hitthepost
Norm Smith Medallist
Is it time to, or even a good idea to, lock the timeslots for the nine Finals each year?
What I mean is - The AFL have, over time, used many different reasonings to justify scheduling of Finals, particularly in the first week. Things like
(a) ensuring a "big" matchup on Friday night to kick things off
(b) the "need" to play a Thursday night game
(c) Subiaco/ANZ hosting a Wallabies Test and/or having to schedule Sydney Finals around the NRL
(d) multiple games hosted by Victorian teams needing to be played on separate days so that they don't have to play them at Etihad and owe the MCG another game the next year.
Just a few; there are probably more.
I would propose that the AFL locks all nine matches to set timeslots, slightly adjustable for time-zones, and the Saturday match of week 3 (Prelim Final week) be "floating" enough that the AFL can ensure the away team sleeps in their own bed that night, should they wish to do so, to assist in preparation for the GF if they've progressed (as they do currently).
MY PROPOSED SCHEDULE:
WEEK ONE
Fri Night - 2nd Qualifying Final
Sat Afternoon - 2nd Elimination Final
Sat Night - 1st Qualifying Final
Sun Afternoon - 1st Elimination Final
WEEK TWO
Fri Night - 2nd Semi Final (Loser 2QF 7-day break, Winner 2EF 6-day break)
Sat Night - 1st Semi Final (Loser 1QF 7-day break, Winner 1EF 6-day break)
WEEK THREE
Fri Night - 1st Preliminary Final (Winner 1PF 13-day break, Winner 2SF 7-day break)
Sat floating - 2nd Preliminary Final (Winner 2PF 15-day break, Winner 1SF 7-day break)
The only major breaks discrepancy is the two QF winners, but with the whole week off in the middle I think that's pretty much a non-issue.
Doing so would ensure a couple of things:
(1) Clubs, Supporters, Venues etc know when matches will be played based on where they finish and the potential results. Eg if you finish 2nd you play this timeslot, if you lose that game your Semi is in that timeslot.
(2) Can ensure equity of breaks between matches for clubs in similar positions on the ladder.
It would require a buy-in from all major venues to be free at all required timeslots, and to possibly host two matches in one day on Saturday of week 1 (say if Port finished 6th and Adelaide finished 1st, there'd be a PA home EF followed by a Crows home QF). This should be logistically possible with planning, and an earlier start to the 2EF.
Further I would propose giving all teams the opportunity to play their home finals at their home venue, with triggers in place to allow the AFL to "upsize" the match to a larger venue where available if the anticipated crowd exceeds certain levels, and subject to the new venue not being the home ground of the away team - EG Western Bulldogs play home finals at Etihad, if a match against St Kilda is anticipated could draw 70,000 at the MCG then it is moved. If it's against Collingwood it isn't as then Collingwood would have the home-ground advantage. Some kind of balance between maximising crowds and giving teams HGA. Similar in NSW and QLD where Giants or Suns games could move to the SCG or Gabba if anticipated crowds warrant, provided the match isn't against Sydney or Brisbane respectively. I think this is somewhat the case already for QLD and NSW clubs, but it should be implemented for non-MCG Vic teams too.
The AFL does have an agreement that a rolling 10 matches over a 5-year period (excluding GFs) are played at the MCG but given there are 7 "MCG tenant" clubs, or clubs who play more than 4 home games there a year (eg Carlton/Essendon) I don't see this being threatened, especially once a few "upsizes" are added for, say, North v St Kilda Prelim Finals.
TL;DR
Finals should be locked into timeslots to ensure equal breaks and help everyone plan as they'd know when the matches would be.
Clubs should get home-ground advantage or at a minimum neutral-venue by playing at their home ground and "upsizing" to larger venues should anticipated crowds warrant, subject to not giving the HGA to the away team.
What I mean is - The AFL have, over time, used many different reasonings to justify scheduling of Finals, particularly in the first week. Things like
(a) ensuring a "big" matchup on Friday night to kick things off
(b) the "need" to play a Thursday night game
(c) Subiaco/ANZ hosting a Wallabies Test and/or having to schedule Sydney Finals around the NRL
(d) multiple games hosted by Victorian teams needing to be played on separate days so that they don't have to play them at Etihad and owe the MCG another game the next year.
Just a few; there are probably more.
I would propose that the AFL locks all nine matches to set timeslots, slightly adjustable for time-zones, and the Saturday match of week 3 (Prelim Final week) be "floating" enough that the AFL can ensure the away team sleeps in their own bed that night, should they wish to do so, to assist in preparation for the GF if they've progressed (as they do currently).
MY PROPOSED SCHEDULE:
WEEK ONE
Fri Night - 2nd Qualifying Final
Sat Afternoon - 2nd Elimination Final
Sat Night - 1st Qualifying Final
Sun Afternoon - 1st Elimination Final
WEEK TWO
Fri Night - 2nd Semi Final (Loser 2QF 7-day break, Winner 2EF 6-day break)
Sat Night - 1st Semi Final (Loser 1QF 7-day break, Winner 1EF 6-day break)
WEEK THREE
Fri Night - 1st Preliminary Final (Winner 1PF 13-day break, Winner 2SF 7-day break)
Sat floating - 2nd Preliminary Final (Winner 2PF 15-day break, Winner 1SF 7-day break)
The only major breaks discrepancy is the two QF winners, but with the whole week off in the middle I think that's pretty much a non-issue.
Doing so would ensure a couple of things:
(1) Clubs, Supporters, Venues etc know when matches will be played based on where they finish and the potential results. Eg if you finish 2nd you play this timeslot, if you lose that game your Semi is in that timeslot.
(2) Can ensure equity of breaks between matches for clubs in similar positions on the ladder.
It would require a buy-in from all major venues to be free at all required timeslots, and to possibly host two matches in one day on Saturday of week 1 (say if Port finished 6th and Adelaide finished 1st, there'd be a PA home EF followed by a Crows home QF). This should be logistically possible with planning, and an earlier start to the 2EF.
Further I would propose giving all teams the opportunity to play their home finals at their home venue, with triggers in place to allow the AFL to "upsize" the match to a larger venue where available if the anticipated crowd exceeds certain levels, and subject to the new venue not being the home ground of the away team - EG Western Bulldogs play home finals at Etihad, if a match against St Kilda is anticipated could draw 70,000 at the MCG then it is moved. If it's against Collingwood it isn't as then Collingwood would have the home-ground advantage. Some kind of balance between maximising crowds and giving teams HGA. Similar in NSW and QLD where Giants or Suns games could move to the SCG or Gabba if anticipated crowds warrant, provided the match isn't against Sydney or Brisbane respectively. I think this is somewhat the case already for QLD and NSW clubs, but it should be implemented for non-MCG Vic teams too.
The AFL does have an agreement that a rolling 10 matches over a 5-year period (excluding GFs) are played at the MCG but given there are 7 "MCG tenant" clubs, or clubs who play more than 4 home games there a year (eg Carlton/Essendon) I don't see this being threatened, especially once a few "upsizes" are added for, say, North v St Kilda Prelim Finals.
TL;DR
Finals should be locked into timeslots to ensure equal breaks and help everyone plan as they'd know when the matches would be.
Clubs should get home-ground advantage or at a minimum neutral-venue by playing at their home ground and "upsizing" to larger venues should anticipated crowds warrant, subject to not giving the HGA to the away team.
