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The Luck of the Draw

BradDemonSufferer
BradDemonSufferer
in Melbourne Demons

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57 minutes ago, BradDemonSufferer said:

Braden Quartermaine: Time to fix uneven draw as AFL’s annual fixture farce highlighted yet again | The West Australian

The enequities of the Fixture were really shown up this year, like no other. 
Jeelong basically played in 2nd Division. 
Just another reason to Hate them venomously 

 

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    I'd include home ground advantages, Geelong and interstates. They get to train, on their match day ground as well as get the crowds influencing umps.

    On the other hand, interstates have to travel about every second week and the derby games are tough games. 

    This year Geelong got the draw and home advantage, without much interstate travel. 

    I feel something has to be done about the lopsided draws, but interstate games and home advantages must also be calculated into the mix, if they are after fairer draws. 

    A floating fixture after they have played each other once is a good start, take into account the other advantages and they will be closer. 

    Edited by kev martin

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    Wow:

    From the article:

    " HOW MANY FINALISTS YOUR TEAM HAD TO PLAY TWICE"

    5: GWS

    4: Essendon, Melbourne, St Kilda

    3: Carlton, Port Adelaide, West Coast, Western Bulldogs

    2: Gold Coast, Hawthorn, North Melbourne

    1: Adelaide, Brisbane, Collingwood, Fremantle, Geelong, Sydney

    0: Richmond

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    With the information presented like this it really does put things into perspective. Would love Champion data to do some kind of weighted ladder taking into consideration the fixture degree of difficulty. Not sure how you would go about it, but i think it will show a very different top 4. Richmond probably miss top 8 and Carlton/Saints probably get in. 

    Edited by CYB

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    3 minutes ago, Deenooos_ said:

    Wow:

    From the article:

    " HOW MANY FINALISTS YOUR TEAM HAD TO PLAY TWICE"

    5: GWS

    4: Essendon, Melbourne, St Kilda

    3: Carlton, Port Adelaide, West Coast, Western Bulldogs

    2: Gold Coast, Hawthorn, North Melbourne

    1: Adelaide, Brisbane, Collingwood, Fremantle, Geelong, Sydney

    0: Richmond

    Wow...I just said exactly the same when I read this a minute ago 'Deenooos'.

    Sydney, Richmond & Geelong have not really been tested. Nearly forgot Collingwood.

    Lets see how this pans out for them in the finals

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    It’s absolutely stark, isn’t it? Of the top eight, six of them are in the last two lines of that table – that is, only played other finalists once or twice.

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    This year’s Cup will be extra sweet if we can pull it off 

    I have no problem with last years GF Winner having a Tough draw, but the rest of this year’s Finalists have been given the Red Carpet 

    This is on you Gill

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    would like to know how teams with easy fixtures fare in September. Not well is my guess

     

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    Good article

    Its a blight on the game

    Remarkable how many times commentators refer to the ladder  saying things like Geelong are the stand out without doing the most rudimentary analysis of the fixture.

     

    A bit like Brisbane and their home ground advantage

     

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    Absolute joke that Geelong who finished2nd and made a prelim last year, had a significantly softer draw than the remaining prelim finalists.

    I totally understand the top 4 and premiers from the previous year getting the harder draw, but WTF is with the dream run that Geelong, Brisbane and Sydney got?

    Hopefully it catches up with them in finals. We would have finished 1st if we also got to play North and West Coast twice, including two games at the MCG. 

     

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    1 minute ago, layzie said:

    Collingwood really have had a rubber draw. 

    They finished bottom 4 though, so I can understand why.

    As I said above, what's the excuse for Geelong?! 

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    8 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

    This year’s Cup will be extra sweet if we can pull it off 

    I have no problem with last years GF Winner having a Tough draw, but the rest of this year’s Finalists have been given the Red Carpet 

    This is on you Gill

    This a problem when you have:

    1. a 23 round fixture,; and

    2. All the Dreamtime games, the Derbies, the Heritage rounds, ANZAC Days etc

     

    Would like to see an analysis of past years and those with easy draws falling in the finals...if anyone can be bothered.....

    Edited by jnrmac

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    I can understand teams will rise and fall, and the ladder positions will not be the same as they finished in 2021. I can understand the premiers getting a harder draw.

    But I can't understand teams like Geelong getting an easier one.

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    Just now, Jaded No More said:

    They finished bottom 4 though, so I can understand why.

    As I said above, what's the excuse for Geelong?! 

    I know a lot of the Collingwood wins have been 'heroic' but not so impressive with a % of 104. 

    The Geelong fixture is criminal. 2 x North games and 2 x West Coast games should get someone fired. 

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    4 minutes ago, jnrmac said:

    This a problem when you have:

    1. a 23 round fixture,; and

    2. All the Dreamtime games, the Derbies, the Heritage rounds, ANZAC Days etc

     

    Would like to see an analysis of past years and those with easy draws falling in the finals...if anyone can be bothered.....

    Yes but Jeelong do not feature in ANY of that. 
    And where is the equality of teams being sent down the Highway to play the Bastards? Who allows that rubbish EVERY YEAR!!

    That is just corrupt and lazy

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    7 minutes ago, Jaded No More said:

    They finished bottom 4 though, so I can understand why.

    As I said above, what's the excuse for Geelong?! 

    There is no excuse for Geelong. It is the same problem every year with those drongos. Geelong are a buboe on the armpit of humanity

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     Why doesn’t everyone played each other once, and then the last 5 weeks is a floating draw based on the first 17 games? 

    Struggling to think of a late season game after round 18 that is a blockbuster (Anzac, Dreamtime etc). Maybe make the Derby’s and Showdowns a certainty in the last 5 rounds, and then just arrange it so good teams get each other more - or at least make it fair and divide the teams into top, middle and bottom 6 and make it so you play teams in your division 3 times, and a bottom division side only once in that period. Shouldn’t be brain surgery, and means we get really good teams playing more often later in the year.

    Edited by The heart beats true

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    Could it be that the draw isn't about fairness, it's about maximising attendances and thus revenue? Maybe?

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    scarcity will ultimately make individual games more important and broadcast rights more valuable...in the long term

    there's no way afl will ever countenance taking the short term financial hit of going from 22 round season to a 17 / 18 round one (depending on if tasmania come in)

    i sound like a broken record - nfl has 32 teams but only 17 games per team over 18 rounds, and is arguably the most valuable sporting broadcast rights in the world

    Edited by whatwhat say what
    wrong n(?)l

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    Let's see if Geelong having had training runs basically the past fortnight will be match hardened in their QF.   

    Conversely our guys will be very much ready to roll  so maybe the Cats' easy run will do them no good - one can only hope so.

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    15 minutes ago, The heart beats true said:

     Why doesn’t everyone played each other once, and then the last 5 weeks is a floating draw based on the first 17 games? 

    Struggling to think of a late season game after round 18 that is a blockbuster (Anzac, Dreamtime etc). Maybe make the Derby’s and Showdowns a certainty in the last 5 rounds, and then just arrange it so good teams get each other more - or at least make it fair and divide the teams into top, middle and bottom 6 and make it so you play teams in your division 3 times, and a bottom division side only once in that period. Shouldn’t be brain surgery, and means we get really good teams playing more often later in the year.

    Be easier to just play each other once and Rounds 18-23 are based on the previous season

    Top 6 play each other again 

    7th to 12th play each other again 

    13th to 18th play each other again 

    At least it’s set in stone and you know what you are facing. If it means no double ups of derbies, showdowns etc then so be it Anzac Eve, Anzac Day, QB, Dreamtime all stay locked in and alternate home sides every year. If there’s a double up of those teams involved in those games it happens after Rd 17

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