What changes would you make to the fixture?

[THE EQUALIZER]

We've had a day to digest the fixture release and some supporters have aired the grievances regarding what they dislike about the fixture.

Here's your chance to make the changes you want, but you must offset your changes by not disadvantaging home teams or venues.

I'll get started by making a change for the Lions. Due to their shortage of games in Victoria, I'd take away their game against Melbourne in Darwin and bring it back to the MCG which is vacant. The offset would be to change Melbourne's game against Gold Coast from the MCG to TIO Stadium.

Confirming change for Brisbane's benefit.
Round 17 - Transfer Melbourne v Brisbane from TIO to MCG
Round 7 - Transfer Melbourne v Gold Coast from MCG to TIO.

Let's see what changes you'd like to make?

 

[BUTTON 92]

I wouldn' t mind the Gold Coast getting to play Richmond twice for a couple of 'gimme' wins...

 

[SHAKESPEARE]

Saturday 2:10 matches. I WANT THEM BACK

 

[jko'neal]

I like the idea from Malthouse or Matthews, the top 8 teams from the previous season play each other, and the bottom 10 from the previous season play against each other inside the first 3 or 4 rounds of the new season.

 

[Tim_in_Philly]

Swap our WC and Freo match venues, i.e. Sydney vs West Coast in Sydney and Sydney vs Freo in Perth ... both rare events in recent times. I can't remember the last time Freo got to host us in Perth. It would also be nice if the AFL stopped being so Vic-centric with games at ANZ Stadium. Given the expat populations in Sydney, Sydney vs Eagles and Sydney vs Crows would be just as big as the current Collingwood/flavour of the month Vic team strategy used by the AFL each season. Also, given Sydney finals are played at ANZ, surely the Crows could be given a game there to prevent a future final being their first ever sighting of the ground?

 

[Pessimistic]

round 13 - Haw v WCE to MCG
-StK v Melb to Etihad

a lot easier for members
Not so good for ticketeks bottom line

 

[quotemokc]

Round 2 move Essendon v Melbourne to Etihad
Round 18 move Essendon v Hawthorn to the G

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

Rolling draw.

 

[Collingwoodity]

Make it fair and equitable.

 

[Seedsman_]

I'd make Collingwood play 22 games interstate

 

[THE EQUALIZER]

I'd like to change the arrangement of round 4 to alleviate the breaks between games for Geelong between rounds 1 and 4, with them having to endure 3 consecutive 6 day breaks.

Sydney v Geelong (SCG) to be played Saturday afternoon
Richmond v Collingwood (MCG) to be moved to Saturday Twilight
St.Kilda v Essendon (ES) to be played on Friday night.

 

[Suma Magic]

I would make it based on the following, although I admit it may not be possible to implement perfectly:

1. playing teams twice would be based on a rotation, so that you can't play a team twice for a second time until you had played all teams twice 'once'.
2. games between two teams would rotate between home and away
3. I would still leave it as unfair in terms of blockbusters, but much less unfair (eg. all clubs get to host at least one fri night game)

 

[LachyH]

Alright, so Etihad gets 48 games in 2013, while the MCG gets 45. Lets swap some games.

Round 2 Friday Night game between St Kilda and Richmond at the MCG should be played at Etihad Stadium, so the Hawks can play their Round 13 Friday night home game against the Eagles at the MCG.

I'm alright with Essendon and Hawthorn being an Etihad Stadium event. I think Etihad Stadium deserves some matches that will get big crowds, Geelong and Essendon almost always pull 50 thousand too, they may pull a few more at the MCG, but I like there being some marquee matches at Etihad, so I'd leave the Essendon/Hawks, and Cats/Essendon matches where they are.

I'd find another game in Melbourne for Brisbane Lions. I liked the example the original poster offered.

For the final round, my Friday night game would be Collingwood and North Melbourne from the MCG. This seems the most likely game, I think the AFL at this stage, if all things go the way they expect it to, this game will almost certainly be the Friday game, which gives the Roos a fourth game in the premium slot.

 

[MightyHawks]

Round 2 move Essendon v Melbourne to Etihad
Round 18 move Essendon v Hawthorn to the G

But the fixture is designed to maximise crowds I heard

 

[MightyHawks]

I'd like to change the arrangement of round 4 to alleviate the breaks between games for Geelong between rounds 1 and 4, with them having to endure 3 consecutive 6 day breaks.

Sydney v Geelong (SCG) to be played Saturday afternoon
Richmond v Collingwood (MCG) to be moved to Saturday Twilight
St.Kilda v Essendon (ES) to be played on Friday night.

The AFL would never do that as it would give St Kilda an unfair advantage over Sydney leading into ANZAC Day. Saints would get 6 day break and Swans only 5 - ridiculous. They'd never allow it to happen

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

Specific changes for 2013, meh. Like every year, too much is wrong and would basically require a new fixture.

Changes to the rules governing the fixture would include:

• fix the bye rounds so that the week before they bye teams play against another team going into the bye, and more importantly coming off the bye teams play another team coming off the bye; 13 day breaks v 7 day breaks just should not happen. This will get more important if the two byes gets put into place
• every team to visit every mainland state at least once
• every team to ply at least 3 MCG games, all teams must be accustomed to where the Grand Final will be played, it can't be made truly neutral but at least teams can have experience there
• no back to back travel (interstate "home" games may be exempt if absolutely necessary)
• all teams to host a minimum of one Friday night game and be the visiting team in at least one
• no team to host more Sunday twilight games than Friday night games (WA teams exempted, as east coast twilight is really just an afternoon game in WA)
• all teams to play each other once before playing any team a second time (ideally, the last five rounds would be the same as the first five, only with home and away teams swapping)
• transperancy in how the "play twice" teams are allocated: this can be done in numerous ways, personally I don't care which all that much provided there is some transparency put into place
  • random draw, this could be slightly modified with some teams "paired" to always be drawn together in order to retain some "rivalries" (eg teams from the same state other than Vic)
  • based on finishing positions form the previous year, making it as even as practical and not by giving low teams easier draws, everyone starts afresh in the new season
  • rolling draw
• Good Friday: North Melbourne v Hawthorn - the two teams which have pushed hardest for the timeslot to be available (hey, I'm biased here of course, but if days are going to be given to teams, why not to the ones who have pushed for the day)
• Sunday nights on long weekends instead of Sunday twilight

 

[JesusHong]

I'd make Collingwood play 22 games interstate

People would still scream that they are advantaged

 

[Cmarsh]

June 1 Sydney Vs Essendon 4:40pm to a night game.

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

People would still scream that they are advantaged

They would probably get 22 games against GWS.

 

[Valve Bounce]

There are 18 teams so the only absolutely fair way would be for each team to play the other teams once. However, this would result in only 17 rounds and the footy fans would scream blue murder for such a short season.
Any other arrangements would appear unfair to certain teams, be it from a financial view, or competition view (strong teams thrashing weak ones twice). Right now, some teams are obviously rewarded better than others with MCG well attended rounds, while others are penalised for having to play at Etihad for a loss.
What can I say? I really don't know what the solution is.

 

[Black Diamond]

1. It would be completely random every single year, or a rolling draw.

2. I would distribute the best timeslots equally, or link the distribution to the previous year's ladder. For example, Hawthorn, Sydney, Adelaide and Collingwood would get the most Friday night games (assuming they actually want them since the Swans may not). In the latter example the timeslots would be linked to performances, thus prioritising football over money.

Stop using the fixture as a means to gauge as much money as possible and make fairness of the competition a priority.

 

[Doss]

-transfer Essendon v Melbourne to Etihad
-transfer Geelong v Essendon to the MCG
-transfer Essendon v Hawthorn to the MCG

They're the changes I'd like to see just from Essendon's perspective

On a broader perspective, all the usuals: rolling draw, better distribution of the prime time slots.

Oh, and did I mention an Essendon home game against Adelaide?

 

[Wilfred Edwards]

Very very cool, and thanks for the lesson! I love your unique ink!

 

[final fight]

17 round season. Next season just invert the fixture. Fair and simple. Season is too long, too many road trips can't be good for the players and teams have far too many injuries.

 

[gbatman]

Carlton play Adelaide and Melbourne at the MCG. They also play Hawthorn and Geelong at Etihad. Every year Carlton seem to be playing Melbourne at the MCG and stuff all turn up yet Carlton get Hawthorn and Geelong at Etihad nearly every time and people miss out on going due to the crowds it attracts and the size of the stadium. Would be perfect to switch the venues of these 4 matches around.