All clubs set to have two byes in 2012 JAKE NIALL
July 23, 2010 EVERY team would have two byes in an expanded 18-team competition in 2012, under one of the scenarios the AFL presented to the clubs this week.
Under one of the the AFL's proposed plans for a revamped home-and-away season - which was favourably received by the clubs - each team would play 23 games over 25 weeks. This would mean that each club would receive two byes, with the AFL telling clubs that, if this structure was implemented, it would try to ensure that clubs had their byes ''spread out''.
The AFL told chief executives from the 18 clubs that it would strive to ensure that most teams had a fair gap between their two byes, but that it was unavoidable that one or two teams would receive their byes within a shorter period.
The AFL's chief operating officer, Gillon McLachlan, said last night the league was looking at 22, 23 and 24-games-a-club scenarios for the 18-team competition for 2012 and that this 23-game proposal was merely one of the options.
The AFL has had each club play 22 home-and-away games in every year, bar 1993, since 1970. In 1993, there were only 20 games a club.
In this new home-and-away system, the bottom three teams from 2011 would have byes in the final three rounds, to minimise the chances that the byes would compromise the finals.
What the AFL wanted to avoid were situations in which one finalist was playing another, having had a bye in the final week of the season.
While it was possible that a bottom-three club would rise to the top eight the following year, there was statistically less chance that the team would end up competing for the premiership.
From 2012, when Greater Western Sydney joins Gold Coast in the competition, the total number of games would be 207, an increase from the current 176. The AFL indicated to the clubs that, in this proposed system for 2012, it did not want teams to have two byes within the first dozen weeks.
The longer season would obviously generate more revenue, but it would also cause some complications regarding ground arrangements, given potential clashes with cricket.
The potential new competition structure for 2012 in an expanded competition was among the major topics at the two-day briefing of chief executives by AFL officials.
The AFL's Andrew McKay gave the clubs a presentation on limiting interchanges, with the league outlining some of the options, such as a certain number a quarter. Clubs believe the AFL is keen to cap the interchanges next year, given the amount of data it has produced pushing the argument in favour of limiting interchanges.
The AFL also gave a presentation on the next television rights, again expressing confidence that it would get a better outcome than the current deal. It made a report, too, on the collective bargaining agreement with the players.
http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/all-clubs-set-to-have-two-byes-in-2012-20100722-10myw.html
