SA Footy

Talk during the week was about adding another week to the finals series in the form of a wildcard weekend, similar to what happens in the NFL.

basically 6th to 10th would play a further elimination final before the rest of the finals series carries on.

Its an interesting idea. Im not sure what i think of it.

On the one hand, it will help give meaning to some of the mid table teams as they have something extra to strive for, thereby giving meaning to more late season games.

I like the idea of lengthening the finals series too. The finals series is too short imo. We spend all season working up to the finals and then they are over in a flash.

There are a few obvious negatives too - the first is that the 10th place side is mediocre anyway and so will never have a chance of winning a flag.

It also lengthens the finals series for the 7th and 8th teams, where it is already hard enough to win a flag

I think playing finals for top 18 is a better idea. It means all teams will still strive to make the best position possible. Start the finals in March and run them thru till Sept.

Or you could just keep it as it is and say 'stiff shit' to teams that couldn't make the task of making finals legetimately. Realistically we don't need top 8 either but that won't stop the boffins from further aligning the competition with the US and ruining it even more.

Just in case I haven't been clear....I'm not for the idea.

It's bullshot. Leave it

Doesn't matter what anyone thinks, just whether the AFL thinks it'll generate more $$.

The name "wildcards" in the NFL is actually a bit of a misnomer, they are more of a fairness measure. When the divisions went to their current structure, the owners wanted the winners of each division to still make the playoffs, and this left some teams with better records out, which was deemed unfair, compounded by the fact that teams play those within their division twice, but not all their teams in their conference.

Even with wildcards, it means 6/16 teams in a conference make the playoffs, ie 37.5%, while without wildcards we already have 44% of teams making the finals.

The NFL system is more equivalent to the old AFL final six when when 3 v 6 and 4 v 5 went straight into knock-out finals and there was a heap of whinging if the third ranked team got knocked out straight away, which in some ways was understandable given they got a double chance with the final 5.

The current system is as good as they can come up with unless they got back to a final five, with the one flaw, which is probably hard to get rid of, that with the cross-over the first or second ranked team can be disadvantaged even though they win their qualifying final if the first or second ranked team lose their qualifying final.

Bulltosh IMO.

To add two more teams in and make 7th/8th who have already earned the right to play finals play again to prove their worth is rubbish.

I completely disagree that the finals series is too short, too. I think the 4 weeks is perfect to end the season on September 30 that started March 23.

It ain't broke so don't fix it!

Hate the idea, kills tradition

carey wrote:It ain't broke so don't fix it!

i would contend that it is broke at the moment. inequitable draw and some downright embarrassing late season games.

if we are having draw where we dont just place once or twice, i think the time has come to tweak it a bit.

Brodlach wrote:Hate the idea, kills tradition

tradition of what? since 1999?


I personally dont like the wildcard idea. Seems like a cash grab to me. Just a way to get two extra blockbuster games.

I have said this before, but this is what I would do

Play each other once - 17 games.

Top 8 qualify for an extended finals series.

Top 8 all play each other again once, so another 7 games.

Top four then play semi finals and the GF after that.


This would be the best teams play for longer against each other
The downside would be that the off season would be loooong for the bottom sides - but lets face it, a lot of the time they have already checked out by round 18 anyway

How about the afl set themselves a goal for a 12 month period, it could be not to touch our game once!

Should introduce a system where you play a heap of games during the year and if you win enough games to participate in some things we could perhaps call "finals", and then if you keep winning you get a chance to play in the last game of the year that we could perhaps call "Grand Final" where the winner can be announced as the Premiers?

The AFL should announce that there are 2 rounds per year where teams play for double points....have 2 wildcard weekends

mighty_tiger_79 wrote:The AFL should announce that there are 2 rounds per year where teams play for double points....have 2 wildcard weekends

Or have a round where they play "tug-o-war" instead of football, the best of 7 gets the 4 points.

They could do one or two on each continent and perhaps one on top of Ayers Rock.

Scrap the pre-season stuff and play a 25 game minor round starting in mid March - I've never understood why the AFL was happy for the NRL to dominate Foxtel sports for those weeks in March. Thursday night of round 1 play the 2 previous season Grand Finalists in the home state of the reigning premier. Friday night play the 2 losing Preliminary Finalists from the previous season. Anzac Day at the MCG should be contested by the 2 highest ranked Vic teams from the previous season. With a 25 game minor round each team plays each other once and then another 8 teams a second time depending on your placing from the previous season. Perhaps if you finished 5th the previous year - you play teams ranked 1,3,7,9,11,13,15 and 17 twice. Scrap the byes for teams but introduce a player bye - no player is permitted to play all 25 minor round games - however to stop teams like Freo resting 12 players in the same week in mid August - a rule that allowed only a maximum of 6 changes to a team from week to week could be introduced - forcing teams to pay more attention to player management during the season. The fans would be happy knowing that their team would be playing every week and the players still get a week off at some stage. Keep the major round as a top 8 in the current format and scrap the bye week before the finals - kills momentum and excitement leading into the finals.

rd wrote:Scrap the pre-season stuff and play a 25 game minor round starting in mid March - I've never understood why the AFL was happy for the NRL to dominate Foxtel sports for those weeks in March. Thursday night of round 1 play the 2 previous season Grand Finalists in the home state of the reigning premier. Friday night play the 2 losing Preliminary Finalists from the previous season. Anzac Day at the MCG should be contested by the 2 highest ranked Vic teams from the previous season. With a 25 game minor round each team plays each other once and then another 8 teams a second time depending on your placing from the previous season. Perhaps if you finished 5th the previous year - you play teams ranked 1,3,7,9,11,13,15 and 17 twice. Scrap the byes for teams but introduce a player bye - no player is permitted to play all 25 minor round games - however to stop teams like Freo resting 12 players in the same week in mid August - a rule that allowed only a maximum of 6 changes to a team from week to week could be introduced - forcing teams to pay more attention to player management during the season. The fans would be happy knowing that their team would be playing every week and the players still get a week off at some stage. Keep the major round as a top 8 in the current format and scrap the bye week before the finals - kills momentum and excitement leading into the finals.

have to say i like all of this

not sure if we need a mandated player bye though. we have come to accept being "rested" or "managed" as part of the AFL now, so if that has to continue then thats ok.

also agree with the longer season - the JLT has lost the already tiny amount of relevance it had.

to compensate for the longer season I would get rid of all rookies except for category B rookies and bring them onto the main list.