SHOCK FIXTURE MOVES
Latest idea could leave teams with games in hand on rivals
THE AFL is considering whether to retain a traditional look for its condensed fixture or a left-field EPL-style format where teams end up with games in hand on rivals.
The AFL will release Round 8 on Monday but still wants to play as many games as possible before teams return to Melbourne after Round 12.
Clubs could effectively play five games over four weeks by slotting in an extra midweek round, but with a traditional finish to rounds where every team has played the same number of games.
The other more radical option is to play as many games as possible where teams ready to play are fixtured to bank more games so the league can then pause if teams return to Melbourne.
But that fixture might see some teams getting one or even two more games ahead of other rivals who eventually catch up by the end of the season. It would be a more confusing fixture for fans but it would allow the league to safeguard itself in case it has to pause the fixture for several weeks while 10 teams come back to Melbourne.
If those Victorian teams had played extra games on interstate sides they could have a bye while the non-Victorian teams could catch up.
The AFL was adamant last night no decisions had been made on when clubs would return to Melbourne given the extraordinary speed of developments.
Richmond coach Damien Hardwick said yesterday the AFL would need to give clubs more numbers on the bench to allow stars to play every game if it crunched extra games into the schedule. That request is certain to fall on deaf ears given the AFL has already ticked off the four-man bench with 90 interchanges.
It believes the shorter 16minute quarters were put in place for exactly this kind of condensed fixture.
AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said yesterday the AFL was looking at playing “more than one game a week over a period of time”.
“Whether we can do that and how that works is being worked on at the moment. Seven in five maybe not, but six in five is certainly a possibility,” he said. “Can we compress it? We are working on that. Player availability and stress on players is part of that.
“Things have moved again in Queensland in the past 24 hours, so some clubs are working on skinnier lists up there so that will be part of the mix.”
Richmond coach Damien Hardwick said yesterday: “The one thing I would like is an extended bench.
“You want the stars playing every week and I would look at an extended bench but smarter men than me can [work through that].”