How many rounds each year?

[Place Kick]

Can someone fill me in.... In 2007 TAC Cup was 18 rounds, 19 rounds in 2008, 20 rounds in 2009 and according to the TAC website, only 17 rounds in 2010.

Why is it different each year - does it matter? Does this affect players that have to play school footy and then are available for less TAC games?

 

[footyman]

Always used to be 18 rounds.

In 2008, they decided to try a new 'knockout' finals format which saw the final series reduced from 4 weeks to 3 weeks, and the H&A season go from 18 to 19 rounds. This was to try and help out the sides with large private school numbers, give them an extra week to try and sneak into the finals. And one more game for the school kids to play in front of scouts.

In 2009, the finals went back to 4 weeks. It was 20 rounds, but with GC playing in the competition everybody had two byes, so each team played 18 games.

This year is much different, 17 rounds with one bye each, so sides only play 16 games. Season starts earlier than in the past, and again they play a round during Easter weekend, to give private school players more TAC Cup games. The expanded U18 Championships takes most guys away from the TAC Cup for 6 weeks, so I think they have more byes in the middle of the year and that will also reduce the workload on players.