Opinion AFL Bye Week(s). How to fix?

[Lee]

ICYMI, Chris Scott

Chris Scott

Age

48

Ht

182cm

Wt

89kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.6

4star

K

11.2

4star

HB

5.4

4star

M

5.1

5star

T

1.6

4star

G

0.4

3star

No current season stats available

D

13.2

4star

K

10.2

4star

HB

3.0

3star

M

2.2

3star

T

2.8

5star

G

0.4

3star

has came out today stating that he would be in support of the season shutting down for a week or two mid season instead of having the bye rounds.

What’s everyone’s thoughts on this? Could we see it happening in the future? How would you manage the bye?

 

[Lee]

IMO, I think it could be done if you incorporate other things such as Mid Season Draft, possibly even Mid Season Trading, and then showcasing the Under 18 comp & state leagues whilst the AFL isn’t on so we still have some footy on our screens.

 

[adammania9]

The AFL don’t want an entire weekend without games played and topics to talk about drawing from those games played.

Personally I like the three bye rounds (they stuffed it up with Port and Freo making up a fourth bye round). It’s enough footy to get by on those weekends and everyone gets their weeks off. The alternative would be to return to the old split round and have 5 and 4 games played in two weeks.

The avid SuperCoach player in me hates the bye rounds, but the three weeks is the best set up for footy imo

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

Two or three weeks of byes is fine if byes must be had. So long as teams coming off, and going into, byes always play teams doing the same.

 

[rye]

everyone getting the same week off would make too much sense for the afl

 

[Obzerva]

The AFL don’t want an entire weekend without games played and topics to talk about drawing from those games played.

100% this.
The AFL want to own the media cycle every day, and if you’re taking a week off in the middle you give other codes a look in.

As soon as you take a week off, Marvel and the MCG essentially become free for about 10-12 days free each.

Plenty of room for another code to play a friendly, rugby test, etc

In an ideal world byes would be split over a few weekends with the proviso being that teams coming off the bye only play a team that’s also coming off the bye.

It all turns on its head in a couple of years anyways with a 19 team comp, so not a huge issue to resolve - the AFL definitely won’t have a full weekend off from 2028 as it’ll mean 2 teams would have 2 consecutive weeks off (a full bye round + either the week before or after)

 

[A1fromDay1]

What is so hard about just having a split round like we used to have.

Much cleaner wraps the byes up in 2 weeks

 

[And_ROOS]

What is so hard about just having a split round like we used to have.

Much cleaner wraps the byes up in 2 weeks

Bingo, and fixture it so that the teams who have the bye all play each other the week after so that theres no cases of a team off a bye playing a team that hasn't had one yet.

 

[Registered User]

I reckon split it over 2 weeks. Wasn't it done that way in the past? Why was it changed?
One thing that REALLY sh1ts me is the footy media people continually pimping for a complete week off, just so they get a holiday. They can gagf. I don't mind not having footy on; it's their motivation that 'grinds my gears'. We've heard it'll never happened, because Fox and Ch 7 don't want it, so the media flogs should stfu about it

 

[Cleavy]

move the byes to the off-season. no issues.

 

[Rob R]

One bye round but fill it with the annual VFL v SANFL and key U18 games.

On SM-A125F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[daniel_4tw]

Bigger lists and no byes.

Clubs to give players weeks off throughout the season.

Let the clubs manage when and how many ‘byes’ they give their players. It becomes more tactical. You can still have your time off why does it need to be AFL mandated?

 

[Walshawk]

We are getting a 19th team in three seasons so the bye will be one (sometimes three) each week. So his suggestion is not workable.