

Then just adjust as you go.

 

[Engimal v3]

*in s**t idea and always has been

 

[Coolangatta]

Conferences will probably be the way they'll go, although I don't think they will if it doesn't go over 22 teams, but if it does, I guarantee you they'll want/need to preserve the 2x western derbies, showdowns, Sydney, QLD derbies, marquee Vic clubs, and they'd be *ing stupid not to.

20 teams, 4 conferences, 5 teams each conference.
21 teams, 4 conferences, 5 teams in 3 conferences, 6 teams in 1 conference.
22 teams, 4 conferences, 5 teams in 2 conferences, 6 teams in 2 conferences.
23 teams, 4 conferences, 5 teams in 1 conference, 6 teams in 3 conferences.
24 teams, 4 conferences, 6 teams in 4 conferences.
25 teams, 6 conferences, 4 teams in 5 conferences, 5 teams in 1 conference.
26 teams, 6 conferences, 4 teams in 4 conferences, 5 teams in 2 conferences.
27 teams, 6 conferences, 4 teams in 3 conferences, 5 teams in 3 conferences.
28 teams, 6 conferences, 4 teams in 2 conferences, 5 teams in 4 conferences.
29 teams, 6 conferences, 4 teams in 1 conference, 5 teams in 5 conferences.
30 teams, 6 conferences, 5 teams in 6 conferences.

No, I'm not advocating for 30 teams, just showing how it can be done.

At some point I'd have a top 16 finals system. 6 conference winners + 10 best of the rest seeded by W-L record.

Wk 1

QF 1 v 8, 2 v 7, 3 v 6, 4 v 5
EF 9 v 16, 10 v 15, 11 v 14, 12 v 13

Wk 2

QF losers v EF winners

Wk 3

QF winners v Wk 2 winners

Wk 4

Wk 3 winners play off

Wk 5

GF