My solution to this crap

[Reservoir tiger]

Fairly certain teams go flat out for 1st and as high a ladder position as possible every year.

Of course it can be manipulated.

I'll use current teams 5th and 8th right now. Richmond play North. Perhaps North don't 'rest' players but decide to tank IE manipulate the game and go half arsed albeit with their full strength side. Richmond finish 5th, North are seemingly their bunnies and Richmond choose North who then go harder the following week.

and then maybe a rainbow springs up and leprechauns emerge.

 

[Randomizor]

Hawks fans really don't like not being the best team this home and away series.

Media not talking about you enough?

 

[Cobbler]

Again, why give me a reason

Bet you can't

I have an idea. It's a bit left field.

Teams can do whatever the hell they like in a competition that has about as much integrity as a boys trip to Vegas.

 

[MightyHawks]

So we avoid going to NSW? Sweet!

Add Sydney in too, a game at Etihad and your away Derby ... but no Adelaide as its too close to Perth

 

[Cobbler]

and then maybe a rainbow springs up and leprechauns emerge.

Really? You don't think the very example I have given you could result?

Plus again if North wanted to rest blokes and finish 8th they still could. It really doesn't change that fact at all. Richmond might choose Adelaide but if the purpose was for North to rest blokes and avoid Adelaide getting a home fixture, that outcome could still be manipulated in the exact same way it is being done now.

 

[Cobbler]

Add Sydney in too, a game at Etihad and your away Derby ... but no Adelaide as its too close to Perth

How about Adelaide, but only if the AFL promised to allow a bus service? Direct of course.

 

[Cobbler]

and then maybe a rainbow springs up and leprechauns emerge.

So I think I've given you a fairly simple explanation on how it can be manipulated.

 

[Reservoir tiger]

Really? You don't think the very example I have given you could result?

Plus again if North wanted to rest blokes and finish 8th they still could. It really doesn't change that fact at all. Richmond might choose Adelaide but if the purpose was for North to rest blokes and avoid Adelaide getting a home fixture, that outcome could still be manipulated in the exact same way it is being done now.

But crows might win and go 6th Richmond pick dogs at the G , kangas off to Adelaide

It takes any power out of North ... Puts it into 5th... Everyone plays their best team wanting to finish 5/6

 

[Reservoir tiger]

So I think I've given you a fairly simple explanation on how it can be manipulated.

I'd say you haven't given 1 plausible one

 

[Cobbler]

But crows might win and go 6th Richmond pick dogs at the G , kangas off to Adelaide

It takes any power out of North ... Puts it into 5th... Everyone plays their best team wanting to finish 5/6

Yes but Kangas could still rest 10 blokes.

Adelaide could still win and finish 7th. It's the Dogs that would need to lose and that result is out of North's hands.

OR Adelaide could finish 5th and despite North trouncing Tigers have to go to Adelaide.

Too many variables and this is only for week 23.

A team on top or in 5th place and clear could purposely lose a game to keep a team in the 4 or 8.

 

[Cobbler]

I'd say you haven't given 1 plausible one

Hawks are 3 games clear on the top of the ladder. They play Fremantle who are 5th in a game at Launceston. Hawks rest all their players and Freo move into 4th. Hawks pick Fremantle. The team who finished 5th are aggrieved because a team has rested players and pushed them out of the 4.

A team in 5th could do the exact same thing to keep a team in the 8.

 

[PunkyHawkster]

 

[Cobbler]

 

[PunkyHawkster]

View attachment 169294

I.... don't get it

 

[Cobbler]

I.... don't get it

Your boyfriend might.

 

[PunkyHawkster]

Your boyfriend might.

Thanks! I'll ask him tomorrow.

Btw, i'm female.... so joke kinda backfired on you right?

Edit: To keep on topic, I like the idea of all teams playing finals having a week off (out of all the given suggestions). However, if all teams are given a week off before finals, and the winners of the QF get a week off two weeks later, they're guaranteed to lose match fitness and will likely lose in the PF.

 

[Cobbler]

Thanks! I'll ask him tomorrow.

Btw, i'm female.... so joke kinda backfired on you right?

Edit: To keep on topic, I like the idea of all teams playing finals having a week off (out of all the given suggestions). However, if all teams are given a week off before finals, and the winners of the QF get a week off two weeks later, they're guaranteed to lose match fitness and will likely lose in the PF.

Yes... yes it did.

 

[Whiskers]

because life isn't fair

Well ok then force the Roos to play a full strength side.
Then we can tell them freo can rest players but they can't coz life isn't fair.

 

[Borderline]

I don't really agree with what North are doing as it influences the 8 and the final finishing positions, but what's to say they haven't picked the team they believe to give them the best chance of winning this week? Or the players left out don't have one week injuries?

 

[FootyJunkie]

All rd 23 games should start at 2:10 on Saturday.

As a one off every season, it would be terrific.... imagine all the "around the grounds" updates. Tv wouldnt like it though, cannabalising their own audience... back in the day only 1-3 games were ever shown live to a tv audience as it happened on a sat arvo

 

[FootyJunkie]

North tanking tonight to richmond then having to beat them for real in final at the g next week = screwing themselves mentally

Trying to win tonight atleast gives them a measuring stick to work with for next week... and the chance of avoiding richmond completely and play the dogs instead, which will be a neutral game for both at the mcg

Go for the win north

 

[tige19]

View attachment 169294

Fremantle FC

 

[Wild Bill]

Just have a week off before the finals.

They do it for the Super Bowl so both teams get a decent rest.

 

[inamedthegiants]

We lost our preferred backline at the worst possible time last year and yet if it weren't for stupid kicking in the first half, we still could've made a prelim. We would have very cooked vs the Hawks at the G, though, I'll give you that. Do you even watch football games outside of your team's?

Why were we cooked? Because we dropped early games and had to win every game in the lead up to the Finals. That was Geelong-Hawthorn-Brissy-Port. We had to play flat out to get 4th spot.

So this year, why would we not take advantage of having points in hand to try a strategy that had clearly worked for us in the past?

As for OP, I think a bye before the finals, as many have already said, is an excellent idea. It's the perfect reset, and allows the AFL to schedule the games as they want without worrying about travel or number of days between games leading up to week 1.

I dropped $4500 on you blokes last year. Put the bet on in July. By the end of the year, you might've finished 4th, but you never looked like threatening.

 

[inamedthegiants]

Dockers resting up does affect our draft position this year too. We're on level points with Port, now with their guaranteed win we slip one spot back to 10th.

Cheers Dockers