2018 AFL Season

[Booney]

No to divisions. No to longer seasons. No to the bye between the minor round and finals.

Make the top 4 and give yourself the best shot at it, make the 8 and be in top nick and give yourself a shot at it.

[MW]

Agree Booney.
I think the way they do it now with the double up games being tailored to which group you finish the previous season in (1-6, 7-12, 13-18) is a good idea.
The only refinement I would like to see is a more even spread of blockbuster time slot games to give every club a chance at the same sponsor opportunities the 'big' clubs get. This won't happen though.

[Spargo]

2 excellent posts ^

[amber_fluid]

Make that 3!!
It really isn’t that hard is it?

[bertiebeatle]

To be honest, i agree with all of the above but I know it isn't going to last. Each year the rumours get stronger and stronger about plans being made to change the way our game is structured and it is crap. I grew up enjoying a 22 round season and love that it is 23 now with a bye and don't want it to change. I agree to leave it how it is but i just can't see it lasting with how the AFL is run these days.

[Booney]

Despite breaking their 37-year premiership drought last September, Richmond will need to come from the clouds once again in 2018 according to Champion Data, as their list is still a far way off the game’s elite.

According to the AFL’s leading data supplier, Champion Data rate Richmond’s list as the ninth best in the competition, with their best 22 rated as the seventh strongest.

Sydney are at the top of both lists, as the Swans have been ranked number one for both overall list strength, and best 22.

Close behind Sydney in list strength is Port Adelaide, who added senior players Tom Rockliff, Jack Watts and Steven Motlop in last season’s free agency period.

Adelaide in third and GWS in fourth round out the four strongest lists in the competition, with all four sides finishing in the top six on last season’s AFL ladder.

The Swans lead the league with 17 players rated either ‘elite’ or ‘above average’, with Port Adelaide boasting 16 players in the two categories.

For perspective, the Tigers won the premiership with just three ‘elite’ players (Dustin Martin, Alex Rance and Shane Edwards) and nine in the ‘above average’ column

At the other end of the scale, Carlton’s list has been ranked as the league’s worst, while Fremantle have been placed in 18th spot with the weakest best 22, given captain Nat Fyfe is the Dockers’ only ‘elite’ player.

Collingwood will be looking to break their finals drought but will need to do so with the league’s 10th best list, although should their best 22 stay on the park for most of the season, the Pies could be finals bound, given their strongest 22 rates sixth in the competition.

After adding Jake Stringer, Devon Smith and Adam Saad, Essendon’s list is still below Collingwood’s in overall strength in 11th, while their best 22 is eighth among the competition.

[Dogwatcher]

What does this mean?

[The Bedge]

What does this mean?

F**k all.

[amber_fluid]

What does this mean?

Not alot really!

I’d still rather GWS and the Crows squad ahead of Sydney and Port.

I’m assuming the Bulldogs didn’t rate highly the year before either so make of it what you will.......

[Magellan]

Despite breaking their 37-year premiership drought last September, Richmond will need to come from the clouds once again in 2018 according to Champion Data, as their list is still a far way off the game’s elite.

According to the AFL’s leading data supplier, Champion Data rate Richmond’s list as the ninth best in the competition, with their best 22 rated as the seventh strongest.

Sydney are at the top of both lists, as the Swans have been ranked number one for both overall list strength, and best 22.

Close behind Sydney in list strength is Port Adelaide, who added senior players Tom Rockliff, Jack Watts and Steven Motlop in last season’s free agency period.

Adelaide in third and GWS in fourth round out the four strongest lists in the competition, with all four sides finishing in the top six on last season’s AFL ladder.

The Swans lead the league with 17 players rated either ‘elite’ or ‘above average’, with Port Adelaide boasting 16 players in the two categories.

For perspective, the Tigers won the premiership with just three ‘elite’ players (Dustin Martin, Alex Rance and Shane Edwards) and nine in the ‘above average’ column

At the other end of the scale, Carlton’s list has been ranked as the league’s worst, while Fremantle have been placed in 18th spot with the weakest best 22, given captain Nat Fyfe is the Dockers’ only ‘elite’ player.

Collingwood will be looking to break their finals drought but will need to do so with the league’s 10th best list, although should their best 22 stay on the park for most of the season, the Pies could be finals bound, given their strongest 22 rates sixth in the competition.

After adding Jake Stringer, Devon Smith and Adam Saad, Essendon’s list is still below Collingwood’s in overall strength in 11th, while their best 22 is eighth among the competition.

Shane Edwards is an 'elite' player?

[bennymacca]

To be honest, i agree with all of the above but I know it isn't going to last. Each year the rumours get stronger and stronger about plans being made to change the way our game is structured and it is crap. I grew up enjoying a 22 round season and love that it is 23 now with a bye and don't want it to change. I agree to leave it how it is but i just can't see it lasting with how the AFL is run these days.

Just because it has been a 22 round season forever and it’s what we all grew up with, doesn’t mean it actually makes any sense at all in a comp with more than 12 teams.

I don’t think any of us have the answer, but keeping it the way it is just “because it’s been like that for ages” surely can’t be the main reason not to change something.

To me creating a 100% fair draw and making each game as relevant as it possibly can me see the two main goals should the fixture be changed.

They have tried to make it a bit fairer with the fixture banding but it is still not 100% fair and equitable

[bennymacca]

What does this mean?

F**k all.

Of course it means something. Does it predict with 100% certainty? Of course not.

if you think Richmond has a better list than Sydney you have rocks in your head

[amber_fluid]

Despite breaking their 37-year premiership drought last September, Richmond will need to come from the clouds once again in 2018 according to Champion Data, as their list is still a far way off the game’s elite.

According to the AFL’s leading data supplier, Champion Data rate Richmond’s list as the ninth best in the competition, with their best 22 rated as the seventh strongest.

Sydney are at the top of both lists, as the Swans have been ranked number one for both overall list strength, and best 22.

Close behind Sydney in list strength is Port Adelaide, who added senior players Tom Rockliff, Jack Watts and Steven Motlop in last season’s free agency period.

Adelaide in third and GWS in fourth round out the four strongest lists in the competition, with all four sides finishing in the top six on last season’s AFL ladder.

The Swans lead the league with 17 players rated either ‘elite’ or ‘above average’, with Port Adelaide boasting 16 players in the two categories.

For perspective, the Tigers won the premiership with just three ‘elite’ players (Dustin Martin, Alex Rance and Shane Edwards) and nine in the ‘above average’ column

At the other end of the scale, Carlton’s list has been ranked as the league’s worst, while Fremantle have been placed in 18th spot with the weakest best 22, given captain Nat Fyfe is the Dockers’ only ‘elite’ player.

Collingwood will be looking to break their finals drought but will need to do so with the league’s 10th best list, although should their best 22 stay on the park for most of the season, the Pies could be finals bound, given their strongest 22 rates sixth in the competition.

After adding Jake Stringer, Devon Smith and Adam Saad, Essendon’s list is still below Collingwood’s in overall strength in 11th, while their best 22 is eighth among the competition.

Shane Edwards is an 'elite' player?

No chance.
Reiwolt maybe?

[amber_fluid]

To be honest, i agree with all of the above but I know it isn't going to last. Each year the rumours get stronger and stronger about plans being made to change the way our game is structured and it is crap. I grew up enjoying a 22 round season and love that it is 23 now with a bye and don't want it to change. I agree to leave it how it is but i just can't see it lasting with how the AFL is run these days.

Just because it has been a 22 round season forever and it’s what we all grew up with, doesn’t mean it actually makes any sense at all in a comp with more than 12 teams.

I don’t think any of us have the answer, but keeping it the way it is just “because it’s been like that for ages” surely can’t be the main reason not to change something.

To me creating a 100% fair draw and making each game as relevant as it possibly can me see the two main goals should the fixture be changed.

They have tried to make it a bit fairer with the fixture banding but it is still not 100% fair and equitable

Change it too improve it but don’t change it just for the sake of it.

If they can’t improve it, leave it as it is as it isn’t actually broke.

[Corona Man]

To be honest, i agree with all of the above but I know it isn't going to last. Each year the rumours get stronger and stronger about plans being made to change the way our game is structured and it is crap. I grew up enjoying a 22 round season and love that it is 23 now with a bye and don't want it to change. I agree to leave it how it is but i just can't see it lasting with how the AFL is run these days.

Just because it has been a 22 round season forever and it’s what we all grew up with, doesn’t mean it actually makes any sense at all in a comp with more than 12 teams.

I don’t think any of us have the answer, but keeping it the way it is just “because it’s been like that for ages” surely can’t be the main reason not to change something.

To me creating a 100% fair draw and making each game as relevant as it possibly can me see the two main goals should the fixture be changed.

They have tried to make it a bit fairer with the fixture banding but it is still not 100% fair and equitable

Change it too improve it but don’t change it just for the sake of it.

If they can’t improve it, leave it as it is as it isn’t actually broke.

I don't think there would ever be consensus on what is 100% fair and equitable either.

[Booney]

What does this mean?

It means we've got something to discuss other than tennis or sharks in Gulf St Vincent.

[Brodlach]

Two sharks playing tennis in the gulf of St Vincent, I’d watch that

[nuggety goodness]

Did anyone else laugh when it said Richmonds list is the 9th best in the league? How fitting.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

[bennymacca]

Change it too improve it but don’t change it just for the sake of it.

If they can’t improve it, leave it as it is as it isn’t actually broke.

I would argue that it is actually broken - playing some teams once, some teams twice every so often, some teams twice every year, not playing against a team away for years, etc etc.

But I do agree that finding a consensus will be difficult.

Besides a bottom half team not being able to win the div 1 flag in the next year, I still can’t see a downside to the two division format

[Spargo]

Change it too improve it but don’t change it just for the sake of it.

If they can’t improve it, leave it as it is as it isn’t actually broke.

I would argue that it is actually broken - playing some teams once, some teams twice every so often, some teams twice every year, not playing against a team away for years, etc etc.

But I do agree that finding a consensus will be difficult.

Besides a bottom half team not being able to win the div 1 flag in the next year, I still can’t see a downside to the two division format

Because no one wants to be a “div 2 premier” - it would mean nothing.
The AFL will also argue that since 1995 every team has won a flag except StK, Melb & Freo who themselves have all played in a GF in that time.