Hold no confidence in next year being normal. Will the AFL start early and jam in 23 or do 17 again ?
What should be the fixture length - 17 games, 18 games, 23 games or 24 games
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Dr Awkward
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17 rounds is too short. One thing I have noticed with the 17 round season is actually there is MORE luck involved than 22 rounds. Even though you play each team once, there is still a lot of luck in what stage of the season you are playing them. And whether you are playing them home or away.
Having 22 rounds is just enough to iron out the luck imo
Having 22 rounds is just enough to iron out the luck imo
tenacious d
Debutant
I think 34 rounds is doable but you'd probably need to go to 15 minute quarters as it would be a long taxing year.
Scrap the preseason comp and start footy on the first weekend in March. that would leave 26 weeks up to the last weekend in August. If you compressed every round to 5 days like we're doing now you could fit 36 rounds into 26 weeks. Every team plays every other team twice, home and away, with room for 2 byes for each team. First round of byes could be say rounds 14-16 (6 games each round) and the second lot rounds 29-31 and no gap leading into finals.
The fixture would be complex but finally fair, the AFL would have to ensure no club gets less than a 4 day break between games. There would be footy every day from early March until late August. 306 H&A games in a season. Coaches would have to manage their squads like they do in the premier league and rest players from time to time. Not including time on the season would go from 1760 minutes (22roundsx80minutes) to 2040 (34roundsx60minutes).
Scrap the preseason comp and start footy on the first weekend in March. that would leave 26 weeks up to the last weekend in August. If you compressed every round to 5 days like we're doing now you could fit 36 rounds into 26 weeks. Every team plays every other team twice, home and away, with room for 2 byes for each team. First round of byes could be say rounds 14-16 (6 games each round) and the second lot rounds 29-31 and no gap leading into finals.
The fixture would be complex but finally fair, the AFL would have to ensure no club gets less than a 4 day break between games. There would be footy every day from early March until late August. 306 H&A games in a season. Coaches would have to manage their squads like they do in the premier league and rest players from time to time. Not including time on the season would go from 1760 minutes (22roundsx80minutes) to 2040 (34roundsx60minutes).
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17 rounds, prelim finals changed into best of 3 series.
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Preferred
34 round season with players playing a maximum of 25-28 games (make teams actually manage teams) everyone plays everyone twice and you have to play at every ground e.g Ess/Coll play at Kardinia etc.
If that isn't an option 17 round season with home games alternating each year (back to 20 quarters)
34 round season with players playing a maximum of 25-28 games (make teams actually manage teams) everyone plays everyone twice and you have to play at every ground e.g Ess/Coll play at Kardinia etc.
If that isn't an option 17 round season with home games alternating each year (back to 20 quarters)
Let us just get through this season first and then be in a stable world position to reflect. Doris Day was right "What ever will be will be".
But GF not best of 3?
Surely we want more footy, not less.
I would keep the current format and add a 23rd game. This is a neutral game where teams share revenue and it is played outside the usual venues, primarily to promote the game in NSW and Queensland. I.e.
Freo v Port Bunbury
Adel v WC NT
North v Hawks Wagga
Dogs v Bombers Albury
GC v Demons Townsville
Lions v Blues Sunshine Coast
Saints v Tigers Cairns
Pies v Swans Newcastle
Giants v Cats Wollongong
These games can be spread across the season.
You can easily stretch the season out another week at either end - AFL always had the first Saturday in October booked for a GF reply, and we have enough non cricket grounds to start week early.
I would keep the current format and add a 23rd game. This is a neutral game where teams share revenue and it is played outside the usual venues, primarily to promote the game in NSW and Queensland. I.e.
Freo v Port Bunbury
Adel v WC NT
North v Hawks Wagga
Dogs v Bombers Albury
GC v Demons Townsville
Lions v Blues Sunshine Coast
Saints v Tigers Cairns
Pies v Swans Newcastle
Giants v Cats Wollongong
These games can be spread across the season.
You can easily stretch the season out another week at either end - AFL always had the first Saturday in October booked for a GF reply, and we have enough non cricket grounds to start week early.
Stupid concept. You still play some teams once and some twice. You are just formalising the inequities. See the 2019 AFLW season.
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If you really want to go for a radical fixture you could do a 25 game season with a conference system.
2 divisions of 9 that change yearly based on overall finishes the previous year, ie Conference A has teams placed 1,4,5,8 and Confernce B has 2,3,6,7 etc.
You play every team in your division twice (16 games) and the other conference once (9 games)
Top 3 in each division make finals plus the 2 next best records filling out a top 8.
2 divisions of 9 that change yearly based on overall finishes the previous year, ie Conference A has teams placed 1,4,5,8 and Confernce B has 2,3,6,7 etc.
You play every team in your division twice (16 games) and the other conference once (9 games)
Top 3 in each division make finals plus the 2 next best records filling out a top 8.
17 is perfect for an 18 team comp.
Home games one year, away the next.
The void can be filled with a State of Origin carnival.
If anyone says that word Conference again, I'll throw up.
Home games one year, away the next.
The void can be filled with a State of Origin carnival.
If anyone says that word Conference again, I'll throw up.
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Stick with 22 games per season. To make it fairer you can still have 34 games home and away but carry that fixture over to the next season. In other words after 12 rounds the following season the fixture is repeated. Every club would know who they are playing each year. AFL could still mix the order of games to suit Anzac Day etc. Only negative is some years maybe only one showdown/derby.
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big fan of the 17 game season. Still wide open for top spot and a good run could see you make the eight. However I would like an 18 game season with a rivalry round. I know this doesnt make it totally fair but a rivalry round is big money for the AFL (remember this will always be about cash not fairness).
If they cut the list sizes I think 2 extra teams would be nice so i could be a 20 round season again with a rivalry round. 22*9=198 20*10=200. This way tassie get a team and one other location, fairish fixture and 2 additional games for ads (I love seeing the helpless dad ordering his coffee though the maccas drive through)
If they cut the list sizes I think 2 extra teams would be nice so i could be a 20 round season again with a rivalry round. 22*9=198 20*10=200. This way tassie get a team and one other location, fairish fixture and 2 additional games for ads (I love seeing the helpless dad ordering his coffee though the maccas drive through)
phlogiston
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If you roll it over a two year period, you manage to iron out some of the kinks. Plus you ensure that if Cats play Eagles at Kardinia Park, then they play Freo in Perth. Swap the following year. Each Vic team travels to each other state once in the season; each non-Vic team travels to other non-Vic states once, and to Vic 5 times. Adjust as appropriate for Tassie, Darwin, Alice Springs etc.
I've long thought a 17 round season, with a Final 7 over 6 weeks, will strike a good balance between fairness, losing games (therefore revenue) and higher quality games.
Round 17 is local derbies / showdowns each year, eliminating any travel concerns for any finals contender in the last week. Kill the bye week between H&A and Finals. Final 7 week 1 is Team 1 rests, and we have 2v3 (game 1), 4v5 (game 2), 6v7 (game 3). Loser of game 3 out, then in week 2 we have 1 vs winner Game 1 (Game 4), Loser 1 vs winner 2 (game 5), loser 2 vs winner 3 (game 6). Loser of Game 6 is out, then we are at the Final 5.
Under the 2019 system we have 207 games. Under the above system we have 165 games, but should be of a higher quality. Currently, by the time we reach about Round 20, with the commentators on a hiding to nothing trying to hype up 14 vs 17, most neutrals are not interested, and if your team isn't in the finals, then the last 6 weeks or so can be quite meaningless until the finals kick off.
Happy to have constructive discussion around this idea to mature it.
P
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No games in Victoria until 2022.
22 for me, I just want to see more footy than 17 games + finals and the system didn't bother me.
I'd honestly rather 34 games with 15 minute quarters than 17 games, I want more games week to week.
I'd honestly rather 34 games with 15 minute quarters than 17 games, I want more games week to week.
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What you say is absolutely correct. It's clear teams don't need a week between games. So an even draw, where every team plays each other home and away, is feasible.
The only problem is that the AFL isn't interested in running a fair sporting competition. It seeks to maximise revenue and 'grow the business'.
I'm all for the play each other twice push and play more regularly. Love it.
I think you would have to increase list sizes and slightly shorten quarters to accommodate it though. Which I'd be happy to as well if it meant more games.
Would this not increase revenue? TV rights: yes, crowds: yes, greater market presence through the year: yes.
Introduce tassie as 19th team
19 teams, 18 rounds, 9 home and 9 away, play everyone once, alternate the home team in a match up every year no exceptions.
You travel to WA, SA, Qld and NSW once a year, and Tassie every second year. No exceptions to these rules.
One bye after round 9 at half way - competition wide bye, not a split round.
I'm happy with current top 8 set-up, but... if they want more finals to make up loss of home and away games, then move to a top 10 finals, being two top 5 systems (odds and evens get split into 2, with crossover at prelim final weekend). not a final 8 plus wildcard crap.
18 min qtrs (so that qtrs mostly go for 27-28 mins, not the 24-26 currently, and not the 30+ as per last season)
new team song for the eagles.
no groping asses or utensils in the team song after the game.
no bum taps after goals.
no white shorts policy, each team has an alternate jumper that works when required which may or may not mean white shorts depending on the colours in the team match-up in question.
steve hocking gone.
4k Go-Pros in each goal post plus another two that follows the ball at all times from opposite sides of the ground.
no Bruce or BT or darcy or lingy or jobe or carey in the commentary box
that'll do for now....
19 teams, 18 rounds, 9 home and 9 away, play everyone once, alternate the home team in a match up every year no exceptions.
You travel to WA, SA, Qld and NSW once a year, and Tassie every second year. No exceptions to these rules.
One bye after round 9 at half way - competition wide bye, not a split round.
I'm happy with current top 8 set-up, but... if they want more finals to make up loss of home and away games, then move to a top 10 finals, being two top 5 systems (odds and evens get split into 2, with crossover at prelim final weekend). not a final 8 plus wildcard crap.
18 min qtrs (so that qtrs mostly go for 27-28 mins, not the 24-26 currently, and not the 30+ as per last season)
new team song for the eagles.
no groping asses or utensils in the team song after the game.
no bum taps after goals.
no white shorts policy, each team has an alternate jumper that works when required which may or may not mean white shorts depending on the colours in the team match-up in question.
steve hocking gone.
4k Go-Pros in each goal post plus another two that follows the ball at all times from opposite sides of the ground.
no Bruce or BT or darcy or lingy or jobe or carey in the commentary box
that'll do for now....
Why do you want both less games and shorter quarters? That's significantly less football.
simple - each game means more. and fixture is even and fair.
the shorter qtrs is marginal and gets it back to qtr length it was my whole life growing up (27-29 mins each). somehow we got used to qtrs going for 32 mins the last few years.
we currently have 9 finals matches
the top 10 (two top 5s) would increase this to 13 games.
StevenwellerHFC
Brownlow Medallist
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17 games is way too many, should only be 10 and * finals too many games there too.
After round 10 whoever is on top of the ladder are premiers.
Should only be a season every 3 years, the less games of football I watch the better.
After round 10 whoever is on top of the ladder are premiers.
Should only be a season every 3 years, the less games of football I watch the better.
Isn't having each game mean more, made less relevant by you increasing the amount of teams in finals? You've got 60% of teams that make finals if 10 make it in, that's getting a bit generous for me, given finals should be a high standard team ideally, not a below average middle of the road team.
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