My solution to an equitable draw.

[Twodogs]

I dont think I've ever heard anyone say they are happy with the fact teams dont play each other twice over the course of a season.


Why cant we have a rolling season? 16 teams x 2 games = 30 games. That way we could break the season up into 5 or 6 game blocks with a bye in between each block. That way we each team gets to play each other twice and each team gets 5 weekends over the course of a 35 week (including finals) season beginning in late febuary and ending in mid/late october. It wouldnt be hard to work out a system whereby twelve teams play each weekend and four teams have a rest obviating the need to have footy free weekends.


My belief is we are still to hung up on cricket being assigned a period a certain amount of time to exclusivly play their season in-why cant we have cricket and football on at the same time? It happens when the Australian team has an overseas tour or play their winter test matches in darwin or Cairns.

[southerncross]

This is a huge task and something that the AFL doesn't appear to want to tackle. We all know some clubs are getting a far easier ride than others but I think with all the limitations and club requirements that the AFL are trying to juggle they have little to no chance of reaching a fair outcome.

A 30 week draw for premiership points sounds to long in my opinion.

[Go_Dogs]

It's a very difficult situation. There doesn't appear to be a readily available solution to the issue, and I'm sure there have been lot's of proposals floated to the AFL to consider.

The inequalities that exist in the game to need to be corrected, however I'm not sure that this would accomplish this. As SC mentioned, it would make the season a bit too long in my opinion.

[Dry Rot]

Yes I reckon 30 weeks is too long too. Also concerned about playing proper footy in late summer NB say in Perth.

[Twodogs]

I've been thinking about this and I reckon we should think big people.


A 30 week season would provide so many opportunities to promote the game in areas around Australia and the world that never get to see it. We could have not just games, but series of games in New Zealand, Britain, South Africa and America. Four teams could head off and play each other over a week or eight days. Clinics, public training sessions and publicity concentrated in an area where die hard travelling fans and expats could watch.


Premier league soccer plays a 38 game season as well as all the other competitions-European and 2 domestic cups. 30 weeks plus finals is doable I reckon.




Is there not one of us here that can say the off season in AFL is too long?

[Sockeye Salmon]

Sorry buddy, you're on the wrong tram this time.

Two conferences is the only way.

[GVGjr]

Sorry buddy, you're on the wrong tram this time.

Two conferences is the only way.

2 H&A games against each team in your conference and one game against each of the teams in the other conference?

Do the teams within each conference stay static each year?

[bornadog]

The most equitable way for the draw is to base the whole draw over three seasons where everyone plays each other twice on a rotation basis. I really don't like the way the AFL has contrived the draw so that Collingwood, Essendon, Richmond and Carlton play each other twice, as well as the so called traditional matches like Anzac day, Queens birthday etc. This leaves clubs like ours with more interstate games. How many times has Collingwood travelled in the past three years, just take a look at their draw. The AFL claim they are maximizing TV rights and crowds, but what its actually doing is making the rich clubs richer and the poor clubs poorer. Now before any one says that clubs like the Western Bulldogs benefit with a payout due to the inequities of the draw, let me tell you this is only a short term gain. Under the present system, all this is doing is giving the Collingwoods, Essendons etc more exposure on TV and therefore more future members. Its not just the free to air normal weeks but you look at an Anzac day and all the focus it gets, these kids then idiloize these teams. Kids watching TV will grow up to follow these teams. To me the whole thing is a joke. Look at poor old North, the most successful team in the 1990's and they are struggling for membership, and an identity, all due to lack of exposure and the current system.

[Go_Dogs]

The problem with the 30 week season IMO is the drain that it would put on players bodies. Although your proposal does include bye weeks, a season that long would leave a lot of players - both the young and old - at huge injury risk come deep in the season.

If something like that were to occur, I think the list sizes would need to be increased by at least another 5 or so players to help cover the gap - a lot of teams are already struggling with current list sizes to keep a reasonable and fit team on the park.

The idea of international expansion is an interesting one, and one that could gain a bit of merit. Particularly the American market I think, would really enjoy a high standard exhibition of skills, fitness and strength that our game offers. Not only would it broaden the sphere of AFL, it could also act as another way for them to raise some significant revenue.

[Sockeye Salmon]

2 H&A games against each team in your conference and one game against each of the teams in the other conference?

Do the teams within each conference stay static each year?

The way I'd divy the clubs up is:

Adelaide and Port in one conference and WCE and Freo in the other. Just common sense really. The local fans, clubs (including the other 12), media and AFL all want it.

Put Sydney in the Perth group and Brisbane in the Adelaide group just to cut down the Perth-Brisbane travel.

The 10 Victorian sides get split up as evenly as possible while retaining 'traditional' rivalries.

The 'Whitten' group:
Footscray, Collingwood, Carlton, Melbourne, Geelong.

The 'Dyer' group:
Richmond, Essendon, Hawthorn, North, St. Kilda.

The Victorian groups swap between the Perth and Adelaide groups every second year.

Every team plays those in their own division twice a year and those in the opposite division once. Those in the opposite division alternate H & A like they do in Davis Cup.

Every Vic team plays interstate four or five times a year (nine times over two years).

Essendon and Collingwood only play once a year but there is no reason it couldn't be on Anzac Day.


Each division has it's own final four. This is important. Each team is judged on how it performs relative to it's peers with the same draw. A team in the Dyer division might finish fourth with an 11-11 record. Another team in the Whitten division might finish 5th with a 12-10 record. Bad luck, this is likely to be because they're playing in an easier division.

Crossover divisions in the finals. Lets call the top 4 in one division A, B, C & D and the top 4 in the other division 1, 2, 3 & 4.

The first week of finals draw would be:

1 v B (double chance, winner gets a home prelim)
2 v A (double chance, winner gets a home prelim)
3 v D (elimination)
4 v C (elimination)

If the two best teams are from the one division they can both make the grand final.

[Twodogs]

Sorry buddy, you're on the wrong tram this time..

That's what they say about every true visionary




Two conferences is the only way.



Would still leave the season too short though.

[Sockeye Salmon]

Would still leave the season too short though.

7 x H & A = 14 games
8 x other division = 8 games

= 22 games + 4 weeks of finals = exactly what we've got now, only fair!

[Twodogs]

7 x H & A = 14 games
8 x other division = 8 games

= 22 games + 4 weeks of finals = exactly what we've got now, only fair!



My idea=more footy, so it's a better idea by it's very nature.

[Sockeye Salmon]

My idea=more footy, so it's a better idea by it's very nature.

We could play each team 3 times = 45 rounds. 4 weeks finals = 49 weeks.

4 weeks NAB Cup and this year will start the week before last years grand final!

[Twodogs]

4 weeks NAB Cup and this year will start the week before last years grand final!



Again it's do-able. You'd have the first round of the NAB cup between the teams that didnt qualify for the Grannie.;)


In all seriousness, I cant see why the season couldnt be longer or why we couldnt play more games if we managed the players properly and made sure they got adaquate rest.

[Palace03]

The most equitable way for the draw is to base the whole draw over three seasons where everyone plays each other twice on a rotation basis. I really don't like the way the AFL has contrived the draw so that Collingwood, Essendon, Richmond and Carlton play each other twice, as well as the so called traditional matches like Anzac day, Queens birthday etc. This leaves clubs like ours with more interstate games. How many times has Collingwood travelled in the past three years, just take a look at their draw. The AFL claim they are maximizing TV rights and crowds, but what its actually doing is making the rich clubs richer and the poor clubs poorer. Now before any one says that clubs like the Western Bulldogs benefit with a payout due to the inequities of the draw, let me tell you this is only a short term gain. Under the present system, all this is doing is giving the Collingwoods, Essendons etc more exposure on TV and therefore more future members. Its not just the free to air normal weeks but you look at an Anzac day and all the focus it gets, these kids then idiloize these teams. Kids watching TV will grow up to follow these teams. To me the whole thing is a joke. Look at poor old North, the most successful team in the 1990's and they are struggling for membership, and an identity, all due to lack of exposure and the current system.

This really is the way to go to have any sort of fairness in the draw. Put it together in 2 or 3 year blocks. The AFL can still have Anzac Day every year, each team gets equal Friday night games, and equal exposure. The AFL can tweek with the fixture at the start of each season to ensure the big games for that year are on prime time.