There's the fast growing participation of Australian Football in India.
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AFLW 2024 - Round 9 - Indigenous Round - Chat, game threads, injury lists, team lineups and more.
Expansion Proposals for a Truly National AFL
- Thread starter Tonatopia
- Start date
- Tagged users None
There's the fast growing participation of Australian Football in India.
Quite a number of the people of Tasmania enjoy watching and playing Australian Football.
Some even enjoy attending AFL games.
Blackas87
Brownlow Medallist
They can’t enjoy it like I do
Blackas87
Brownlow Medallist
Glad you agree
Blackas87
Brownlow Medallist
Is this a bully tactic?
Cubs2Lions
Norm Smith Medallist
Even though I and most of us on here won't be alive when the next century comes around unfortunately, it would still be cool to know what ideas or predictions have, in regards to what the Australian Football League will look like in the 2100s.
Given the presence of Australian Rules Football being placed as a national sport today increasing by the day and the decreasing value/worth of Rugby League as a result, shows that over time IMO, AFL will become Australia’s biggest national-wise professional sporting competition that represents the majority of cities/towns around the country by the next century, at the latest, for both the male & female counterparts.
For that long-term goal to be achieved however, a major revamp needs to be done to the structure of the overall landscape of the sport to help make it as fair and viable as possible, in regards to the competition, fixture, travel, etc.
Doing the maths, 26 clubs is the appropriate number of teams needed to make the competition as fair & ethical as possible while also keeping in mind the normal timeframe of how long a regular season usually is and is not interfering with summer-based sports such as cricket as well.
This includes the following areas of the country being covered/broken down as a result:
With the reduction of Victorian clubs and the creation of divisions in this proposal, 2 divisions of 13 clubs works out appropriately in a 26 week season as stated above, with each club playing the other 12 teams in their division twice (1x Home & 1x Away) and 2 byes in between the season for the players and coaches health & well-being as well. This would calculate to 12 matches being played every round of the regular season (6x matches each division) and would equate to 288 matches played throughout the Home & Away season alone, 90 more matches then we have now in the current landscape.
Below is the general format of a weekly round, which would lasts for 5 days between Thursday to Monday, each week of the season:
Regardless of divisions or not in the future, as the competition has more teams and more matchups for each week of the season, it is inevitable that the AFL will need to create more broadcasting deals with other network stations such as Channel 9 & 10 to help provide live coverage of all matches throughout the week for audiences all around the country and to help further increase the financial revenue of the game as well.
After the regular season has concluded, the top 6 teams from each division advance to their own Final 6 system, with the finals format being something like this:
Altogether, this equates to 299 matches being played in a 30 week season, with 92 more matches being played then the current AFL landscape has in place for the past 10 years of the competition. All finals matches would be played at night time and be broadcasted live & free on Channel 7 or 9 to increase broadcasting viewership & revenue of people across the country from all states & territories watching the sport.
In terms of trading, clubs can trade players to other teams across the competition, via the mid-season draft or the end of season draft, with the only change occurring to the trading rules is that if a player wants to move away from their club, they cannot nominate a “specific” club and can only nominate for a state so that all clubs involved can trade for the player and the club with the best trade deal to the other team gets the player, therefore creating an even battlefield for all clubs in that state/territory.
While in regards to drafting, the National Draft is the only way teams can draft underage/lower tier players to their club, in which the team with the worst win/loss record for the season altogether would receive pick 1 and continue in that order until the Championship Winners get pick 26 similar to how it works now, with 6 rounds in place throughout the process to select the best talent in the country, equating to 156 picks in total.
In conclusion, even with COVID-19 causing the majority of sporting competitions to be affected negatively, the AFL are growing more and more around the country, in terms of popularity and broadcasting revenue at the expense of the NRL/rugby league’s decline. However, if the AFL wants to become the truly Number 1 sporting code around Australia, a massive cultural shift & revamp of the competition format and Victorian teams needs to take place to allow that goal to be achieved.
Therefore, a divisional model, similar to how the American sports system works and also what I’ve suggested, should be implemented in the long-term future as the AFL expands to more teams in the professional competition because it will help increase the broadcasting, financial & club revenue massively for all of the clubs and overall sporting organisation massively to what it was pre-COVID but most importantly allow children/supporters, from all walks of life, to be able to support and aspire to one day represent their favourite club in the future, regardless of if they live in the city life of Melbourne & Sydney to the small rural township areas of North Queensland & Darwin.
Given the presence of Australian Rules Football being placed as a national sport today increasing by the day and the decreasing value/worth of Rugby League as a result, shows that over time IMO, AFL will become Australia’s biggest national-wise professional sporting competition that represents the majority of cities/towns around the country by the next century, at the latest, for both the male & female counterparts.
For that long-term goal to be achieved however, a major revamp needs to be done to the structure of the overall landscape of the sport to help make it as fair and viable as possible, in regards to the competition, fixture, travel, etc.
Doing the maths, 26 clubs is the appropriate number of teams needed to make the competition as fair & ethical as possible while also keeping in mind the normal timeframe of how long a regular season usually is and is not interfering with summer-based sports such as cricket as well.
This includes the following areas of the country being covered/broken down as a result:
- Victoria Metro (3x Division A | 3x Division B) (MCG-based)
- Victoria Country/Tasmania (1x Division A | 1x Division B)
- New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory (3x Division A | 2x Division B)
- Queensland/Northern Territory (2x Division A | 3x Division B)
- South Australia (2x Division A | 2x Division B)
- Western Australia (2x Division A | 2x Division B)
- The small Victorian-based clubs (Kangaroos/Saints/Bulldogs) need to either relocate to other parts of the country OR relegate down to the VFL/VAFA as it is not financially viable IMO for 10 clubs to be located in Victoria and is also not ethical & fair for the overall competition in the future at the same time.
- Divisions will need to be created, similar to how the American professional sporting system works, regardless in the future to help provide an equal 26 week Home & Away season for all football clubs, with each club travelling to each state/area of Australia at least twice in their division, as mentioned above. However, clubs will only play 13 teams altogether for each season but teams will play different opposition every year when the divisions are changed up.
Australian Football League (AFL) | National Football League (NFL) |
| Adelaide Crows | Brisbane Lions |
| Collingwood Magpies | Canberra Gladiators |
| Darwin Saints | Carlton Blues |
| Essendon Bombers | Geelong Cats |
| Fremantle Dockers | Hawthorn Hawks |
| Gold Coast Suns | Joondalup Bulldogs |
| Melbourne Demons | Norwood-Sturt Scorpions |
| North Queensland Crocodiles | Port Adelaide Power |
| North Sydney Razorbacks | Richmond Tigers |
| Perth Hunters | South Sydney Pioneers |
| South Adelaide Panthers | Sunshine Coast Kangaroos |
| Sydney Swans | West Coast Eagles |
| Tasmania Devils | Western Sydney Giants |
With the reduction of Victorian clubs and the creation of divisions in this proposal, 2 divisions of 13 clubs works out appropriately in a 26 week season as stated above, with each club playing the other 12 teams in their division twice (1x Home & 1x Away) and 2 byes in between the season for the players and coaches health & well-being as well. This would calculate to 12 matches being played every round of the regular season (6x matches each division) and would equate to 288 matches played throughout the Home & Away season alone, 90 more matches then we have now in the current landscape.
Below is the general format of a weekly round, which would lasts for 5 days between Thursday to Monday, each week of the season:
Match Time-Slot | Division Match-Up | Matches Played | Broadcasting Channel |
Thursday Night | Division A | 1 | Channel 9 |
Friday Twilight | Division A | 1 | Fox Sports |
Friday Night | Division B | 1 | Channel 7 |
Saturday Afternoon | Division B | 1 | Channel 10 |
Saturday Twilight | Division A | 1 | Fox Sports |
Saturday Night | Division A & B | 2 | Channel 7 & 9 |
Sunday Early Afternoon | Division A | 1 | Channel 10 |
Sunday Afternoon | Division A & B | 2 | Channel 7 & 9 |
Sunday Twilight/Night | Division B | 1 | Fox Sports |
Monday Night | Division B | 1 | Channel 7 |
Note: Divisions swap time-slots every round for equal T.V coverage of both divisions |
Regardless of divisions or not in the future, as the competition has more teams and more matchups for each week of the season, it is inevitable that the AFL will need to create more broadcasting deals with other network stations such as Channel 9 & 10 to help provide live coverage of all matches throughout the week for audiences all around the country and to help further increase the financial revenue of the game as well.
After the regular season has concluded, the top 6 teams from each division advance to their own Final 6 system, with the finals format being something like this:
Week 1: Divisional Elimination Finals | |||
Match Time-Slot | Ranking Match-Up | Division Match-Up | Broadcasting Channel |
| Thursday Night | 3rd Place vs. 6th Place | Division A | Channel 9 |
| Friday Night | 3rd Place vs. 6th Place | Division B | Channel 7 |
| Saturday Night | 4th Place vs. 5th Place | Division A | Channel 7 |
| Sunday Night | 4th Place vs. 5th Place | Division B | Channel 9 |
Week 2: Divisional Semi Finals | |||
| Thursday Night | 1st Place vs. Winner of Lowest Ranked (W1) | Division A | Channel 9 |
| Friday Night | 1st Place vs. Winner of Lowest Ranked (W1) | Division B | Channel 7 |
| Saturday Night | 2nd Place vs. Winner of Highest Ranked (W1) | Division A | Channel 7 |
| Sunday Night | 2nd Place vs. Winner of Highest Ranked (W1) | Division B | Channel 9 |
Week 3: Divisional Grand Finals | |||
| Friday Night | Highest Ranked Winner vs. Lowest Ranked Winner (W2) | Division A | Channel 9 |
| Saturday Night | Highest Ranked Winner vs. Lowest Ranked Winner (W2) | Division B | Channel 7 |
Week 4: National Championship Final | |||
| Sunday Night | Highest Ranked Winner vs. Lowest Ranked Winner (W3) | Division A vs. B | Channel 7 |
| National Championship Final Venue: Home team's state/territory biggest stadium (AFL) unless their club’s stadium can hold a minimum of 60,000 spectators. |
Altogether, this equates to 299 matches being played in a 30 week season, with 92 more matches being played then the current AFL landscape has in place for the past 10 years of the competition. All finals matches would be played at night time and be broadcasted live & free on Channel 7 or 9 to increase broadcasting viewership & revenue of people across the country from all states & territories watching the sport.
In terms of trading, clubs can trade players to other teams across the competition, via the mid-season draft or the end of season draft, with the only change occurring to the trading rules is that if a player wants to move away from their club, they cannot nominate a “specific” club and can only nominate for a state so that all clubs involved can trade for the player and the club with the best trade deal to the other team gets the player, therefore creating an even battlefield for all clubs in that state/territory.
While in regards to drafting, the National Draft is the only way teams can draft underage/lower tier players to their club, in which the team with the worst win/loss record for the season altogether would receive pick 1 and continue in that order until the Championship Winners get pick 26 similar to how it works now, with 6 rounds in place throughout the process to select the best talent in the country, equating to 156 picks in total.
In conclusion, even with COVID-19 causing the majority of sporting competitions to be affected negatively, the AFL are growing more and more around the country, in terms of popularity and broadcasting revenue at the expense of the NRL/rugby league’s decline. However, if the AFL wants to become the truly Number 1 sporting code around Australia, a massive cultural shift & revamp of the competition format and Victorian teams needs to take place to allow that goal to be achieved.
Therefore, a divisional model, similar to how the American sports system works and also what I’ve suggested, should be implemented in the long-term future as the AFL expands to more teams in the professional competition because it will help increase the broadcasting, financial & club revenue massively for all of the clubs and overall sporting organisation massively to what it was pre-COVID but most importantly allow children/supporters, from all walks of life, to be able to support and aspire to one day represent their favourite club in the future, regardless of if they live in the city life of Melbourne & Sydney to the small rural township areas of North Queensland & Darwin.
The Kangaroos,Saints and Bulldogs are NOT small.
Yes it is. Geelong is NOT in Melbourne.
With 9 teams in Melbourne, that's over 500,000 per AFL team.
The problem is NOT the number of teams, but rather the distribution of supporters.
Even with the uneven distribution, these teams are performers (mainly due to the number of "derbies")
The NFL does NOT have divisions - it has Conferences, with much less travel than the AFL.
American college football does have divisions but they are strictly amateur (except for the coaches).
quite unimaginative and no increase in media worth.
No Auckland, no Newcastle, no Wollongong, no Riverina etc.
.
There are two benefits of a conference system.
1. Teams are group geographically reducing travel. NFL clubs travel a lot less than the AFL clubs.
2. Fixtures can be more logical .i.e. twice against in-conference and once against other conference.
A divisional sytem
1. Without conferences travel would be extremely expensive and basically unaffordable for anything other than the top professional division.
2. Fixtures are always dynamic and changing divisions would change costs.
aaah why not just forget about divisions, conferences or even a League????
Lets’s go WWE style.
Championship games for the title.
Champions have to defend their Premiership least once a week.
Big galas as AFLmania, Royal AFL, SummerSAFL etc,
Woooooooooooo
Lets’s go WWE style.
Championship games for the title.
Champions have to defend their Premiership least once a week.
Big galas as AFLmania, Royal AFL, SummerSAFL etc,
Woooooooooooo
- Moderator
- #1,065
well i didnt think anything more ridiculous was going to be proposed, but here we are
- Nov 21, 2013
- 5,798
- 4,266
- AFL Club
- Melbourne
There won't a lot of take up for games involving GWS and the Suns if that was the case
They can compete for the Lightweight Title. Open for clubs under 50 000 members.
Big games will be pay per view.
But big clubs get promoted on free television with squash matches to make them look good.For example Geelong vs Parkdale Vultures.
But big clubs get promoted on free television with squash matches to make them look good.For example Geelong vs Parkdale Vultures.
Tonatopia
Team Captain
- Sep 30, 2018
- 483
- 155
- AFL Club
- Melbourne
- Thread starter
- #1,070
Unless there was strong local viewership.
But again, the AFL seems hell bent on avoiding reality, in favour of a fabricated and engineered system.
If each games broadcast rights were auctioned on the free market, including braodcasts into pubs, radio, TV, digital access, and maybe ownership of NFT for highlights, I'd assume that the revenue generated for the most popular clubs would be a lot more than they are now.
(wait for all the bubble heads to comment. it cant, it wont, they'll never allow it, blah blah blah. Bunch of morons. Just take your jab)
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How does that differ from the current system ?
- Nov 21, 2013
- 5,798
- 4,266
- AFL Club
- Melbourne
Probably light flyweight
threenewpadlocks
Brownlow Medallist
Because apparently the clubs aren't free to make their own individual choices, even though each club freely chose to eschew elements of individuality organise themselves in a a unified way in 1877, 1897, 1985, 1993, and every time a new club was introduced, which is for some reason irrelavent to the point here.
Tonatopia
Team Captain
- Sep 30, 2018
- 483
- 155
- AFL Club
- Melbourne
- Thread starter
- #1,074
the AFL has served its purpose to transition our game to a national format. Now its time for the game to take over in its own right, with power given back to the clubs, and more importantly, the members of the those clubs.
The clubs ARE the AFL.
