drebin wrote:brent wrote:I think that 9 teams is the ideal number in the current context; the 'bye' is not the worst outcome.
Spot on - I think all clubs don't mind having 3 byes over the season to freshen up although the bye early in the year (Rounds 1-6?) probably doesn't fit that theory.
All the league has to do is program the matches (and byes) a little more evenly over the season. There is a good piece in an article on the nafc website about the draw this year which rings true in terms of the odd way matches are programmed in 2008 - here is what it says:
The abnormalities of the SANFL draw
Our Club would prefer Clubs to simply play each other on a far more regular basis than the 2008 program has allowed. Consider the following:
Sturt twice within ourfirst eight games
South travel to Prospect twice - May and June, before hosting a home game [Round 18]
North play Port twice at Alberton - April and June, before hosting the Magpies in late August [Round 21]
If they can fix that then a 9 team comp will be good for all.
Well, it used to be evenly spaced out (I could even make up next years draw using the corrent format) but because clubs request different things at different times, that's why we get what we get now.
