I'm all for a conference system. Maybe not 3 tier, but definitely 2 tier. I think the current system is actually quite flawed in that it is just far too difficult to make an even draw right across the board. Take a look at the NBA. Two conference - west and east. Each team plays every team in their conference 3 or 4 times (depending on location. So Chicago play Milwaukee 4 times before they are close and in the same division), and they play each team in the other conference twice.
My idea:
Conference 1
North
Carlton
Collingwood
St. Kilda
Hawthorn
Sydney
West Sydney
Gold Coast
Brisbane
Conference 2
Richmond
Melbourne
Essendon
Bulldogs
Geelong
Adelaide
Port
Freo
West Coast
Each team plays their conference counterparts twice, and they play each team in the other conference once. No more than two games in a row at home, and no more than two games in a row away (away game. I don't mean interstate).
Season is 24 rounds long, with 1 or 2 breaks, either 1 half-way, or 1 a quarter of the way, and another 3/4.
Finals leave it as final 8. Or make it Final 10 with the finals an extra week.
I know a lot of traditionalist/old people are against a change, but there's no way we can keep it the way it is considering the travel involved and the complex finals system (compared to other major leagues for example, which are knock out, with no second chances).