Opinion Is this the worst AFL season ever?

[BigVic]

Outside of 2020, this is the worst season of AFL I have ever watched.

Teams getting smashed, Geelong having an easy draw and the gap between top 4 and bottom 4

Cannot think of a worst AFL season than this year and it will be if we see Geelong dominate with a premiership, Coleman and Brownlow in one season.

 

[Chronz]

How good is this fixturing? Every game is basically a blowout.

 

[Le RickyBobby]

Outside of 2020, this is the worst season of AFL I have ever watched.

Teams getting smashed, Geelong having an easy draw and the gap between top 4 and bottom 4

Cannot think of a worst AFL season than this year and it will be if we see Geelong dominate with a premiership, Coleman and Brownlow in one season.

The games been cooked for 10+ years. Be it standard of games, umpiring, equality in draft and fixturing. This is the end result of a lot of factors.

 

[BigVic]

How good is this fixturing? Every game is basically a blowout.

Geelong gifted an easy fixture is even worse than first thought with such an easy run home.

 

[STPer18]

I'm worried for OP if Geelong hands his Pies their usual finals loss.

 

[Randomizor]

I think it’s interesting. We’ve had one team sat at the top of the ladder all year due to being gifted 100 games at their home ground. Now other teams are making a real play at the top spot, and actually doing it the hard way without help.

The final ladder will be so intriguing.

 

[SA HAWK]

Not if Hawthorn win the premiership it ain’t.

 

[Grumpyshades]

I think it’s interesting. We’ve had one team sat at the top of the ladder all year due to being gifted 100 games at their home ground. Now other teams are making a real play at the top spot, and actually doing it the hard way without help.

The final ladder will be so intriguing.

freo are getting an extra home game for the next 3 seasons..plus they had a 6 week period where they didn't travel

West Coast NEVER got that sort of leg up when they were contending

 

[Norwood1878]

Outside of 2020, this is the worst season of AFL I have ever watched.

Teams getting smashed, Geelong having an easy draw and the gap between top 4 and bottom 4

Cannot think of a worst AFL season than this year and it will be if we see Geelong dominate with a premiership, Coleman and Brownlow in one season.

2011 was a shocker especially both SA sides - Port under Primus copped a few hammerings.

 

[BigVic]

2011 was a shocker especially both SA sides - Port under Primus copped a few hammerings.

Wasn't a good year for SA footy. Who can remember the Dees being smashed by 186 and we also destroyed Port.

 

[Norwood1878]

Wasn't a good year for SA footy. Who can remember the Dees being smashed by 186 and we also destroyed Port.

The Dees knocked over the Crows by 96pts rd 7 too. Rnd 20 and rnd 21 Port absolutely destroyed.

 

[Tannehill17]

The season has been terrible but does set up for a great final series. Unfortunately I see more of the same next year, maybe Sydney and the Dogs (if they miss out) the only teams that’ll threaten the 8. Exciting times

 

[kickazz]

How good is this fixturing? Every game is basically a blowout.

Well they try to have even games early on to keep us interested perhaps, don't want early blowouts else supporters will hop off.

The problem with having more lopsided games late in the season is you add in the "can this season just be over already" factor.


Overall though I can't agree with it being the worst season ever..Legit think any of nine teams can win it if they bring it in September. I guess the problem is biding time until then

 

[I Love Lamb]

8-9 teams effectively out of finals race by mid to late July = half the players effectively having the cue in the rack and more focussed on Bali

Hard for supporters to stay engaged when half of the teams are out of the running so early on.

Then you got no free to air Saturday games, Kayo trying to charge more for trash matches, more ads, poor umpiring, shit commentators, 8 rounds of byes, confusing MRO decisions, same teams always winning getting the top talent, higher prices the list goes on.

Then you got a bunch of teams who don’t look like competing for a good half a decade and afl trying to jam in a brand new franchise to take all the top talent in amongst it all.

To top it off we now have people advocating for shorter quarters.

Even if finals is going to be good, there will be heaps who have checked out by then and won’t even tune in.

 

[Grumpyshades]

bottom 8 have won 5 games in the last 40 (combined)

I dare say without checking the wins would be between themselves

 

[Billy ray]

Next year will be worse.
Despite all the evidence that 3 of the big 4 are terrible and a lot of non victorian teams are entertaining, the big tv slots will again feature the usual big vic teams because they are stupid. You watch.

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

I think this is the beginning of the trend not the end of it. By 2030 we will have the top 6 winning 17-20 games a year and only able to lose to each other and the bottom 6 only capable of beating each other too on 5 wins or less.

 

[Walshawk]

The draft had finally started to even out the competition, and they stuffed it with free agency and the trading of draft picks and points reductions for academy and f/s.

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

Wasn't a good year for SA footy. Who can remember the Dees being smashed by 186 and we also destroyed Port.

Hawks beat them by about 160 too

 

[Shipping Report]

Think a major issue is players having far less character.

There aren’t many guys in awful teams who try their guts out and can give a contender a scare almost off their own boot- you used to get that a bit.

Most of these players don’t give two ****s, once finals are gone they treat it like a job and not a practice in pride.

Richmond have been alright to watch because they do have that mentality.

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

Good season. Look at how close it is in the top 8. Dogs still in it although skiing on very thin ice. Last season was very close and teams were in it late on. This season isn't the norm.

 

[WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot]

As a supporter of the team that has handed out several of those big defeats after years of being on the end of them, I welcome this new paradigm!

 

[Yellow Feathers]

It's a ripper season.
Sure, 8-9 teams are absolutely pathetic.
But the other 8 or so are going to make for a very good finals series.

Does it really matter if the bottom teams aren't competitive? They're not impacting finals either way.

 

[OhhhhhCyril]

As a spectacle, I think most agree the season has been quite poor. The skill level and gap between the top teams and the lower teams is horrendous and concerning. We don’t want games like last night both of them to be just non competitive.

The fixture is a mess. “Prime time” Thursday and Friday this season is not not appealing to naturals. It’s nobody fault but how can a top 2 team in Geelong play in 8 weeks Richmond twice, st.kilda, north, Essendon leading into a final campaign.. even watching last season none one of those teams was competitive.. so it’s no shock.. just dumb.

Disappointments of teams that many had higher… expectations of.. Carlton, Essendon, Hawthorn, Dogs, Melbourne probably haven’t performed to expectations.

On a positive note, outside of top 2/3 is a wide open race to fill the remaining spots.. a few weeks ago Freo looked shot, now they are every chance to host a home final..
Crows have been massive all season, pies and lions consistent throughout the season, and Giants living up to their expectations… yet late.

Overall I think it’s just such a wide gap between the better the worse teams we are getting more and more non competitive games each and every week, that is why the season isn’t a great one.

 

[The 747]

Outside of 2020, this is the worst season of AFL I have ever watched.

Teams getting smashed, Geelong having an easy draw and the gap between top 4 and bottom 4

Cannot think of a worst AFL season than this year and it will be if we see Geelong dominate with a premiership, Coleman and Brownlow in one season.

Seek help for your Geelong obsession.