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AFL - Time for 2 divisions?
- Thread starter Dylza94
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I am all for it.........just need at least 2 more teams to enter the comp (tassie and another team in perth or adelaide).
It is much better idea than the conference BS.
It is much better idea than the conference BS.
I am all for it but teams who have a poor starting supporter base could really really struggle. So a number of melbourne teams and the eastern states could hurt them most. Both WA and SA teams havea supporter base that will get a minimum but enough for the club to stick around with Port being the most at risk, the same goes for Collingwood, Hawthorm, Geelong, Richmond,Carlton and Essendon they would be fine but as for the rest!
- Sep 15, 2011
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I feel like a lot of people are rejecting it out of hand simply because it's too different/radical or too closely associated with soccer. That's not to say people haven't raised some valid concerns, but it also has some obvious benefits, the biggest being the creation of an equitable draw.
The biggest fear seems to be teams in division two becoming second class citizens, losing memberships, television coverage etc. But I don't think that has to be the case any more than it is now, with teams at the bottom of the ladder and out of contention early. You could still structure the game exactly the same, with nine games, all televised, mixed throughout the weekend, just with some being division one and some division two. The ladders could simply run side by side. The added bonus would be division two teams would still be in with a chance of winning something (promotion) as well as some sort of Shield (so as to separate it from the Premiership flag/cup).
The draft would also have to run exactly the same way, with the teams ranked from 1-18 across both divisions.
Yes, there's always teams that surge up the ladder, but rarely from the bottom four, so maybe you could have as many as four teams promoted/relegated each season (though probably three would be better).
I just think it has some merit and the quality of the first division each season would be much improved, sudden falls from grace like Fremantle and Richmond's notwithstanding.
The biggest fear seems to be teams in division two becoming second class citizens, losing memberships, television coverage etc. But I don't think that has to be the case any more than it is now, with teams at the bottom of the ladder and out of contention early. You could still structure the game exactly the same, with nine games, all televised, mixed throughout the weekend, just with some being division one and some division two. The ladders could simply run side by side. The added bonus would be division two teams would still be in with a chance of winning something (promotion) as well as some sort of Shield (so as to separate it from the Premiership flag/cup).
The draft would also have to run exactly the same way, with the teams ranked from 1-18 across both divisions.
Yes, there's always teams that surge up the ladder, but rarely from the bottom four, so maybe you could have as many as four teams promoted/relegated each season (though probably three would be better).
I just think it has some merit and the quality of the first division each season would be much improved, sudden falls from grace like Fremantle and Richmond's notwithstanding.
EPL would drop promotion and relegation if they could
- Sep 15, 2011
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True, and the competition would be worse for it.
Look at the big clubs trying to force changes on the Champions League to ensure they don't miss out.
VFL, time for two divisions, with the 10 AFL clubs starting in division one.
Man U
Man City
Liverpool
Chelsea
Tottenham Hotspur
Leicester City
Rangers
Celtic
Aston Villa
West Ham
Newcastle
Southampton
breakaway league
Wounded Lion
Team Captain
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That means Richmond will get relegated every year then
What about 2nd division teams losing players? It happens in soccer all the time, that when a team is relegated from the EPL to the second tier, most of the good players bail.
Brisbane and Melbourne have already lost a decent chunk of players over the years, and Brisbane in particular are struggling to get back up the ladder because of it. Problem will only worsen if players are stuck playing for teams that can't get out of the 2nd division.
There are plenty of ways to sort out an uneven draw but this is probably the least sensible solution.
Power Raid
We Exist To Win Premierships
I love soccer as a sport but the business model is unsustainable.
Johnny Karate
Intolerant Left #DemonSniffit Clique 👀
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Strange time to bring this up. This year is probably most competitive since northern expansion.
telsor
Hall of Famer
It's unlikely all the WA/SA/NSW/QLD clubs would be stuck in Div2 at once.
But yeah, the non Vic clubs would have a hissy fit about Vic clubs actually getting a genuine home ground advantage a for a change.
no/10
telsor
Hall of Famer
12 team main league, separate the 6 biggest 'special needs' teams to play in their own comp.
Obviously Syd, Bris, GC & GWS are in the special needs bracket...Add in Melbourne (AFL bailout after being caught *cough* 'not tanking') and Essendon (drug rehab program).
Promotion and relegation can happen when the special needs clubs show they can compete under the same rules, whereupon they get replaced by those most in need of 'assistance' (St Kilda, WB, North on the short list).
Obviously Syd, Bris, GC & GWS are in the special needs bracket...Add in Melbourne (AFL bailout after being caught *cough* 'not tanking') and Essendon (drug rehab program).
Promotion and relegation can happen when the special needs clubs show they can compete under the same rules, whereupon they get replaced by those most in need of 'assistance' (St Kilda, WB, North on the short list).
The_Reaper
Hall of Famer
Wasn't there at one stage talks of making the VFA the second division of the VFL.
Kind of curious about what historical ramifications such a move would have had
Kind of curious about what historical ramifications such a move would have had
telsor
Hall of Famer
There was a post earlier about it being looked at in 1944 ( During WW2?), but failed because they couldn't agree on promotion/relegation.
As for the ramifications moving on....hard to say...The VFL would have been in a even stronger position (100% control of Vic rather than 90% and weaker teams demoted so no longer holding things back), but presumably more inclined to accept 'lower' clubs, although the VFA influence would have limited the chances of acceptance (those teams wouldn't want to be pushed out of the their chance of playing in the top league).
Might have wound up with promotion from WA/SA as well, but a limited number of such clubs allowed. (so WA clubs could be ina a situation where they promote/relegate between the one or two slots they're allowed, while lower placed Vic/SA were 'safe').
As with most such scenarios, it would have make it VERY difficult to expand into NSW/QLD or to accept teams from Tas (who wouldn't have a realistic promotion route).
Well here are the average winning margins (blue) for each year in the VFL/AFL for all games:
The red line is what you get when you factor in the total score (not on the same scale for the blue).
I'm not a stats man, but it looks pretty flat to me.
On the plus side, hawthorn having to play all these tedious home and away game is crapola
At least this would reduce the tedium
Not sure it would be good for div 2 though, would they have a smaller salary cap?
At least this would reduce the tedium
Not sure it would be good for div 2 though, would they have a smaller salary cap?
Not to mention we'll never play Richmond again...
Don't think it could happen now mate, it's only chance was back in the 80's when club football was around. All franchises would have to go to do it now especially in WA and SA. The horse has well and truly bolted in my view.
It should of been done but it wasn't and that's all she wrote I reckon.
- Sep 15, 2011
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I don't think it would be any more of a problem than it is now (as you mention, some poor clubs have struggled to retain players). Plus, contracts in AFL hold more weight than in soccer. By the time a three year contract is over, a team could be back in first division.
I think the problem is in viewing it as two separate competitions instead of the same competition with two ladders running side by side.
NathanMX
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Guess it is too hard to leave things how they are I guess. The same people who whinge and moan about the league changing rules every year are probably many of the same people campaigning for two separate divisions, go figure.
When grand finals are 100 point hidings and even COLAS get smashed in the big game divisions wont stop thrashings at all. Or do people want a competition were there are only 4 chances to win every season bar the once in a lifetime miracle of Leicester?
When grand finals are 100 point hidings and even COLAS get smashed in the big game divisions wont stop thrashings at all. Or do people want a competition were there are only 4 chances to win every season bar the once in a lifetime miracle of Leicester?
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