Oh my, another who just picks and choices where to start and finish.Because they are fairer competitions. They invented the draft, we adopted a draft but keep adding qualifiers that negate the reason one has a draft.
And I can follow more than one competition.
The 34 years ropes in the period from 2000-2009 when we had:
- 16 teams in the competition
- automatic priority picks for poor teams
- every team make a preliminary final
Go from 2012 when GWS (and their concessions) came in, and the equalisation picture is less rosy. With 18 teams automatic priority picks (based on on-field performance and not bedroom performance) are even more needed.
Adelaide - no finals since 2017
Carlton - no GF this century
Essendon - no finals win in 20 years
Fremantle - no premierships, no prelim since 2015
North Melbourne - no finals since 2016
St Kilda - no prelim since 2010
All of those teams except Freo have finished last since 2010.
Teams finishing last from Port entering the comp (and there first prelim appearance after)
Melbourne 1997 (Prelim 1998)
Brisbane 1998 (Prelim 1999)
Collingwood 1999 (Prelim 2002)
St Kilda 2000 (Prelim 2004)
Fremantle 2001 (Prelim 2006)
Western Bulldogs 2003 (Prelim 2008)
I've excluded Carlton from that period because they didn't have the full draft capital due to their salary cap penalties.
There is no reasonable denial that the AFL has an equalisation problem and has had one for over a decade. The Father-Son rule only exacerbates that problem.
I chose the whole of the AFL, 34 years, every club bar 1 has played in a Grand Final, every club bar 4 have won a Grand Final.
Now if you want to compare with these "fairer comps" show us these "fairer comps" that have better strike rates?