What They're Saying - The Bulldogs Media Thread - Part 4

[CaptainMurphy]

If we get to 20 teams we could have each team play each other once only. It would mean 17 fewer games over the season, but if four teams have a bye each week we would still have 24 rounds (8 games per round, with one round of 6 games). That's the best solution IMO. 17 fewer games may be a deal breaker for the AFL and sponsors/advertisers (esp. considering those 17 would mostly include the 2nd derbies and big matchups of the year) but as a fan I think it's a no brainer - assuming 20 teams is the aim as it seems to be.

 

[Sentinel]

EPL has 38 fixtures per team over nine months. This doesn't include teams playing two domestic tournaments a season and a third of them playing European competitions. It's not unusual for some teams to play 50 games in a season which is insane.

To achieve this balanced approach, every team would have to play 34 games. Add an additional four weeks of finals, and we'd be looking at 38 weeks which would replicate European football.

There's no way the AFLPA would sign off on that. It's way too taxing.

Assuming the average length of a quarter is 30 minutes, each team currently plays 2,760 minutes per year. If we're looking to maintain that figure but extend each team's matches from 23 to 34, we'd have to reduce the playing time from 30 minutes a quarter to 20. This would allow for only 13 minutes of actual playing time per quarter. Would that be supported by the AFL, sponsors, players, fans, etc? There's a lot to consider.

If matches were reduced from 120 minutes to 80 minutes, it would allow for 10 midweek matches per season. That's achievable with reduced playing time and the season will still run from mid-March to late September.

I'll even go a step further and say if matches were reduced from 120 minutes to 80, there'd be no need to have quarters. Just two halves of 26 minutes playing time. That allows for fatigue to set in at the end of each half.

Legit question, would you support something like this knowing the fixture will be balanced?

Yeah I fully agree and just to be clear I wasn't advocating that we should move to an EPL system soon - the closest we'd probably be able to get is to reduce the season length once Tasmania and a 20th side enters to have each team play each other once only. That itself would never happen either for obvious commercial reasons.

Your suggestion isn't too far off what we saw in 2020 with the reduced quarter lengths plus midweek matches. It was great at the time but probably because everyone was sitting at home with nothing else to so - I think you'd risk fan burnout with too much football happening all the time. I think the Big Bash is another good example of overkill. Without question average crowds and TV audiences would drop (but does that matter when you're playing a bunch more games??)

In the end the AFL are probably always going to go with a somewhat compromised fixture, the main issue right now is that I don't think they really care and are happy to leave relatively easily fixable advantages/disadvantages in favour of the mighty $$$.

 

[Mojorisin]

If we get to 20 teams we could have each team play each other once only. It would mean 17 fewer games over the season, but if four teams have a bye each week we would still have 24 rounds (8 games per round, with one round of 6 games). That's the best solution IMO. 17 fewer games may be a deal breaker for the AFL and sponsors/advertisers (esp. considering those 17 would mostly include the 2nd derbies and big matchups of the year) but as a fan I think it's a no brainer - assuming 20 teams is the aim as it seems to be.

I like the idea of that but I believe the AFL and the broadcasters would prefer to shorten quarters (18 minutes with no time on for last 5 minutes of each QTR).
This would allow less recovery time between games like in the covid season.
Teams fly interstate for 2 games before returning home for a game (less travel for WA teams).
All this potentially allows for teams to play each other twice once home and once away.

 

[threenewpadlocks]

Swans aren't as good as most people originally thought.

Let's look beyond their past five matches which has included four losses. Prior to that, they looked like losers against Geelong & Adelaide in consecutive weeks. It was only incredible fourth quarters that won them those games (convincingly in the end).

The Swans could do us a massive favour by knocking off PA this week, but at this stage I'll be tipping PA. Their form is more reliable than the Swans.

I agree, but they're still top of the ladder and they'll still carry a home ground advantage in finals against teams from interstate against in at least two finals matches. It's a good position to be in, even if they drop off to only be the 4th or 5th best team or whatever in it. That home ground advantage is essentially worth the equivalent of jumping up from being the 4th best team to being the best team in it, or whatever.

Consider the possibility e.g. of us "hosting" Carlton in a final at the MCG where we'll be outnumbered at least 2 to 1. We could be playing better football than the Swans and still lose that game to Carlton at some stage in the finals simply due to crowd-influenced umpiring and the greater familiarity Carlton players have with the ground having played there more this season.

 

[grassman75]

Swans aren't as good as most people originally thought.

Let's look beyond their past five matches which has included four losses. Prior to that, they looked like losers against Geelong & Adelaide in consecutive weeks. It was only incredible fourth quarters that won them those games (convincingly in the end).

The Swans could do us a massive favour by knocking off PA this week, but at this stage I'll be tipping PA. Their form is more reliable than the Swans.

Bet you never thought you’d say Port Adelaide are reliable….

 

[wayniac]

Idea came to me regarding fixturing.

If you only play a team once in a season it should be for 8 points not 4.

Takes care of some teams getting two easy beats, for example playing Norf twice for 4 points each game.

Would like to see the current ladder using that system.

 

[ScragCity]

Idea came to me regarding fixturing.

If you only play a team once in a season it should be for 8 points not 4.

Takes care of some teams getting two easy beats, for example playing Norf twice for 4 points each game.

Would like to see the current ladder using that system.

That's the best idea I've heard so far. Each team has the opportunity to win 8 points against every other team, regardless of whether they play once or twice.

 

[Mojorisin]

That's the best idea I've heard so far. Each team has the opportunity to win 8 points against every other team, regardless of whether they play once or twice.

The only issue I see is when you play teams with a strong home ground advantage like Geelong or the Suns in Darwin.

 

[Sentinel]

I think having a number of matches throughout the season of lower value than the majority of games creates far more problems than it would ever solve.

Particularly when a significant number of the double ups are 'blockbusters', there's no way known the AFL would want to dilute the worth of those games - and on the flip side create issues with how fair everyone's draw is for their extra important 8 point matches etc etc.

 

[Next Waiting]

Idea came to me regarding fixturing.

If you only play a team once in a season it should be for 8 points not 4.

Takes care of some teams getting two easy beats, for example playing Norf twice for 4 points each game.

Would like to see the current ladder using that system.

That's a very interesting idea

 

[grassman75]

That's the best idea I've heard so far. Each team has the opportunity to win 8 points against every other team, regardless of whether they play once or twice.

I like it - as long as games alternate home and away in the seasons / teams you regularly play once. The amount of times we’ve had Geel once in Geel….not sure i could take giving up 8pts to the ****ers down there all the time

 

[Lindsay_Gilbee]

The fixture is ass. Should be play everyone once + a rivalry and gather round. If you need an extra game have another gather round in Perth.

I still don’t know how you can play teams twice before coming up against some.

 

[ScragCity]

I think having a number of matches throughout the season of lower value than the majority of games creates far more problems than it would ever solve.

Particularly when a significant number of the double ups are 'blockbusters', there's no way known the AFL would want to dilute the worth of those games - and on the flip side create issues with how fair everyone's draw is for their extra important 8 point matches etc etc.

The AFL cares about revenue. No one is going to decide against going to the Derby or the Showdown because it's worth 4 points instead of 8. Those games sell out even when one or both teams are bottom of the ladder and the points are completely irrelevant.

 

[H Dolphin]

The AFL cares about revenue. No one is going to decide against going to the Derby or the Showdown because it's worth 4 points instead of 8. Those games sell out even when one or both teams are bottom of the ladder and the points are completely irrelevant.

If you want to have 18 x $15 mil salary caps and pay CEOs $4 mil (McLachlan's rumoured final year salary), then ...

 

[Johnny_Dogg4]

 

[MYOB]

 

[Optimistic Dog]

Not bulldog media but did any watch the 200m women's final. This comment was a gold faux pax from the Channel 9 commentator. Watch out for Mollie she has an explosive back end. Not sure what she has been eating at the Olympic Village. LOL

 

[MYOB]

 

[DognBones]

I really enjoyed the 'Footscray FC / Celebrating 1954' video clip on the WB website. Lots of memories there including the old Veall's furniture store on the corner of Barkly Street and Geelong Road which I passed everyday on the way to Footscray Primary School just over the road. Loved Footscray Primary which was a short walk to the Fish and Chips Shop and Chinese Restaurants in Barkly Street where you could buy a 'School Lunch'. I'm talking a long, long time ago!

 

[GetDimmaBack]

I really enjoyed the 'Footscray FC / Celebrating 1954' video clip on the WB website. Lots of memories there including the old Veall's furniture store on the corner of Barkly Street and Geelong Road which I passed everyday on the way to Footscray Primary School just over the road. Loved Footscray Primary which was a short walk to the Fish and Chips Shop and Chinese Restaurants in Barkly Street where you could buy a 'School Lunch'. I'm talking a long, long time ago!

School lunches...now there's a great memory!
Almost every school had a lunch supplier in those days, usually the local fish 'n' chip shop. Pretty cheapl, too. Everyone loved it!

...our local even did them during the school holidays!

 

[scooter600x]

School lunches...now there's a great memory!
Almost every school had a lunch supplier in those days, usually the local fish 'n' chip shop. Pretty cheapl, too. Everyone loved it!

...our local even did them during the school holidays!

2c potato cakes and 10c cans of soft drink. 20c for lunch.

 

[Chicago1]

Some of you people are old!

On SM-A135F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Charlie Bucket]

2c potato cakes and 10c cans of soft drink. 20c for lunch.

Nutritious

 

[Inside The Kennel]

"It's 2016 all over again!"

 

[ScragCity]

Nutritious

Don't bring your woke nutrition in here. Potatoes are a vegetable.