Ok, so the new boss has some ideas - I don't hate them (I don't love them), but at least they are floating them rather than telling them and I do like the fact that some of the ideas are not self-serving (or powerful clubs serving) flap.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/draw-fix-may-be-chiefs-legacy-20150514-gh22dz.html

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/afl-clubs-lukewarm-on-fixture-change-20150514-gh1tv3.html

But there is some horrendous stuff in there - teams 7-12 playoff for 2 spots in the finals after round 17? Seems a tad arbitrary and takes away from the month of September. Essentially, you could be 7th and win your last 5 games and be rewarded with...7th and an away final as the 6th team gets pummelled and finishes with 4 fewer wins but a home final...

That is a terrible idea...

Of course, Caro carries the can for AFL House... If these ideas came from Eddie she would tear them apart, but thou shalt not burn bridges at AFL House!

Edited May 15, 201510 yr by rpfc

I wouldn't mind playing each team once and then we could just play Carlton for the remaining rounds...

Ok, so the new boss has some ideas - I don't hate them (I don't love them), but at least they are floating them rather than telling them and I do like the fact that some of the ideas are not self-serving (or powerful clubs serving) flap.

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/draw-fix-may-be-chiefs-legacy-20150514-gh22dz.html

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/afl-clubs-lukewarm-on-fixture-change-20150514-gh1tv3.html

But there is some horrendous stuff in there - teams 7-12 playoff for 2 spots in the finals after round 17? Seems a tad arbitrary and takes away from the month of September. Essentially, you could be 7th and win your last 5 games and be rewarded with...7th and an away final as the 6th team gets pummelled and finishes with 4 fewer wins but a home final...

That is a terrible idea...

Of course, Caro carries the can for AFL House... If these ideas came from Eddie she would tear them apart, but thou shalt not burn bridges at AFL House!

I agree. Locking in the top 6 that early would seriously disadvantage some teams who may have had a poor start to the season., As I recall in 2000 we came home with a great late run and may have been even as low as 7 after round 17. Ended up, what, 3 or 4 entering the finals.

And sometimes in an even season a team lying 13 at round 17 could make a late run for the finals. What incentive would there be in this scenario?

Tigers run home last year as well.

I don't mind the discussion, but the pre-finals playoff suggestion is ludicrous.

What they do need to sort out though is flexible scheduling (a la the NRL) whereby the weekly matchups and venues are known at the start of the season but the actual timing of games is determined a month or so ahead of time.

That way they wouldn't be locked into a bunch of Carlton friday night games, and the better matches could be given appropriate priority.

Terrible idea. There are a number of ways to improve on the compromised fixture, this is not one of them. It just substitutes one terrible system for another.

I believe the clubs have already knocked that idea on the head and it's back to the drawing board.

I think an idea that would work still revolves around the 17-5 split that see's teams divides up into 6 groups of three. However, this should be established at the conclusion of the previous home and away season. This solution would eliminate the problems with the current proposal such as uncertainty in fixturing and venue location.

Every team plays each other once with teams:

- 1-6 playing twice,

- 7-12 playing twice,

- 13-18 playing twice.

This could either be done after each team has played each other once or jumbled into the season as it currently is. This would result in more interesting top of the table clashes occurring whilst limiting lower teams to the disadvantage of playing the top teams twice, while teams that have to battle it out twice a year are closer in ladder position and produce more interesting games. There will be the odd anomaly with teams sliding or rising between groups such as Geelong and Gold Coast (so far) dropping away this year and GWS on the up. Another disadvantage is some of the rivalry games may only occur once a season.

Based on last years ladder at the end of the Home and Away season.

1. Sydney

2. Hawthorn

3. Geelong

4. Freemantle

5. Port Adelaide

6. North Melbourne

7. Essendon

8. Richmond

9. West Coast

10. Adelaide

11. Collingwood

12. Gold Coast

13. Carlton

14. Western Bulldogs

15. Brisbane Lions

16. GWS

17. Melbourne

18. St Kilda

Teams that play each other twice

- Sydney, Hawthorn, Geelong, Freemantle, Port Adelaide, North Melbourne

- Essendon, Richmond, West Coast, Adelaide, Collingwood, Gold Coast

- Carlton, Bulldogs, Lions, GWS, Melbourne, St Kilda

Pretty fair I think.

Tear it apart as you will.

The only problem with that is 7th has a massive advantage over 6th who will have the hardest draw of all.

The ideas right though, I'd rather see the groups split as

1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16

2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17

3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18

Or some variation on that.

The only problem with that is 7th has a massive advantage over 6th who will have the hardest draw of all.

The ideas right though, I'd rather see the groups split as

1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16

2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17

3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18

Or some variation on that.

Probably a lot fairer for teams battling it out for the lower half of the finals

Heres an idea

Draw the matches for 22 rounds out of a hat

play 17 rounds & 8 week finals. i love the finals