Early start and two byes highlight season structure change

A nice change. But in some ways you are better to finish 7th than 6th but that means losing a final so fair enough. Where it really kicks in is it's better to finish 13th than 12th but again there's usually a gap at that stage of the ladder between those fighting for 8th and those right out of the picture.

Hopefully, we'll arrange it so that one of those byes is preceded by a Darwin game so that the team has a rest when it goes up there.

Hopefully, we'll arrange it so that one of those byes is preceded by a Darwin game so that the team has a rest when it goes up there.

WJ I seldom disagree with you.

Can you please show me the proof that it has any effect on the MFC?

We play poorly almost every week what has Darwin got to do with it.

The results this year show when we play a good side we get done by a large margin it does not matter

where the game is, IMO it is the quality of the team we are playing

Hopefully, we'll arrange it so that one of those byes is preceded by a Darwin game so that the team has a rest when it goes up there.

IF, the 2nd Bye happened on the weekend of the 25th - 27th of July, then that would be a good time slot after hypothetical Demons back to back Darwin games.

If we played the first Darwin game on a Thursday night,,, live free to air TV (10th July),,,, then backup the next week for a Saturday night game (19th July)... this would give us a 9 day break between games, where supporters could holiday in the TopEnd, or in nearby SouthEast Asia.... the bye the following week would be really helpful for recovery.

WJ I seldom disagree with you.

Can you please show me the proof that it has any effect on the MFC?

We play poorly almost every week what has Darwin got to do with it.

The results this year show when we play a good side we get done by a large margin it does not matter

where the game is, IMO it is the quality of the team we are playing

How did we go the week after we played in Darwin this year?

How did we go the week after we played in Darwin this year?

We got plastered by North but what does that prove?

We get plastered by north every year.

The week before we went we got plastered by Geelong.

So does that mean we should not play Geelong before we go to Darwin.

IMO it is the simple Good sides win and bad sides lose.

We lose because we are bad it makes bugger all difference who or where we play them.

Is it 4.4.28 to 22.18.150 every time we play Norf?

Even if to err on the side of caution Im with WJ...lets organise the bye with Darwin

Even if to err on the side of caution Im with WJ...lets organise the bye with Darwin

Agree with this.

Why tempt fate?

I really like the weighting system. At least it looks fair and it's there in writing any time someone wants to have a cry about the fairness of the draw. The increase in byes is lame for supporters but was really inevitable with the amount of pushing for it.

About time some sort of set in stone structure was applied to the draw. Absolute equality is probably a pipe dream but this is a step in the right direction.

The shortening of the nab cup is also a big winner.

My only gripe is rep footy. I would hate to see some passionless game between meaningless teams like some of the games being suggested. If they are going to reintroduce rep footy, it has to be state of origin, but not sure they have thought it through enough yet on how it would work.

Edited August 30, 201312 yr by Forest Demon

Dont get sucked in, the AFL has given the illusion of transparency with this "structured" draw but really nothing will change. Wait until Collingwood are top 6 and Essendon, Carlton and Richmond all finish bottom 6, this new structure will go out the window just like "every team plays interstate the same amount of times over a number of years." Not to mention the fact the recent changes still open it up to manipulation and the fact the inequality in the draw is largely based on finances than on wins/losses and nothing has changed. The only fair way is to split the previous years ladder into 3 (1, 4, 7, 10, 13 & 16 in one group, 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17 in another and 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18 in the 3rd) and play those in your group twice. Either that or just play each team once rotating H&A each year and with one trip to each of the other states.