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Opinion Why have a split round?

Should the AFL continue to implement split rounds into the future?

  • Yes - Including the first round of the season

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    17

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DV2000

Club Legend
May 9, 2014
1,154
1,139
AFL Club
Geelong
This season, the AFL has continued having split rounds where one round of footy is spread over two weekends. This included a split round to kick the 2014 season off. I am against the implementation of these split rounds, due to the problems that they cause, including:
  • Making the weekend boring for some supporters (if their team isn't playing on that particular weekend)
  • Disrupting the flow of the competition (e.g. teams have a random break or two in the season, which can disrupt their preparation and can slow momentum)
  • Making half of the fans wait an extra week to see their team's first match of the season (if they play in the second part of the 1st round), after a long pre-season.
  • And this is a minor point, but it also messes up AFL Fantasy and Supercoach competitions, e.g. you have to select your teams before the split round begins, but you are not aware of the team lineups, injuries, etc.
I understand that there are some benefits to having split rounds, but I personally don't think they outweigh the reasons to not have them.
 
I'd rather not start the season with a split round - can't get boring if you either have to wait for your team to play in the 2nd week, or if your team has played the in the first week you just want the 2nd round to start.

As for the 2nd split round that is coming up - that is done to accommodate the players request of 2 byes during the season. The AFL's options are either a footy free weekend which won't go down well with the TV rights, another 3 weekends of 6 games which doesn't work the first time so don't think it would work well a second time in the season, or splitting one round over 2 weekends which is what they have done.
 
However the players are now the most powerful people in the game. They want 2 byes, they get 2 byes. The afl have problems with grounds, this is the only way to make all parties happy.
 

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The Round 1 split is just ridiculous, just go back to the Thursday night opener, it was never a great game but it was always exciting to see the first big night of footy of the year and know your team was playing its first game in a couple of days.

Then in 2012 they gave Sydney the opener a week before everybody else so 2 teams ended up with an extra bye weekend. It was understandable at the time since it was the first ever GWS game, but they then decided the next year, 'hey, why not instead of making the fixture uneven for 2 teams, lets do it for another 4' typical AFL logic :rolleyes:


But money talks, and they love having 2 'blockbuster' weekends for the price of one. In fact I wouldn't surprised if in 3 years we don't just have 2 split rounds but 3 or 4.


Moves like this are really killing my passion for the game. If it isn't rules being made up on the fly to make the game 'more attractive' it's TV coverage that appeals to the lowest common denominator with Brian 'HAVE YOU SEEN CH.7'S THE BLOCK DARCE?' Taylor, or cringeworthy ads featuring Lebron James saying through gritted teeth 'My friend andrew here told me about this foo tea thing and it's just grreat (now where's my $5000?)' SEE GUYS AMERICANS LIKE IT TOO NOW? ISN'T THAT AWESOME?


I love the idea of expanding the game and getting it noticed and loved by more people. But this recent crusade for new fans has brought in nobody, all it has done is pushed more and more of the old fans away.


I did vote for 'Yes-but not in the first round' because I don't have an issue with the players getting their second bye if they so desire.
 
It's as much as issue about the cricket grounds being unavailable as they need to be reserved for Sheffield Shield (meaning games can't be fixtured at the MCG, SCG, Adelaide Oval, or Gabba in the week that the season currently starts), isn't it? So, we could either start the season in what is currently week 2 of Round 1, or leave it as it is. Personally, I don't have a problem with split rounds and the only genuine issue I can see is with only having Etihad, Patersons, Spotless Stadium, Simonds Stadium and Metricon available, which doesn't exactly lend itself to too many blockbuster match-ups (what would be wrong with an annual Derby?). As for two bye weeks during the season, anything that helps our players (and, more broadly, every player in the competition) perform at as close to 100% as possible, therefore producing a higher standard of football, gets a tick from me.
 
This season, the AFL has continued having split rounds where one round of footy is spread over two weekends. This included a split round to kick the 2014 season off. I am against the implementation of these split rounds, due to the problems that they cause,

what you think about the total footy black out coming up this month? will be a hard weekend to get through.
 
  • And this is a minor point, but it also messes up AFL Fantasy and Supercoach competitions, e.g. you have to select your teams before the split round begins, but you are not aware of the team lineups, injuries, etc.

These days, the major fantasy comps use rolling lockout systems so that you can still make changes after the first week's games are played.
 
These days, the major fantasy comps use rolling lockout systems so that you can still make changes after the first week's games are played.

Can anyone picture Gillon McLachlan calling a press conference to announce that the league is moving to a single week of games for round 1 and listing the improvement to fantasy football competitions as a reason? Yeah, screw what the players want...we need to ease the burden on our overstressed Supercoaches. I mean, talk about clutching at straws...
 
I don't mind them and think they are probably the best way to handle the players justified desire to have a weekend break.

For men like myself, with enough testosterone to devote to more than one sport, there's plenty of other sport to watch.
 

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Opinion Why have a split round?


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