AFLW: The Farce of the Conference System

[rjay 24,993]

1 hour ago, binman said:

In the AFL the real solution is each team play's each other only once. it is the only fair system. Sure it means much fewer games but there you go.

They could expand the finals system potentially to offset (a bit) the issue of reduced games. Perhaps have a wildcard. 

But that's not going to happen with the AFL's thirst or TV revenue

It's not fair at all 'bin'...

Teams will have the home ground advantage & not having to travel etc...

...and the idea of a reverse draw the following year doesn't hold up as teams have good years and bad years.

No, the only fair system is to play each team twice & even then there will be anomalies.

Of course it also won't happen...

[binman 43,138]

23 minutes ago, mauriesy said:

It could still lead to possible inequities. You could play all the good teams at home and all the weak teams away.

Yes. But you swap each year. Same as nfl

[chookrat 4,257]

5 hours ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

The issue isn't who plays in the GF, it is who plays in the 2 prelims.  To my mind, the prelims should be based on the 4 best teams overall not who may make it thru to the GF (and the Home Ground advantage should go to the higher placed team overall not the highest placed in each conf). 

imo Carlton/Geelong (as the ladder currently stands) have less right to play in the prelims than any team that finishes above them on W/L and %'age regardless of where the higher teams finished in conf A. 

Will wait and see how it pans out.

I see your point. Its horrible the way the AFL have set it up where Carlton could be outside the best four teams from a win and % perspective and play in the GF while three teams above them miss out. 

[rjay 24,993]

4 hours ago, binman said:

Yes. But you swap each year. Same as nfl

Unfortunately a swap the next year doesn't work if you're talking an equitable draw...

We all know some teams are easy beats one year and world beaters the next.

I think the idea of an even draw is a furphy and will never happen.

What we have now is about as good as it's going to get...

...and please Dill, no conferences.

[Jibroni 5,004]

Let them play eachother once and leave it at that.

Top 4 finals, 1 v 4 and 2 v 3 knockout then GF. All done within 3 months.

 

[binman 43,138]

19 hours ago, rjay said:

Unfortunately a swap the next year doesn't work if you're talking an equitable draw...

We all know some teams are easy beats one year and world beaters the next.

I think the idea of an even draw is a furphy and will never happen.

What we have now is about as good as it's going to get...

...and please Dill, no conferences.

Four points.

First rarely does it happen that a team is easy beats one year and world beater the next.

Secondly even if it occurs that is an argument for playing teams only once per year. As stands lets say you have to play Cats twice and they go woefully this season you are advantaged over teams that play them once. And lets say you play Brisbane twice and they have a breakout season, teams that play them once are advantaged

Thirdly the home games are not really the advantage they once were, with ground rationalization, the trend towards ground having similar dimensions and stadiums surrounds and the growing professionalism of clubs.

Finally the current system is a joke n terms of equity - both in terms of determining the finals and commercially. Lord help us if this the best we can expect.

[rjay 24,993]

3 hours ago, binman said:

Four points.

First rarely does it happen that a team is easy beats one year and world beater the next.

Secondly even if it occurs that is an argument for playing teams only once per year. As stands lets say you have to play Cats twice and they go woefully this season you are advantaged over teams that play them once. And lets say you play Brisbane twice and they have a breakout season, teams that play them once are advantaged

Thirdly the home games are not really the advantage they once were, with ground rationalization, the trend towards ground having similar dimensions and stadiums surrounds and the growing professionalism of clubs.

Finally the current system is a joke n terms of equity - both in terms of determining the finals and commercially. Lord help us if this the best we can expect.

I would think Perth, Adelaide, Sydney and Geelong are all significant home ground advantages...

[Neitz Blitz 13]

Scrap it #neitzblitz

[binman 43,138]

10 hours ago, rjay said:

I would think Perth, Adelaide, Sydney and Geelong are all significant home ground advantages...

Yes. They are. And with each team playing each other one each of the relevant clubs would get 9 home games to try and take advantage of that.

But swapping home games each year is the only fair way to ensure some clubs are not unfairly disadvantaged by playing there more often.

The best dees related example is the ridiculous number of times we have had to play at kardinia park in the last 10 years and how infrequently we get a return game. 

[Demonland 72,236]

17 minutes ago, binman said:

The best dees related example is the ridiculous number of times we have had to play at kardinia park in the last 10 years and how infrequently we get a return game. 

The number of times we have played a home games against Essendon in the past decade is a farce too. Not from a home town perspective but from the away guernsey perspective. Will be interesting to see if the AFL force Essendon to wear a red guernsey or if all of a sudden there is no clash or strike me dead if they force an alternate strip on us. 

[binman 43,138]

13 minutes ago, Demonland said:

The number of times we have played a home games against Essendon in the past decade is a farce too. Not from a home town perspective but from the away guernsey perspective. Will be interesting to see if the AFL force Essendon to wear a red guernsey or if all of a sudden there is no clash or strike me dead if they force an alternate strip on us. 

Yes. And apart from the jumper 'issue' there are the facts we often have had to play them at docklands, a ground th hat until recently we have struggled and the not insignificant commercial impact of not playing at home.

[Demonland 72,236]

3 minutes ago, binman said:

Yes. And apart from the jumper 'issue' there are the facts we often have had to play them at docklands, a ground th hat until recently we have struggled and the not insignificant commercial impact of not playing at home.

I'm surprised they didn't give us a home game against them at Docklands this year with the added insult of the away guernsey. 

[ProperDee 1,698]

Consign it back to local leagues. Introduce  AFL under 19 comp that play curtain raisers to senior games. THAT is a step forward.

Edited February 20, 2019 by ProperDee

[Lucifers Hero 39,976]

AFL spruikers and media have changed the narrative (spin) on a Conf ladder vs a Combined ladder.   They are now saying the best two teams will still play in the GF effectively acknowledging that the top two Conf B teams will lose their finals. 

This conveniently ignores that two of the best 4 teams may not play finals at all and they would be worthy contenders in the GF.   So AFL please note, no we won't necessarily get the best teams in the GF so stop treating us like idiots who unthinkingly absorb your spin!! 

[Leoncelli_36 2,264]

I'm more concerned by the bias umpiring in Q4 of the MEL v North game. It was bltantly obvious that the two teams were subject to different rules and that the AFL have a bit riding on North Women's team being winners. They will be hoping North host the final, which they'll put on in Tasmania. It was a farce and when that deliberate out of bounds was paid, if it wasn't already obvious from the free kick for in the back, it was apparent that the fix was in. 

[Meggs 595]

We are likely we finish 3rd or 4th (only a momentous win will see us higher) however if the reigning premiers beat the Blues say 48-15 on Sunday afternoon then the final ladder will be in perfect harmony...and demonstrate how Head Office completely stuffed the 2019 finals fixture.

[Willmoy1947 4,101]

I would know very little on the Rules relating to AFLW, but i would stake my life on the fact that the AFLW Umpires know or pretend to know far less. In our Game when you see blokes perplexed, it's the speed. When you see women perplexed, it's sad.............

[Demonland 72,236]

 

[david_neitz_is_my_dad 4,083]

Quote

now the team with the worst percentage in the league is playing finals

That has to be one of the bigger stuff ups for a long time. Could point most of the blame at the AFL rather than AFLW who still just follow orders.

[Docs Demons 1,792]

Let's face it. We were not good enough. Onwards and upwards next year !!

[george_on_the_outer 7,611]

Congratulations to Adelaide for winning the AFLW Grand Final.

Without a doubt it was one of the most decisive drubbings of a second rate side in Carlton who should not have been there in the first place. 

The disastrous 2019 conference system was all there to be seen after Adelaide were able to beat the two top sides in B division by over  10 goals and 7 goals respectively. 

That's not a finals series and only served to debase the efforts of better sides in the competition.

Gil is lucky there are other things going on in the media at the moment, so the scribes have completely missed this debacle.

[Lucifers Hero 39,976]

Yes, Adelaide are a great team.  Seamlessly went from one coach to another this year.  Well done to them.

The AFL added to the finals farce by not using the Sat afternoon time slot they deliberately left 'empty' for the AFLW grand final.  It was fantastic that 53,000 went Adelaide Oval but the AFL could have had a much greater tv audience, sponsor exposure etc on the Saturday afternoon than the Sunday when it was up against several AFL games.

Hutchy on FC suggested the AFLW comp run July to Sept in the 'empty' time slots around the AFL games.  And there are a lot of 'empty' slots in September for its finals.  Afterall, aussie rules is a winter sport.

Certainly, the great turn out in Adelaide tells the AFL the demand is there and they need to take the comp seriously with a proper fixture that showcases the best teams in finals.

Edited April 2, 2019 by Lucifer's Hero

[rjay 24,993]

On 4/1/2019 at 6:07 PM, george_on_the_outer said:

Congratulations to Adelaide for winning the AFLW Grand Final.

Without a doubt it was one of the most decisive drubbings of a second rate side in Carlton who should not have been there in the first place. 

The disastrous 2019 conference system was all there to be seen after Adelaide were able to beat the two top sides in B division by over  10 goals and 7 goals respectively. 

That's not a finals series and only served to debase the efforts of better sides in the competition.

Gil is lucky there are other things going on in the media at the moment, so the scribes have completely missed this debacle.

Whilst the conference system seemed a strange decision by the AFL in the end the GF result only proved that Adelaide were streets ahead of any team in the competition.

Carlton comprehensively defeated Freo who finished 2nd to Adelaide in conference A.

Freo had an easy win against North, 3rd in conference A in the final game of the season & Adelaide belted us (4th in conference A).

By the end of the season it could be argued that Carlton were the 2nd best team, they definitely improved and results point that way.

I would suggest that no matter who lined up against Adelaide the result would have been similar.

 

[poita 3,902]

2 hours ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

Hutchy on FC suggested the AFLW comp run July to Sept in the 'empty' time slots around the AFL games.  And there are a lot of 'empty' slots in September for its finals.  Afterall, aussie rules is a winter sport.

That's fine if you are prepared to kill off all of the local clubs (Darebin, St Albans, etc) that have been the backbone of womens football for its entire history. It's bad enough that AFLW clubs are allowed to run teams in the VFLW, but running the seasons concurrently would destroy the VFLW also.

That said, congratulations to Adelaide who were light years ahead of the competition and fully deserved to win the premiership. Melbourne only have themselves to blame for not playing finals, and Carlton were as good as any of the rest in the second half of the season.

 

[Lucifers Hero 39,976]

4 minutes ago, poita said:

That's fine if you are prepared to kill off all of the local clubs (Darebin, St Albans, etc) that have been the backbone of womens football for its entire history. It's bad enough that AFLW clubs are allowed to run teams in the VFLW, but running the seasons concurrently would destroy the VFLW also.

That said, congratulations to Adelaide who were light years ahead of the competition and fully deserved to win the premiership. Melbourne only have themselves to blame for not playing finals, and Carlton were as good as any of the rest in the second half of the season.

Good point.  Hutchy said they could start the VFLW season earlier.  I guess that then leads to the problem of the AFLW players playing a very long season to go straight into an AFLW comp.  Maybe it wasn't such a good idea after all.  Still, some creative thinking is required by the AFL to not make it into a 'mickey mouse' comp.