Is more footy better? Where do you stand?

[scottydeewah]

There are really three schools of thought here.

1. The current season length, pre-season and finals are spot on. Perfect.
2. The season should be longer and the pre-season scrapped.
3. The season should be shorter, each team plays each other once.

With options 2 and 3 you could also revamp the finals system. More than likely lengthening it to have more finals games.

So what are peoples thoughts? Also when you answer the question, also state if you follow other sports, codes and how interested you are in these sports (I have found my mates who want a longer league only like AFL, therefore they seem to miss it more).

Personally I would like to see a shorter season. For me there are way too many junk games in the AFL and the season drags a little. I am also someone who thinks less is more. Building anticipation and having games mean more (as points and wins are at more of a premium) is to me more exciting. Also their are usually more teams still in the hunt around week 16-17 in the AFL with a number dropping off in the last 4-6 rounds as injuries and the long season take its toll. Although the old "its a marathon not a sprint" line is trotted out I would much rather see a more equal, more exciting finals series. The AFL finals have become very predictable (cant win from outside top 4 and winning in the first week from top 4 increases your chance to making the GF to around 90% - so essentially 2 games are massively influential into making the GF). As a fan of the game I would rather see teams in better nick and making runs from 4-5-6-7-8 more often.

So are you an advocate of more footy, less footy, or the same amount of footy?

 

[Trojan90]

More footy. Because i get bored when theres no footy or test cricket. i.e. right now!

 

[shintemaster]

I wouldn't be against slightly less with more importance on each game however I think the fixture is already compromised enough with the number of teams. The only way I could see it working would be to split the teams and have a true H&A against each team in your group then finals based on the finishing positions. I don't see that happening. Final format is strong I think although again a few potential non impacting finals - I still like the possibility remaining of a fairytale win from the bottom half of the 8.

Recently been toying with the idea of rewarding first in the home and away season with a much stronger advantage to provide a real and large benefit to finishing top of the table. Perhaps a final 9 with the first place to skip through and all others to have lesser advantages? Again though, despite people saying "the best team always wins" I fundamentally believe in a team where percentage counts that opponents, playing locations and return legs do have an impact, wouldn't be comfortable with more advantage to first unless we were again on a true H&A.

 

[Giants FC]

Too much footy is never enough.

 

[HBF]

I reckon we have it about right.
It's really only this time of year when the cricket has finished and the footy hasn't quite started that we're starting to get itchy feet.

 

[Franc de Borges]

Shorten season so you play everyone once (swapping home ground advantage each year). Still inequitable as there's not an even split of home and away matches (it'd be 9-8 or 8-9), but with the set up as it is and ground rationalisation, that's not a big concern anyway.

Finals format remains but is lengthened (i.e. Elim finals week 1, Qual finals week 2, Semi's week 3, Prelim's week 4 and GF week 5).

We may lose five weeks of football, but each game would be more important and you'd have no late season snorefest from round 17 onwards. I think it'd throw up a few different premiers as young sides don't need to be "up" for as long.

 

[swansfan51]

More footy, less finals (which wasn't an option). Reward the top few teams over a longer season, not letting mediocre teams with 50% win records into a finals series.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

Same but I do find it funny that after years and years of people complaining about the preseason competition, that we are starting to get complaints about how the preseason is now just a series of practice matches.

 

[Andre]

Shorten the season to 17 rounds, byes for everyone after rounds 6, 12 and 17 (for finalists). The finals I'd redo slightly. I'd keep the existing matches, but add in matches for 3x4, 5x6 and 7x8, so they are determined by matches rather than indirectly. Other sports (tennis, bronze medal olympic play-off's etc.) have matches like these. In order to add greater motivation then just the prize money for a higher finish I'd change the draft order to be 18 - 9, 7, 8, 5, 6, 3, 4, 2, 1.

If there's further expansion (Tasmania, NT, Nth QLD, 3rd WA team etc.) down the track, it's easy to extend the season without yet more compromising. H & A would alternate each year for teams to give a fair draw. Teams could still sell home games if they want.

 

[Sttew]

My perfect world - 34 Home & Away games, with every team playing each other TWICE. With the extra TV rights revenue because of the 55% extra games, clubs are allowed to increase team lists by the same margin (55%) so players can be rotated. Competition starts in February and finishes late October. No NAB Cup, no byes, just pure football.

It won't happen, but one can dream

 

[Mr Magic]

actually when I think of it shorten it to one match against each team then usual finals and then after or before have other matches like T20.

Outside normal season:

Different teams , shortened games highlight skill and talent of the best.

All stars match and State of Origin , Vic versus the rest,

will not happen because AFL goal is to increase their executive salaries.

For off season maybe:

A 15 min quarter , 12 a side team , knockout comp with 8 reserves might be interesting or some other mutated format,3/4 ground size after the season in a represented style footy RR

Maybe play half size ground footy, 9 a side plus reserves, state of origin that way NSW, Tassie field competitive teams, round robin, shorter matches, less wear and tear, players 3 games over a week?? Games have to be shorter, maybe less physical, maybe touch footy instead tackles to protect players, keep kicking, marking, goals, less handball. If its like touch their would be less run and more disposal for fear of getting caught one would think

What you could have is half field but 4 goals around the ground. So for example team A kicks goals east and west, team B kicks goals North and South, plenty of goal kicking play, marks hopefully

 

[DangerSloane]

Same but I do find it funny that after years and years of people complaining about the preseason competition, that we are starting to get complaints about how the preseason is now just a series of practice matches.

Normally im against you Timmy, but this is a very good point.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

Normally im against you Timmy, but this is a very good point.

Its a classic case of "be careful what you pray for"

 

[DangerSloane]

Its a classic case of "be careful what you pray for"

There will never be a way to force teams to take pre-season seriously.
Simply put why would teams put their best players on the line for a meaningless game.

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

There will never be a way to force teams to take pre-season seriously.
Simply put why would teams put their best players on the line for a meaningless game.

I agree. Personally I prefer the hit and giggle NAB Cup to nothing at all, though. Prizemoney and membership publicity makes it not completely meaningless. Besides I'm not interested in watching the best players, we will get enough of them in the regular season. I want to see the kids and the recruits!!!

 

[Kram]

Same, but if ever the comp expanded to say 20 teams I'd look at playing each other once.

 

[BM123]

My perfect world - 34 Home & Away games, with every team playing each other TWICE. With the extra TV rights revenue because of the 55% extra games, clubs are allowed to increase team lists by the same margin (55%) so players can be rotated. Competition starts in February and finishes late October. No NAB Cup, no byes, just pure football.

It won't happen, but one can dream

I'd love to see that but footy is too demanding a sport for players bodies to hold up for 37/38 games.

 

[DangerSloane]

I agree. Personally I prefer the hit and giggle NAB Cup to nothing at all, though. Prizemoney and membership publicity makes it not completely meaningless. Besides I'm not interested in watching the best players, we will get enough of them in the regular season. I want to see the kids and the recruits!!!

Agreed
NAB Cup, Every team designs a different guernsey (some of the best alternate strips have been NAB cup only), although you might disagree with this being a collingwood man.
That way revenue is increased, and there is at least something to play for, even if its the mickey mouse cup.

 

[Natho]

I reckon it's pretty much right.

 

[TommyVercetti]

I'm all for only play each team once or twice (17 or 34 games) to make it fair. But what happens when more teams are eventually added?

 

[Mr Magic]

I'm all for only play each team once or twice (17 or 34 games) to make it fair. But what happens when more teams are eventually added?

not sure more teams can be too great because, aside from a divisional or tier argument ala EPL, atm you have teams on average expecting to win one premiership every 18 years which is not good for the faint hearted

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

Agreed
NAB Cup, Every team designs a different guernsey (some of the best alternate strips have been NAB cup only), although you might disagree with this being a collingwood man.
That way revenue is increased, and there is at least something to play for, even if its the mickey mouse cup.

Not the least bit interested in alternative strips. I just want to see some semi-official glorified practice games on FTA with some sort of final at the end.

 

[basashi]

I have had footy and I have had no footy.

Footy is better.

 

[timtamWB]

During the end of the season, people complain that there are too many games during the season.

During the off season, people say there should be more footy.

 

[schnoods]

More games, More players on the benches, a clearer winner at the end, form and injuries play a bigger role in finals series.

Still happy for it to stay the same though.