2018 AFL Season

[amber_fluid]

IMO It’s not broke, leave it alone.
There is an element of luck each year with the draw but it adds to the excitement of seeing the draw for the first time for the year.

Can we please have no rule changes for a couple of years and just leave it alone.

[MW]

IMO It’s not broke, leave it alone.
There is an element of luck each year with the draw but it adds to the excitement of seeing the draw for the first time for the year.

Can we please have no rule changes for a couple of years and just leave it alone.

You could not be more wrong.
It is 100% contrived to suit revenue, not fairness. It is a fixture, not a draw.
The only "fairness" in the fixture is the double up games against sides ranked around where your team was in the previous year.

[Jim05]

Change it too improve it but don’t change it just for the sake of it.

If they can’t improve it, leave it as it is as it isn’t actually broke.

I would argue that it is actually broken - playing some teams once, some teams twice every so often, some teams twice every year, not playing against a team away for years, etc etc.

But I do agree that finding a consensus will be difficult.

Besides a bottom half team not being able to win the div 1 flag in the next year, I still can’t see a downside to the two division format

Massive drop off in crowds, sponsorship and revenue by having two tiers not to mention player retention. What players would want to stay at a club playing in division 2. The current set up is about as equatable as it will ever get and as others have said every team has played in a GF in the last 20 years except the two expansions sides

[Spargo]

I’m partial to the idea of playing every team twice in a season over a 3 year period.
Year 1, play 17 rounds plus 6 more against randomly drawn teams = 23 rounds
Year 2, play 17 rounds plus 6 more against randomly drawn teams but also removing from the draw the 6 teams you played twice the previous year = 23 rounds
Year 3, play 17 rounds plus double up games against the 5 remaining sides you haven’t played twice the previous 2 seasons = 22 rounds
Every team plays every other team home & away over a 3 year period.

[amber_fluid]

IMO It’s not broke, leave it alone.
There is an element of luck each year with the draw but it adds to the excitement of seeing the draw for the first time for the year.

Can we please have no rule changes for a couple of years and just leave it alone.

You could not be more wrong.
It is 100% contrived to suit revenue, not fairness. It is a fixture, not a draw.
The only "fairness" in the fixture is the double up games against sides ranked around where your team was in the previous year.

Of course it’s contrived.
Teams request their draw and the AFL ultimately decide it.

Clubs still don’t get everything they want so there is still an element of luck from the clubs point of view.

[Booney]

Change it too improve it but don’t change it just for the sake of it.

If they can’t improve it, leave it as it is as it isn’t actually broke.

I would argue that it is actually broken - playing some teams once, some teams twice every so often, some teams twice every year, not playing against a team away for years, etc etc.

But I do agree that finding a consensus will be difficult.

Besides a bottom half team not being able to win the div 1 flag in the next year, I still can’t see a downside to the two division format

When a team who doesn't deserve to win it wins it, come back.

The last one was Adelaide in '98, for the record. That final 8 system was changed soon after.

[Booney]

I’m partial to the idea of playing every team twice in a season over a 3 year period.
Year 1, play 17 rounds plus 6 more against randomly drawn teams = 23 rounds
Year 2, play 17 rounds plus 6 more against randomly drawn teams but also removing from the draw the 6 teams you played twice the previous year = 23 rounds
Year 3, play 17 rounds plus double up games against the 5 remaining sides you haven’t played twice the previous 2 seasons = 22 rounds
Every team plays every other team home & away over a 3 year period.

And how often do you have Grand Finals?

[amber_fluid]

IMO It’s not broke, leave it alone.
There is an element of luck each year with the draw but it adds to the excitement of seeing the draw for the first time for the year.

Can we please have no rule changes for a couple of years and just leave it alone.

You could not be more wrong.
It is 100% contrived to suit revenue, not fairness. It is a fixture, not a draw.
The only "fairness" in the fixture is the double up games against sides ranked around where your team was in the previous year.

I will concede it is a fixture and not a draw these days unfortunately

[valleys07]

Despite breaking their 37-year premiership drought last September, Richmond will need to come from the clouds once again in 2018 according to Champion Data, as their list is still a far way off the game’s elite.

According to the AFL’s leading data supplier, Champion Data rate Richmond’s list as the ninth best in the competition, with their best 22 rated as the seventh strongest.

Sydney are at the top of both lists, as the Swans have been ranked number one for both overall list strength, and best 22.

Close behind Sydney in list strength is Port Adelaide, who added senior players Tom Rockliff, Jack Watts and Steven Motlop in last season’s free agency period.

Adelaide in third and GWS in fourth round out the four strongest lists in the competition, with all four sides finishing in the top six on last season’s AFL ladder.

The Swans lead the league with 17 players rated either ‘elite’ or ‘above average’, with Port Adelaide boasting 16 players in the two categories.

For perspective, the Tigers won the premiership with just three ‘elite’ players (Dustin Martin, Alex Rance and Shane Edwards) and nine in the ‘above average’ column

At the other end of the scale, Carlton’s list has been ranked as the league’s worst, while Fremantle have been placed in 18th spot with the weakest best 22, given captain Nat Fyfe is the Dockers’ only ‘elite’ player.

Collingwood will be looking to break their finals drought but will need to do so with the league’s 10th best list, although should their best 22 stay on the park for most of the season, the Pies could be finals bound, given their strongest 22 rates sixth in the competition.

After adding Jake Stringer, Devon Smith and Adam Saad, Essendon’s list is still below Collingwood’s in overall strength in 11th, while their best 22 is eighth among the competition.

Shane Edwards is an 'elite' player?

Of the competition. No.

For his position and the role he plays. Yes.

[Spargo]

I’m partial to the idea of playing every team twice in a season over a 3 year period.
Year 1, play 17 rounds plus 6 more against randomly drawn teams = 23 rounds
Year 2, play 17 rounds plus 6 more against randomly drawn teams but also removing from the draw the 6 teams you played twice the previous year = 23 rounds
Year 3, play 17 rounds plus double up games against the 5 remaining sides you haven’t played twice the previous 2 seasons = 22 rounds
Every team plays every other team home & away over a 3 year period.

And how often do you have Grand Finals?

Every year still.

[bennymacca]

Change it too improve it but don’t change it just for the sake of it.

If they can’t improve it, leave it as it is as it isn’t actually broke.

I would argue that it is actually broken - playing some teams once, some teams twice every so often, some teams twice every year, not playing against a team away for years, etc etc.

But I do agree that finding a consensus will be difficult.

Besides a bottom half team not being able to win the div 1 flag in the next year, I still can’t see a downside to the two division format

Massive drop off in crowds, sponsorship and revenue by having two tiers not to mention player retention. What players would want to stay at a club playing in division 2. The current set up is about as equatable as it will ever get and as others have said every team has played in a GF in the last 20 years except the two expansions sides

1. The div 2 clubs would still play the div 1 clubs once. I think this is the key to keeping div 2 relevant. So in terms of the draw it wouldn’t be that much different - just 100% fair

2. The drop off in sponsorship would already occur - if you are a shit club you are shipped off to the Sunday twilight slot etc. so yes this wouldn’t change.

There might be actually be potential for extra revenue - if you hosted a final as a club that finished 11th for instance. And people might show up to that late season 13th vs 15th game as there is now finals on the line. So it could keep crowds attending for longer.

3. Players already move for the above reasons so I don’t think it will change much in that regard

All fair points though and I’m sure that’s what the AFL would point to as reasons not to do it. But I think it would work well. I wonder if the afl have seriously looked into this

[MW]

I’m partial to the idea of playing every team twice in a season over a 3 year period.
Year 1, play 17 rounds plus 6 more against randomly drawn teams = 23 rounds
Year 2, play 17 rounds plus 6 more against randomly drawn teams but also removing from the draw the 6 teams you played twice the previous year = 23 rounds
Year 3, play 17 rounds plus double up games against the 5 remaining sides you haven’t played twice the previous 2 seasons = 22 rounds
Every team plays every other team home & away over a 3 year period.

And how often do you have Grand Finals?

Every year still.

Using this method, a team that finishes bottom could end up doubling up against sides ranked 1-6 the following year. It would be a bloodbath.

[Jim05]

Change it too improve it but don’t change it just for the sake of it.

If they can’t improve it, leave it as it is as it isn’t actually broke.

I would argue that it is actually broken - playing some teams once, some teams twice every so often, some teams twice every year, not playing against a team away for years, etc etc.

But I do agree that finding a consensus will be difficult.

Besides a bottom half team not being able to win the div 1 flag in the next year, I still can’t see a downside to the two division format

Massive drop off in crowds, sponsorship and revenue by having two tiers not to mention player retention. What players would want to stay at a club playing in division 2. The current set up is about as equatable as it will ever get and as others have said every team has played in a GF in the last 20 years except the two expansions sides

1. The div 2 clubs would still play the div 1 clubs once. I think this is the key to keeping div 2 relevant. So in terms of the draw it wouldn’t be that much different - just 100% fair

2. The drop off in sponsorship would already occur - if you are a shit club you are shipped off to the Sunday twilight slot etc. so yes this wouldn’t change.

There might be actually be potential for extra revenue - if you hosted a final as a club that finished 11th for instance. And people might show up to that late season 13th vs 15th game as there is now finals on the line. So it could keep crowds attending for longer.

3. Players already move for the above reasons so I don’t think it will change much in that regard

All fair points though and I’m sure that’s what the AFL would point to as reasons not to do it. But I think it would work well. I wonder if the afl have seriously looked into this

Id guarantee that if the Crows were playing in Div 2 they would struggle to get 30k to a game.
All player contracts would need to re done so it allows an automatic transfer out if their team is dropped to div 2, would see huge player exodus’s

[Spargo]

I’m partial to the idea of playing every team twice in a season over a 3 year period.
Year 1, play 17 rounds plus 6 more against randomly drawn teams = 23 rounds
Year 2, play 17 rounds plus 6 more against randomly drawn teams but also removing from the draw the 6 teams you played twice the previous year = 23 rounds
Year 3, play 17 rounds plus double up games against the 5 remaining sides you haven’t played twice the previous 2 seasons = 22 rounds
Every team plays every other team home & away over a 3 year period.

And how often do you have Grand Finals?

Every year still.

Using this method, a team that finishes bottom could end up doubling up against sides ranked 1-6 the following year. It would be a bloodbath.

Extremely unlikely.

[bennymacca]

Of the competition. No.

For his position and the role he plays. Yes.

Yep.

Champion data also give relative ratings which give an indication of how good that player is compared to others in their position and age bracket. So someone like bontempelli is massively above average for his age etc

[Corona Man]

I’m partial to the idea of playing every team twice in a season over a 3 year period.
Year 1, play 17 rounds plus 6 more against randomly drawn teams = 23 rounds
Year 2, play 17 rounds plus 6 more against randomly drawn teams but also removing from the draw the 6 teams you played twice the previous year = 23 rounds
Year 3, play 17 rounds plus double up games against the 5 remaining sides you haven’t played twice the previous 2 seasons = 22 rounds
Every team plays every other team home & away over a 3 year period.

And how often do you have Grand Finals?

With North playing?

[bennymacca]

[quote="amber_fluid"]

Change it too improve it but don’t change it just for the sake of it.

If they can’t improve it, leave it as it is as it isn’t actually broke.

I would argue that it is actually broken - playing some teams once, some teams twice every so often, some teams twice every year, not playing against a team away for years, etc etc.

But I do agree that finding a consensus will be difficult.

Besides a bottom half team not being able to win the div 1 flag in the next year, I still can’t see a downside to the two division format

Massive drop off in crowds, sponsorship and revenue by having two tiers not to mention player retention. What players would want to stay at a club playing in division 2. The current set up is about as equatable as it will ever get and as others have said every team has played in a GF in the last 20 years except the two expansions sides

1. The div 2 clubs would still play the div 1 clubs once. I think this is the key to keeping div 2 relevant. So in terms of the draw it wouldn’t be that much different - just 100% fair

2. The drop off in sponsorship would already occur - if you are a shit club you are shipped off to the Sunday twilight slot etc. so yes this wouldn’t change.

There might be actually be potential for extra revenue - if you hosted a final as a club that finished 11th for instance. And people might show up to that late season 13th vs 15th game as there is now finals on the line. So it could keep crowds attending for longer.

3. Players already move for the above reasons so I don’t think it will change much in that regard

All fair points though and I’m sure that’s what the AFL would point to as reasons not to do it. But I think it would work well. I wonder if the afl have seriously looked into this

Id guarantee that if the Crows were playing in Div 2 they would struggle to get 30k to a game.
All player contracts would need to re done so it allows an automatic transfer out if their team is dropped to div 2, would see huge player exodus’s[/quote]

If they finish bottom they double up against roughly the same teams that they would be playing against if there was a div 2.

But I can see your point.

It’s probably why the afl hasn’t seriously looked into something like that, but has looked into bracketing the comp after 17 rounds - as every team starts equal at the start of the year

[MW]

At the end of the day, how many teams have said they didn't win the grand final purely because of the fixture?

[bennymacca]

At the end of the day, how many teams have said they didn't win the grand final purely because of the fixture?

Of course they won’t come out and say it. But if you went and looked at how many teams potentially missed the top four - or top eight - because the team directly above them had easier double up games - there would be a few.

There will always be easy game later they dropped that they can point to instead but it’s naive to pretend it has zero effect

[Booney]

So 13th v 15th "with finals on the line" would be interesting?

Please, you've got to be ******* with us, right?