Dee*ceiving

I think you're right Cactus. It seems each AFL boss comes in with 1 major goal for their term and for Vladimir its to introduce new clubs in the GC and West Sydney. Tackling an additional item such as the fixture and competition structure can be left for the next head administrator in his mind.

thanks for that. Just 1 questions does that mean collingwood train on the Storms ground?

Correct, those teams will still meet once per year, sharing home fixturing in alternate years. I know its a bit complex and takes some reading but I thought it would generate a bit more debate; not too worry thanks to those who took time to read it.

I apologise if I am proposing a new a slant on an old idea but I have been thinking about this for a while and reckon its a fair idea. Just as a warning I am lending heavily from the structure used in most North American competitions where the total number of competing franchises is near or above 30. The main premise to my proposal is to break the current 16 teams into 2 distinct divisions or conferences. For the purpose of this exercise we will call them conference A and conference B. Each conference will contain 3 non-Victorian and 5 Victorian teams. Logically and for logistic simplicity you pair the SA teams and the WA teams and split Sydney and Brisbane. Here is an example of how I think you could split the 2 conferences: A West Coast Fremantle Sydney Collingwood Essendon Nth Melbourne St Kilda Geelong B Adelaide Port Adel Brisbane Hawthorn West. Bulldogs Carlton Melbourne Richmond Now for the benefit of this spilt. Under this system each team would play every other team in their conference twice, once at home, once away (2*7 = 14 games). While each team plays the 8 teams in the other conference only once (1*8 = 8 games) 4 of them away and 4 at home. This results in each team playing a total of 22 games per season. This would mean that each and every season you would know roughly the composition of the fixture before it was even drawn up. Ideally the teams from the opposite division you play away this season you would play at home the next season. Under this system each Victorian based team will play no less than 4 and no more the 5 games outside of Victoria each season. You could manipulte the composition of the 2 conferences all day long but I think this system works well for the following reasons: 2 derbys and 2 showdowns each year Brisbane to Adelaide and Sydney to Perth are similar distance trips The 2 biggest drawing Victorian sides (Essendon and Collingwood) will play twice each year The next 2 biggest drawing Victorian sides (Richmond and Carlton) will play twice each year The draw is the same each year which simplifies team planning, travel and nullifies the argument of inequitable or soft draws whereby clubs seem to enjoy less interstate games or more than one game againt the top/bottom sides Fixture scheduling is simpler as the draw structure removes objectivity Geelong can have 6 games at Skilled each year, 3 against the interstate teams in its conference and at least 1 against the interstate team from the other conference. This means that the lower drawing Victorian sides such as Melbourne, West Bulldogs, St Kilda and Hawthorn could take turns playing there no more than once every 2 years. Finals structure: 8 sides will contest finals The top 3 sides from each conference automatically qualify for finals (6 teams) The next 2 teams will be considered wildcards and these will be awarded to the 2 teams outside the previous 6 with the best records, regardless of conference (2 teams) Finals Week 1 4 games will be played The top team from each conference will play the team that finised second (at home) in qualifying finals (QF1 & QF2) for a spot in the prelim final The two teams finishing third will play the wild card teams (at home) in elimination finals (EF1 & EF2). The 3rd placed team with the best record will play the wild card with the worst record. After week 1 two teams will be eliminated and 2 will be through to a prelim final in 2 weeks time Finals week 2 2 games will be played (SF1 & SF2) Losers from QF1 and QF2 will face the winners from EF1 and EF2. QF teams will play at home with the best record from the home and away facing off against the work record After week 2, 2 more teams will be eliminated The 2 winners will face the winners from QF1 and QF2 in week 3. Finals week 3 QF1 and QF2 winners face SF1 and SF2 winners at home. The highest rated team at the end of the home and away facing the lowest rated team at the end of the home and away. The winners are through to the GF in week 4 Finals week 4 Grand Final at the MCG. The finals series itself is very similar to what is curently in place (if not identical) and could be modified, suggestions welcome. Overall the only negative I can see from the system overall is the AFL will find it more difficult to maximise attendances by not being able to schedule as many blockbuster games per season as humanly possible as they will be constrained to the overall structure of the league. This will prevent some leveraging of existing rivalries, however I think it will increase the liliehood of new rivalries being formed. Let me know what you think.

Here is a solution for Mick: Play every home game on a Sunday at the MCG or preferably TD because the MCG is our gound Play a minimum of 6 games a year on non-Victorian grounds Play Geelong at Skilled Play Essendon, Carlton, Richmond, Hawthorn & Melbourne no more than once per season That should prevent his players from big game burnout and at the same time reduce the Pies bottom line by about 30%. FFS Mick get off your high horse and think about the big picture, the main objective of the AFL is not to play to every whim of the CFC to the delight of your feral band of toothless, dim-witted, in-bred, mullet haired, moccassin wearing followers. [Deleted]

1 year of an extra ruckman is no big deal. Spencer wouldn't have to be retained as a rookie and after 2009 there is a good chance White will retire and Jamar will not be on the list. P Johnson might even struggle to keep his place on the list.

Correct, I am aware both Bate and Dunn were taken bottom age in 2005 because the thought at the time was they would all be highly sought after the following year

Best case scenario: We get pick 1, WCE get pick 2. We tell WCE we will draft Rich with Pick 1 unless they deal us Pick 2 and a quality player for pick 1. They get Rich, we get Natanui and a quality Eagle (Kerr maybe a stretch but Embley/Hunter a possibility)

Correct, he is a one grab player even when the ball is bouncing awkwardly and he seems to know where his team mates are at all times. His handpasses from a pack to Davey and Bruce in the last qtr were first class.

Big dutch he is such a smart player. If he had the athleticism and skill of a Buddy Franklin or even a Paul Wheatley he would have been a star in this league for many many years

Agreed, he makes sure he gets everything he can out of that body of his. Special mention too based on the fact that he hurt his shoulder in the second quarter and went off only to tell Ricky Olarenshaw on the boundary line that he would be coming back on to kick a goal. He kicked 2 in fact.

I would like to see Garland play on Milne...He seems to have good toe for a tall player. I think PJ could play on Kosi and Warnock on Riewoldt

Green has been great across half back recently, while I like the idea of him coming out of the goal square I would be reluctant to change his focus while he is playing some of the best footy of his career. Just because Yze and Robbo are different player types doesn't mean they can't line up in the same position and be effective. Its like saying Hawthorn couldn't play Mark Williams at FF if Buddy got injured. Ablett and Lockett were completely different player types too but both were sensational full forwards. We won't have a better chance to get Yze a game in his last season than if Robbo is injured. He is playing well, get him. in. Tough to call ins and outs on Monday without know the likliehood of players fitness later in the week however based on the assumption that Holland and Robbo are injured and White is fit. In: Yze, White, C Johnson Out: Robbo, Holland,, Bartram,

One would think Grimes would need a few games at Sandy before being considered for senior selection. That being the case there is a good chance we can place an older player on the LTI (should one get injured or require surgery to be ready for next year) or have Holland/Yze retire to free a spot on the senior list for Grimes.

True but Sandy played the Northern Bullants yesterday. C Johnson is knocking on the door for another chance by the looks and I agree with whoever said Yze should come in for Robbo is he fails to come up. Sylvia would be a chance to come in as well and if White isn't ready I think its time we got a look at Meesen...Jamar was puss yesterday especially in the second half

Brad green 4 me

Opinouns are like [censored], evryone has one and they often spurn [censored].

I was three rows back from the punch up and can vouch for the feroicity of some of the blows. In fact 2 of my mates got there heads in the paper today, I was standing right between the two of them but must have been obscured by some melon head. The blokes that picked the fight must have come up from level 1 towards the end of half time and just laid into 4 blokes in Vic jumpers and later an old man who made the mistake of trying to watch the game in the commotion and took offence to recieving an errant blow. Security took at least 5 minutes to arrive and when they did (1 male and 1 female) they didn't fare too well. It took a further 2 to 3 minutes before back up and about 4 police officers arrived to escort the group out of the ground. 3 of the 4 boys in vic jumpers later returned. I think the 4th may have had a broken nose or something. Poor bloke, his nose is plastered all over his face and his [censored] mates go back in to watch the footy instead of joining him at the hospital to get his face re-structured. Funniest thing out of the whoe expereince was seeing Corey McKernan leaning out of one of the boxes above us pointing and getting right fired up during the fight and as the police attempted to remove the offending idiots. I think he had enjoyed a few cold beverages up till then too...Funny night & and footy was ok too.

I am hearing you re: Leon Davis...Extremely overated, annoying, soft, lazy. wanderer and plays for Collingwood. Yet that tool BT and about a million Collingwood supporters think he is brilliant. The igniter, pfft, I'll tell you what he can do with his igniter.

If this thread is too continue can we revert back to the Wona praise/discussion as opposed to the soap box/high horse rationalism we are currently seeing between Rhino and 33% of the demonland community right now???

WHACK

Green is far more dangerous around the forward 50 than struggling to get rushed handballs through the middle. His marking running back with the flight and long accurate kicking is best utilised within striking distance of the goals as evidenced on a couple of occassions yesterday. Rivers, Bell, Frawley & Warnocks spoiling yesterday was the best we have seen all year by the length of the flemington straight. Carrol got a few nice fists in too. Without Pavlich in the second half Melbourne would have won by 6 goals. Scary thought when they were up by 50 at half time. the players definitely shelved the over use of the hand ball coming out of defence after half time. Wheatley, Bruce and White made multiple errors trying to do this in the first half and looked much more comfortable lifting their eyes and looking for a longer option in the second half. having a hardworking and effective half forward line in Bate, Miller and Wona made this work. Miller has been ok at CHF so far this year but having Bate alongside him might be the perfect foil. Bate is capable of the things Miller struggles with i.e. long accurate kicking, creativity and reading the play. This will draw players and allow Miller to run at the ball carier 1 on 1 a situation that suits him. Lets hope we can draw on the confidence and remain comptetive for the rest of the season. As much as I would like to win as many games as possible however I would hate for Essendon, West Coast or Freo to be rewarded with a higher draft pick.

Jamar jumping straight into Sandilands at the centre bouces was golden. Very instrumental in gaining the ascendency out of them middle in the second half. God I hope some one has finally managed to convince the Big Russian he is big enough to command his own post code and its about time he showed it.

I think chris connolly said on SEN during the week that his body strength and fitness levels are still a long way off where they should be for an AFL footballer. And you can see it too he is a bit pudgy around the face and through the hips. Once this guy is super fit and with a couple of solid pre-seasons behind him we might really see how good he can be. An exciting prospect

BB = Bob the Builder??? Bails is bottoming out for a quick rebound. The proof is in the pudding for his mate Clarko and he knows you are only afforded that luxury in the first 2 years as coach hence where we are at now. At best, with minimal injuries and playing a simple and familiar game plan i think the most we could have hoped for from this list in 2008 is 6-8 wins. This will not facilitate the building of a potential premiership winning side as quickly as a complete bottom out for 2008/2009 will. If Dean Bailey is a career coach he will know he will not have this luxury ever again in his career whether it be at Melbourne or elsewhere. He has made a decision regarding what he believes is the fast track to premiership calibre football and looks as though he is going to stick with it. I know its painful but we need to stick fat for this year and next and take joy out of seeing the young players hopefully improve. Also don't be too concerned with the game plan or lack there of at this stage. Game plans evolve over time and it will change as we improve and hopefully unearth a marquee player. Times are tough but better times will come. We don't know if Bailey can coach based on what we have seen so far but I am also willing to say we don't know he can't coach