An extra AFL round in one state? Gill would like to see that

[GVGjr]

An extra AFL round in one state? Gill would like to see that

The AFL wants to introduce another home-and-away round as early as next season – but it won’t be an ordinary one. See the plan, have your say on carnival-like extravaganza.

The AFL is working to add an extra round to the home-and-away season next year as part of a single state footy “carnival” which would coincide with the April school holidays.

League chief executive Gillon McLachlan confirmed he had briefed clubs on the plans at a president’s and chief executive’s meeting on Monday, following positive feedback after the idea was first floated earlier this year.

The extra round would be played in a single state, with double-headers and even triple-headers potentially on the cards.

The AFL is hopeful it could be added to next year’s fixture, with three states already having expressed interest to host the nine-game carnival.

The idea to add an extra round to the regular season came amid a scaled-back pre-season competition this year, which saw clubs play only one official AAMI Community Series match.

“This year they played some internal practice games and low-key stuff and then they played one proper hitout in venues with all the systems going,” McLachlan said.

“They just played it like a home-and-away game – belted into each other, people got suspended, people got injured.

“I said, ‘If you’re going to do it like that, why don’t you play it as a home-and-away game?’

“There was not a ‘no’, so the team have gone off and explored all of that and now we’ve got multiple states interested in doing it. We’ve got three states that have said, ‘Yeah, we’ll do it, we’d like to have all nine games in this market’.”

AFL club members would still have 11 home games in their own state if the extra round is added, which would likely be held in April and allow families to travel interstate for the carnival.

“What we’ve been talking about is we get the season out of the blocks well and strong and maybe Round 5, the second-half of April it is school holidays nationally and people can set that up, go away with their families and work around that weekend,” McLachlan said on SEN radio.

In a wide-ranging interview, the outgoing league boss said he could see a mid-season trade period coming into the competition “soon”, despite saying he liked to see great players be one-club players.

“For me, greater flexibility in list management is something that’s been resisted for a long time,” McLachlan said.

“We pushed in the mid-season draft … There was almost universal resistance and now it’s having a big impact and I think the trade period would do the same. There are very good player’s not getting games at clubs who would make a difference at another team during the season.”

McLachlan said he would talk with Brad Scott at the “right time” over the next week, with the AFL general manager of football being in the sights of Essendon as the Bombers search for a new senior coach.

Scott previously coached North Melbourne for 2011 games between 2010 and 2019.

“Brad’s a star, I think, and he was a great coach,” McLachlan said.

“At some point he’ll have to decide if the day-to-day brutality of coaching is where he wants to go or whether he wants a life of general management that gives him different options.”

[Grantysghost]

Whaaaaaaa.....


This is getting bat shit crazy now.

Does that mean one less home game for members G or an extra round in lieu of pre season?

[Hotdog60]

I thought it was an extra game although I did do a lot of scanning when I read it on the AFL site.

[hujsh]

My immediate thought was 'Oh they'll do this in Tasmania as a boost to the football scene there'

NOPE

We'll just do it "Somewhere." Cool. Great idea Gil. Having a bunch of games at neutral venues with barely any supporters was probably the best part of the 2020 season I agree.

[hujsh]

Whaaaaaaa.....


This is getting bat shit crazy now.

Does that mean one less home game for members G or an extra round in lieu of pre season?

The latter. 11 home games still

[GVGjr]

Whaaaaaaa.....


This is getting bat shit crazy now.

Does that mean one less home game for members G or an extra round in lieu of pre season?

One extra game, 11 home games, 11 away games and 1 extra carnival game and probably in lieu of a pre-season game.
I think rugby league does it.

[Grantysghost]

The latter. 11 home games still

Thanks!

[Grantysghost]

One extra game, 11 home games, 11 away games and 1 extra carnival game and probably in lieu of a pre-season game.
I think rugby league does it.

Cheers G.

[MrMahatma]

I like it!