AFL weighs up 24-round season

[BulldogBelle]

I'm all for it....

AFL weighs up 24-round season
The Herald Sun
Jon Ralph | June 02, 2009

THE AFL is likely to play a 24-week season in 2011 to cater for the 17th team, with all teams having two byes. The league has already done its preliminary modelling to cater for the 11 home games that will be created by the inclusion of the Gold Coast team.

The AFL is in no rush to finalise the structure of the 2011 fixture, to be released late next year, and says all its planning is at a preliminary stage.

But the league will start the home-and-away season a week earlier, and is likely to play two extra rounds: one of eight games and one of just three.

Effectively, there would be no set split round, but 11 teams would have a break the weekend three games were played.

All teams would have two byes, staggered over the season.

It would create the unfortunate - but necessary - situation where teams are judged by a win-loss ratio rather than premiership points because, until Round 24, sides will have played a different number of games.

AFL chief operating officer Gillon McLachlan said yesterday the league had several options, but the two-bye season looked likely.

"Obviously 2011 is a long way away, but we have come up with one solution which sees us playing 22 rounds over 24 weeks," he said.

"The 17th team essentially puts 11 home games into the fixture. You have one extra club playing 11 home games."

Presently, there are 176 home games on the fixture, but Gold Coast's games will increase that to 187.

"It effectively becomes another full round of eight games, and a round of three," McLachlan said.

If all goes to plan, the AFL will introduce the western Sydney side in 2012, with the season to then expand to a 24-round fixture without a pre-season competition.

This could conceivably push out the 2012 fixture to 26 weeks, considering the clubs will need up to two split rounds in what will be a long and arduous season.

The AFL is almost certain to keep the pre-season competition for 2011, before dispensing with it in 2012 because of the length of the 24-round season.

If the league is forced to delay the 18th team's arrival by a year, the 2011 format would continue for an extra season.

The league has already confirmed it will not expand the final-eight system, despite the introduction of two more teams.

Last year the Hall of Fame game to celebrate football's 150th anniversary created two spare weekends for all players who didn't take part in the showpiece clash.

The league knows it must strike a delicate balance between giving players rest and robbing the season of momentum.

"The guys that play a lot of football look forward to the break, but our view is that it does put unnecessary holes in our season, so we are pretty comfortable that in a 16-team competition, one break is the right number," McLachlan said.

AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou floated the 24-round concept in the Herald Sun last year.

"We are looking at 24 rounds with 18 teams coming in, but that would be at the expense of the pre-season competition," Demetriou said at the time.

[Desipura]

and no doubt we will be paying more for our memberships as a result. Im losing patience with the AFL.
As an AFL member I booked a reserve ticket for this Fridays game at Etihad through ticketmaster and was charged an extra $5.00 handling fee, this is a first.
When I book a reserve seat at the MCG through ticketek, there is no handling fee.

[The Coon Dog]

and no doubt we will be paying more for our memberships as a result.

You're probably right Desipura, but if we're still only playing 22 games, why should we?

[bornadog]

and no doubt we will be paying more for our memberships as a result. Im losing patience with the AFL.
As an AFL member I booked a reserve ticket for this Fridays game at Etihad through ticketmaster and was charged an extra $5.00 handling fee, this is a first.
When I book a reserve seat at the MCG through ticketek, there is no handling fee.

two extra games won't be for free

[aker39]

and no doubt we will be paying more for our memberships as a result. Im losing patience with the AFL.
As an AFL member I booked a reserve ticket for this Fridays game at Etihad through ticketmaster and was charged an extra $5.00 handling fee, this is a first.
When I book a reserve seat at the MCG through ticketek, there is no handling fee.

Ticketmaster you pay a fee on the internet but not at an outlet.

[Desipura]

Ticketmaster you pay a fee on the internet but not at an outlet.

Not last year you did not. I regularly booked seats on the internet last year and was charged a flat rate of $5.50 to reserve my seat

[hujsh]

Surely having two byes will help if we want two games in Darwin.

[azabob]

Surely having two byes will help if we want two games in Darwin.

Speaking of Darwin, how many people on here have a reserved seat as part of their membership package? My question is are we paying extra money for a seat that we don't occupy if we are playing an interstate home game?
And on the draw what really annoys me is that not every team plays each other before round 15......

[Happy Days]

Speaking of Darwin, how many people on here have a reserved seat as part of their membership package? My question is are we paying extra money for a seat that we don't occupy if we are playing an interstate home game?

I'm pretty sure we get replacement games for this very reason don't we?

[The Coon Dog]

Speaking of Darwin, how many people on here have a reserved seat as part of their membership package? My question is are we paying extra money for a seat that we don't occupy if we are playing an interstate home game?
And on the draw what really annoys me is that not every team plays each other before round 15......

I have a reserved seat.

Pretty sure its structured to reflect a seat for 9 home games in Melbourne. The 2 replacement games are general admission only.

[azabob]

I have a reserved seat.

Pretty sure its structured to reflect a seat for 9 home games in Melbourne. The 2 replacement games are general admission only.

Thanks TCD, thats what I was getting at.