The Draw, The Fixture...The Farce!!!

[Ghost Like]

I know this comes up every year but it really is my greatest complaint about the AFL, yes even more than rule changes and costs involved in going to the footy.

I'm sick of this orchestrated fixture depriving clubs without a voice of revenue and exposure. Depriving fans of a legitimate and fair, season long contest and all at the whim of Vlad, his henchmen and the chosen few clubs, those deemed 'worthy'.

Vlad speaks of transparency, respect for umpires / women, an attractive spectacle and fairness. These are only words, words used to suit his agendas and deflect criticism. What he truly speaks of and worships is money, as he expressed with his package having bonuses built in to it based soley on turnover and profits.

At the wave of his spectre he consigns poorer clubs to a season of Sunday games, games not covered by free to air television, games played interstate (3 or 6, depending on your club's status), games played with short turnarounds, games played between sides who have had varying recovery and lead up preparation times, games that will attract the bulk audience and media exposure and games played under pseudo themes to illicit a pseudo hype.

The AFL is raking in more money than they ever have thanks largely to television, partly to virtually no games being played at the same time, sponsorship and branding. Yet the AFL have never seen fit to address the anomaly and blight that is the season's fixture.

As far as I know, all the great codes of the world have fair and just fixturing...the EPL, the NFL, the MLB, the NBA, the NRL and the varying cricket competitions (with the exception of the Eastern Cricket Association, but that's another rant for another forum).

Now I don't like to bitch and moan without offering a solution. This is one I have thought of before and I've certainly seen others suggest similar. I personally think it's fair and clubs will be left with no feeling of bias provided the AFL divide the Friday nights and Sunday arvos / twilights equally amongst the clubs.

The AFL should base their fixturing on where the teams finished the previous year, i.e. all the teams in the Top 8 play each other twice and the teams in the Bottom 8 once with the teams in the Bottom 8 playing each twice. Home ground for the sides playing each other once can be decided on who didn't have home ground last time.

The 17th & 18th teams coming in should not alter this too much provided there is some 'sensible' tweaking.

I'm just sick of the so called big clubs dictating who plays who and who plays where and when. If this league is that fragile that it will fold without these so called blockbusters then it's in a parlous state. Stuff the 'big' clubs, let them break away as that would be their threat and has been muted in the past, let's see how long the Collingwood, Carlton, Essendon league (CCE League) lasts.

My rant, apologies for it's length and the repetition of topic.

Cheers

[Thinline]

Seconded.

[No1_Saint]

Keep in mind when we were attracting big crowds and consistently winnning games and our membership improved we were rewarded with way more Friday night matches in Melbourne.

If supporters want a better deal for the club...they need to turn up to the game. If we were getting within 10,000 people of Collingwoods crowds consistently then our fixture would be much more attractive.

[older saint]

In 2004/2005 the club was presented on a platter with the opportunity to establish a blockbuster game thorugh the rivallry which grew with Geelong. For what ever reason this never happened and we remained with the Bulldogs, Kangaroos, Cats and Hawks as non blockbuster game clubs.

Even a disgrace of a club like Richmond were able through marketing and Sheedy establish a new rivalry game in since this time (dreamtime) .

Above is correct until membership is above 35000 every year and crowds average above 45000 it won't even be considered.

On a lighter note think of what we cuold play for:

The Gary Sidebottom cup
The Michael Ford Trophy
The Robert Handley Shield
The Matthew Capuano Plate

[Life Long Saint]

A good concept but I'd make one change:

The two "conferences" should be made up of four teams out of each half of the ladder.

The other way is too much advantage for the teams that didn't make the finals. They already get early draft picks.

If a team in the bottom half of the eight has improved then it should be able to beat some of the teams in the eight.

The split should be numerically based (e.g. 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 13 & 16 in one pool and 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 11, 14 & 15) in the other.

The spanner in the works for this will be the period between the 17th and 18th team when we have a bye.

I'm yet to figure out how the fixture will work for this scenario. Will the AFL keep 8 games a week or will we go to 7 with three teams having a bye? or will lots of teams have a bye in a few weeks and only one team having a bye for the other weeks? Will we even stick to a 22 round comp?

[aussierules0k]

[Ghost Like]

The other way is too much advantage for the teams that didn't make the finals. They already get early draft picks.

If a team in the bottom half of the eight has improved then it should be able to beat some of the teams in the eight.

You bring up another point of angst for me Life Long Saint...the Draft. Another statement by Vlad that this isn't compromised and I'll throw up. I know we benefitted greatly from it but I never felt like we genuinely gave up games to ensure our position, we were genuinely shyte and that's been acknowledged by no one ever suggesting we tanked. Bring in the lotto system where the chances for the poorer teams are weighted but not guaranteed.

I also appreciate that the almighty dollar runs the League but what I'm saying is that it should not be at the integrity of the competition by the way of compromised fixturing.

I'm also not sure I totally agree with the attractive football scenario, apart from Geelong I'm not sure there's another team that I can say, "I'll sit down here and watch them because their style is attractive." We've finished in the finals 4 out of the last 5 years and we cop a poor draw in terms of day & time, exposure and free to air.

I don't want us to get a better draw than anyone else but I don't want a poorer one...I just want a fair and uncompromised fixture. The game is good enough for the AFL and Club marketers to promote this draw.

[noblejohn]

ghost like wrote

At the wave of his spectre

maybe a friend of yours

[Ghost Like]

ghost like wrote

At the wave of his spectre

maybe a friend of yours

Nice pick up noblejohn...what the hell word was I clutching at? Sceptor / Sphincter...both fit the gist of my rant.

[noblejohn]

sceptre would fit the bill

[noblejohn]

or scepter. Where is spelly when you need her

[3rd generation saint]

If the AFL had a fair and equitable draw they would do it over a three year period in which everyone would play each other 5 times.
But Essendon and Collingwood hijacked Anzac Day, and the Perth teams and Adelaide teams must play each other twice.
Collingwood, Carlton and Essendon must play each other twice, or so the AFL believes.
One wonders if a smart supporter with a bit of money ever took the AFL to court and challenged the fairness of the draw, well one wonders.

[BakesFan]

.

On a lighter note think of what we could play for:

The Gary Sidebottom cup
The Michael Ford Trophy
The Robert Handley Shield
The Matthew Capuano Plate

The Rene Kink Casserole Dish
The Tony Lockett Golden Boot
The Joel Smith Pewter Crutch
The Dean Rice Brown Paper Bag
The Nicky Winmar Diamond Collar

[stinger]

Seconded.

thirded.....