Bye to Stay before Finals.

[bornadog]

AFL has determined it will retain the week's break introduced this year between the end of the Home & Away Season and start to the Finals.

[bulldogtragic]

I love the bye. Can't understand why anyone would question its amazingly great validity.

[Bulldog Revolution]

Im a strong supporter of the bye

The finals teams played better footy because of it

[azabob]

Did I also hear that the AFEL is staying with Carlton and Richmond opening the season?

[bornadog]

Did I also hear that the AFEL is staying with Carlton and Richmond opening the season?

YES, should be a cracking game again. :rolleyes:

[SlimPickens]

This is great news. Our finals record has been impeccable since its inclusion!

[Twodogs]

This had better not cost the better teams in the premiership race! I won't be happy if it does. :D


Loved the bye this year. That footy festival thing we had with the women's match and the EJ Whitten game was well timed I reckon. It just needs a Sunday arvo event and it's good to go.

[Raw Toast]

Loved the bye this year. That footy festival thing we had with the women's match and the EJ Whitten game was well timed I reckon. It just needs a Sunday arvo event and it's good to go.

There's a push from some people for the Brownlow to be shifted to the Sunday evening of the bye - I quite like that idea myself.

[bulldogtragic]

There's a push from some people for the Brownlow to be shifted to the Sunday evening of the bye - I quite like that idea myself.

To have all clubs, and all winners in the room would be a nice thing. I like it too.

[hujsh]

Did I also hear that the AFEL is staying with Carlton and Richmond opening the season?

Of course. It's a long standing tradition. Are you suggesting we change tradition? Do you hate the troops? Don't you respect Kevin Sheedy?

[KT31]

Happy if they don't change a thing, worked for us this season.:)

[1eyedog]

Have to finish outside the top 4 :p

[Flamethrower]

Only mentally weak teams lose preliminary finals because of the bye.

[Eastdog]

Of course. It's a long standing tradition. Are you suggesting we change tradition? Do you hate the troops? Don't you respect Kevin Sheedy?

I certainly believe the opening game should be shared around but if they have secured that one then maybe will get Good Friday and build a tradition from there.

[AndrewP6]

I like the bye. A chance to recharge, check out the women's and EJ Whitten games... And we are the only team to have won the Premiership after the final round bye.

[Eastdog]

Happy if they don't change a thing, worked for us this season.:)

Yeah why change something if it has worked in our favour :)

[LostDoggy]

Gotta love the bye ;)

[hujsh]

I certainly believe the opening game should be shared around but if they have secured that one then maybe will get Good Friday and build a tradition from there.

I see, I see...So you're saying you DO hate Australia.

[Eastdog]

I see, I see...So you're saying you DO hate Australia.

I love Australia!

[Twodogs]

I see, I see...So you're saying you DO hate Australia.

Actually the Australia you are talking about doesn't have a lot of attraction.:)

[Eastdog]

Actually the Australia you are talking about doesn't have a lot of attraction.:)

The AFL organisation basically I'm thinking

[Twodogs]

The AFL organisation basically I'm thinking

I'm certainly not keen on that!

[choconmientay]

TheAge (http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/afl-players-agog-at-prefinals-bye-return-20161024-gs9730.html)

AFL players agog at pre-finals bye return

AFL players have given the pre-finals bye the thumbs down - and they're disappointed by its slated return for 2017.
The AFL announced last week that the week off before the finals series would remain in season 2017.

The AFL Players' Association says 80 per cent of players prefer two in-season byes, to help combat the effects of burn-out.

"Should this (pre-finals bye) eventuate, it would be an extremely unsatisfactory outcome for the players, who have stressed the importance of these rest periods given the demands of the modern game," AFLPA chief executive Paul Marsh said in a statement on Monday.

Marsh has accused the league of putting commercial interests ahead of player welfare, with record viewing figures throughout this year's finals convincing the AFL to retain the concept.

"The greater build-up for fans of all sides competing in the finals strongly contributed to a brilliant month for the game across September, with the best players being able to be as fit and well-prepared as possible for the most important games of the season," AFL boss Gillon McLachlan said last week .


I didn't see any burn-out in the Final series and all players were in top-nick, especially the WB players ;).

The only downsize I see is that week off without proper afl football and the anxiety building up and up, waiting for your team to appear in the elimination final was unbearable...


Here is the AFL related article (http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-10-24/aflpa-angry-over-apparent-absence-of-second-inseason-bye)

[Topdog]

Players association in not living in reality shocker

[Bulldog4life]

Not sure why players want 2 byes during the season. That is why Clubs have 40 plus players on the list so if a player needs a rest there are plenty of other players to choose from.

[Topdog]

Ignoring the fact that we clearly benefited from the bye. The games in this years finals were at a fantastic level, really high class football and the players all looked fresh and willing. It clearly benefited the players in the 8 teams playing to have a bye just before.

The question that does need to be asked and it may be a valid reason for getting rid of the bye before the finals is what is the benefit to top 4 now? Is it just home ground advantage? Is that enough? Because having a bye after 1 week of play is not really going to be beneficial.

[bornadog]

Ignoring the fact that we clearly benefited from the bye. The games in this years finals were at a fantastic level, really high class football and the players all looked fresh and willing. It clearly benefited the players in the 8 teams playing to have a bye just before.

The question that does need to be asked and it may be a valid reason for getting rid of the bye before the finals is what is the benefit to top 4 now? Is it just home ground advantage? Is that enough? Because having a bye after 1 week of play is not really going to be beneficial.

Still get the double chance if you lose week 1, so worth finishing top 4

[Ozza]

The sample size is pretty small to conclude that it was a reason the top ranked teams didn't win it this year. Happy enough to see how it goes again next season, and if 1 & 2 lose again in the prelim's - 2 seasons may well be enough to conclude that it is disadvantaging those teams.

From this year - the way I look at it;

Sydney were the minor premiers, and belted Geelong in the same way that they did at kardinia park during the season.
We beat GWS in a see-sawing game that could have gone either way.

The only 'advantage' we had from the bye, was that we got injured players back in time for the finals...not really an 'advantage' though. All it did was bring us back from being significantly more DISadvantaged by having so many injuries.

[Topdog]

The sample size is pretty small to conclude that it was a reason the top ranked teams didn't win it this year. Happy enough to see how it goes again next season, and if 1 & 2 lose again in the prelim's - 2 seasons may well be enough to conclude that it is disadvantaging those teams.

From this year - the way I look at it;

Sydney were the minor premiers, and belted Geelong in the same way that they did at kardinia park during the season.
We beat GWS in a see-sawing game that could have gone either way.

The only 'advantage' we had from the bye, was that we got injured players back in time for the finals...not really an 'advantage' though. All it did was bring us back from being significantly more DISadvantaged by having so many injuries.

Got nothing to do with why top ranked teams lost IMO.

Injuries are a part of the game. We were clearly running on empty and needed the bye. However all clubs knew the bye was coming, maybe Bevo and our fitness department set us up to be in top condition for the finals.

[bornadog]

The sample size is pretty small to conclude that it was a reason the top ranked teams didn't win it this year. Happy enough to see how it goes again next season, and if 1 & 2 lose again in the prelim's - 2 seasons may well be enough to conclude that it is disadvantaging those teams.

From this year - the way I look at it;

Sydney were the minor premiers, and belted Geelong in the same way that they did at kardinia park during the season.
We beat GWS in a see-sawing game that could have gone either way.

The only 'advantage' we had from the bye, was that we got injured players back in time for the finals...not really an 'advantage' though. All it did was bring us back from being significantly more DISadvantaged by having so many injuries.

Also, this year there wasn't much difference between 1st and 7th. It was quiet unusual to only be two games in wins.

[comrade]

Don't really have an opinion on the pre-finals bye but it does annoy me when people try to downplay our achievement by saying we only won because of it. As Ozza posted, all the bye gave us was a chance to bring back some best 22 players.

It didn't create a disadvantage to any other team, just allowed us a more level playing field.

[GVGjr]

Don't really have an opinion on the pre-finals bye but it does annoy me when people try to downplay our achievement by saying we only won because of it. As Ozza posted, all the bye gave us was a chance to bring back some best 22 players.

It didn't create a disadvantage to any other team, just allowed us a more level playing field.

I think we are carrying the can because the AFL didn't want to be seen disciplining teams for tanking games late in the season so created a bye as a way of dealing with it or quietly accepting that they couldn't do anything about.
It worked our way but knocking over the teams that we did isn't just because it gave us that extra week to get a few players back.

You never know but it will be interesting to see if finishing in the top 4 is as important to clubs if once again in 2017 a team wins it by playing 4 games straight with no rest.

[jeemak]

If people think the additional weeks off for top four teams places them out of tune, then two or three abbreviated contact quarters on those weeks off will help keep the players fit and their touch up. If teams didn't do this anyway then they're stupid.

The bye assisted us hugely in terms of bringing back personnel, though I really don't see how our high intensity games could have given us a physical advantage over GWS. Each team entered the finals on an even footing rest wise, if GWS were out of tune mentally and physically in the preliminary final then they only have themselves to blame. They had everything going for them in that game, but they couldn't beat us because we were tougher and able to execute when it mattered.

By week four, Sydney had no excuse.

[S Coast Simon]

Obviously I loved the bye this year, but I think the players would prefer the second bye maybe a few weeks before the finals so they play three or four games leading in to get there form and touch for the finals