Hardwick adds voice to calls for shorter season (afl site)

[one-eyed]

Hardwick adds voice to calls for shorter season
Matt Thompson 
afl.com.au
July 22, 2014 11:39 AM

RICHMOND coach Damien Hardwick has joined the call for the season to be shortened but concedes it's unlikely.

His comments follow a similar call from North Melbourne president James Brayshaw for the season to be reduced to 20 rounds.

Hardwick says the current 22-game season is too long.

"I personally think it is, I don't think there's a sport as harsh and as gruelling as ours that asks our players to do an incredible amount of work," he told reporters on Tuesday. 

"We can keep having the argument, but the reality is the 22 games are here to stay.

Hardwick acknowledged broadcasters wouldn't be keen on reducing the number of games.

"I don't think they're going to be too keen to give the games back," he said.

"I think the product is a really good product, it's just how long that product goes for is probably the big one.

"Twenty rounds, that's probably a good result."

Having claimed their biggest scalp of the season over Port Adelaide before their week off, the Tigers will be looking to build on a three-game winning streak when they travel to play West Coast.

Reece Conca and Ben Lennon are expected to be available for selection while Shaun Grigg is likely to play in the VFL.

After failing to maintain the momentum from their 2013 campaign, Hardwick insists there's still more to be gained from this season.

"We'll play the year out accordingly. It's no good preparing for next year, when we're still playing for this year as far as we're concerned," he said. 

"We've got to continue to get wins on the board, continue to earn respect of our fans back because we've been really disappointing."

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-07-22/hardwick-wants-fewer-games

[Judge Roughneck]

how bout everyone plays everyone once and its fair?

what a radical concept

[Tiger Tragic]

AFL players are a bunch of softies.  NRL players play a brutal Origin game on the Wednesday and back up for their club on the Friday/Saturday/Sunday.  European soccer teams do the same for Europe/EPL/FA Cup etc.

[Dice]

Damien is more than welcome to end his season now if he wants. Bring in an interim coach till we find a real one for next year.

[cub]

$ talks

[Diocletian]

AFL players are a bunch of softies.  NRL players play a brutal Origin game on the Wednesday and back up for their club on the Friday/Saturday/Sunday.  European soccer teams do the same for Europe/EPL/FA Cup etc.

Agree, softcox.
Harriet O'bama Badadadada La Bomba reckons they could play 30 games a year, not surprisingly, no-one backed him up. The one time he wasn't being a flog.

[(•))(©™]

AFL players are a bunch of softies.  NRL players play a brutal Origin game on the Wednesday and back up for their club on the Friday/Saturday/Sunday.  European soccer teams do the same for Europe/EPL/FA Cup etc.

Which is why i can count the afl players i respect on one hand.

Bright side is, if the season is shorter, so is Dimmers tenure

[Diocletian]

Solutions simple - 18 teams playeach other once  + 3 set groups of 6 who play each other twice. 17 + 5 = 22. Same draw every year.

V.I.P (Victoria's (most) Important Propping (up the comp.)) Group

Richmond   
Collingwood 
Essendon
Carlton
Hawthorn
Geelong

Provincial Group

Adelaide
Port
Fremantle
West Coast
Sydney
Brisbane


Leftovers/WGAF /Crowds need not apply Group

GWS
Gold Coast
North
Melbourne
Footscray
St.Kilda

[Yeahright]

Don't NBA players play 2-3 times a week for months and play All star games although not at full on intensity.

[yellowandback]

We all want to work less hours dimma but most of us have the self respect to avoid whinging in public in front of the people who pay YOUR STUFFING SALARY.
All of this while doing a crap job.
Wish I had this luxury at work.

[Go Richo 12]

Baseball is a 162 game season, ice hockey is 84, American football is only 16.However, comparing sports to each other is like comparing apples with oranges. Each sport has differing levels of intensity. The only reason why I would advocate for a shorter season would be to help fill the stadiums a bit more by creating less supply.

[tony_montana]

Play each other once or twice no inbetweens. The competition is compromised in its current state and a big joke tbh.

[dwaino]

Play each other once or twice no inbetweens. The competition is compromised in its current state and a big joke tbh.

I like the idea of once and rotating from home and away each year, like the NFL. 22 round season is great if your team is doing well, but there are way too many dead rubbers past mid season currently.

[WilliamPowell]

I know it was the press that asked the question and he is entitled to a view

But struth to says this "I don't think there's a sport as harsh and as gruelling as ours that asks our players to do an incredible amount of work," is a really naοve and foolish statement to make. As GR12 said "apples & oranges"

[tdy]

I just like watching footy. Id prefer 44 rounds plus 4 weeks of finals and 4 weeks holiday.