Perfect league.

[Pavaus]

Hi people!

I think if the AFL made a few things fair and standard that the sport will become far more successful. These are my thoughts on the league.


Perfect Footy Model:

1) Every team plays each other twice (Home & Away) despite how many teams there are. It's the only fair way to do it.
(Unless this happens we are have teams playing the top 8 16 times and the bottom eight 6 times. This just isn't fair for some. Including travel which some teams have to travel west twice and others once.
The point the AFL say about if the your the best team then you should beat everyone is a cop out.It's just not reality.Things happen, injury, weather ect.. which can make a team lose suddenly, so give them more rounds to make up for the mistakes.
At the moment a mistake can lead to you losing a game, which can mean you have a harder fixtures then most, which can lead to pressure, tanking and sackings. The less moves you have the higher the stacks are.
Also the point that the bodies can't hold up is flawed. The AFL each year is making the game safer for players, surely this should trickle over onto players being able to play more games.
ALSO! WHY 22? was it because there used to be 11 teams in the competition and they agreed to a fair and just system of home and away every team?. Think why this magic number out of a sudden makes sense. )

2) Finals ladder stays the same without MCG getting rights to grand finals (top team gets a home grandfinal). * Unless we make all the other grounds the same size as the MCG, my point 7.

3) Video umpiring is allowed with the captain/coach given a number of challenges a match. I know this can only happen in AFL level, but many sports have the elite getting special technology's to stop cheating and wrong outcomes.

5) The season starts earlier to allow for the extra games needed and consequently:
6) NAB cup is thrown out.
(Why limit the amount of footy Australia get to watch.We love this game and want to see more and more yet we only have 22 games a year (if your team doesn't make the final) to see our super stars go for it and this is even with a break in between.Come on, increase the squad size and give the people what they want.)

7) Every ground has standard dimensions (MCG dimensions).This means during the finals every team knows how to play the right way come the Grand final.
(Stop making footy be this thing which sits ontop of cricket (using cricket grounds, MCG,SCG ect..), no one respects that. Instead give footy it's own stadium size and turf.Let the whole world know what to train on so that we are all on the same page.)

8) Players' names on back on uniforms. This will help the jumper clashes (a little) on tv and give the players and fans more to cheer about.

9) Increase the squad size to make up for injury (i'm sure there is enough tallent out there).

10) Insert a week break between the end of season and the start of the finals. Give the guys a chance to get their heads and body right before important matches.

what are your thoughts?

[TalkingFootball]

Nice post many thought provoking points.

Originally Posted by Pavaus

* Every team plays each other twice (Home & Away) despite how many teams there are.

Think this is a must, until the day this happens I refuse to admit the best team will finish first and the worst team will finish last. At present IMHO teams ladder postions are decided by who has the most favorable/unfavorable draws.

Originally Posted by Pavaus

* Finals ladder stays the same without MCG getting rights to grand finals (top team gets a home grandfinal) or numbered finals games.

I would only support this assuming game can be played on a ground with a 100,000 capacity.

Originally Posted by Pavaus

* Finals footy setup stays the same.

Agreed assuming we have a 16 team comp

Originally Posted by Pavaus

* Video umpiring is allowed with the captain/coach given a number of challenges a match.

I'm not sure on this one. I can see teams manipulating this to slow the game down if the opposition gets a "run on" going.

Originally Posted by Pavaus

* State of origin matches are held every four years by volunteering players.

Think state of origin is a relic of the past.

Originally Posted by Pavaus

* The season starts earlier to make September hit.

I would only want an earlier start to season if list sizes increased or you could have a change to the eligibility of Rookies.

Originally Posted by Pavaus

* NAB cup is thrown out.

What you call it is immaterial. However, you do need an organised practice match system.

Originally Posted by Pavaus

* Every ground is the same size and a proper footy field is written.

Unsure about this, cant see the benefit.

Originally Posted by Pavaus

* Names of players should be written on the back of the uniform.

May help the game from a spectator point of view, I would not object.

[EagleRock]

I agree with most of that, I think each team playing each other twice is definitely a good idea but the season would end being 30 rounds long and if the league expands to 18 teams your looking at 34 rounds.

I think the finals setup could stay the same even if the league expands with a top 8 and 10 teams miss out.

I also agree with TF that if you moved the GF away from the MCG then you would definitely need a ground 100000+ seating.

I see no problem with the size of the grounds its something that makes AFL different.

[Tippaz]

Originally Posted by Pavaus

* Video umpiring is allowed with the captain/coach given a number of challenges a match.

Video replays???
Mate, i used play to school footy outside Fairley Woman's Prison. are they supposed to set up cameras for those games too???
the rules have to at least be practical for basic levels of football.

[Brades]

Why Tippaz? None of the video replay rules in the NHL and NFL apply to lower levels, neither do some of the higher up rules. I don't see why they have to be practical for lower levels. Everyone will know about the rules, but they will only be enforced at AFL level. There is nothing wrong with that.

And good to know that you were once a convict in a womens prison.

[Back Flank]

Originally Posted by TalkingFootball

Think this is a must, until the day this happens I refuse to admit the best team will finish first and the worst team will finish last. At present IMHO teams ladder postions are decided by who has the most favorable/unfavorable draws.

The AFL says that if you are the best team, It doesn't matter who you play twice. Yes it's flawed, but I'm willing to accept it. If you truly are the best team it shouldn't effect you. If you're not, then it probably will.