Players propose 17-round season
Caroline Wilson | April 16, 2008 | The Age
THE AFL Players Association will propose a 17-round season from 2012 describing the launch of an 18-team competition as a "magnificent opportunity" to revolutionise and refashion the competition.
AFLPA boss Brendon Gale said it would be wrong to push footballers to take a pay cut on the basis of a shorter season given the significant benefits to the game.
A 17-week competition would ensure every team played each other once, ending the anomaly that has existed since the competition expanded from 12 teams in the 1980s. AFL chairman Mike Fitzpatrick also promoted the opportunity to equalise the home-and-away season when he revealed the AFL's radical expansion plans to The Age in February.
Gale said his association would present the proposal to its players and the AFL when the two parties met on May 1.
Under the AFLPA plan the competition would potentially include a longer pre-season, at least one, and possibly two, mid-season breaks allowing for regular state-of-origin or exhibition games.
Gale said a shortened season with breaks would also allow overseas games and ensure better quality football and reduce the appearance of "tanking".
The players proposal could also include a final 10 and allow for one extra week of finals in a bid to appease AFL broadcasters with a two-week break between the preliminary and grand finals that, in turn, would see all players available for the Brownlow Medal count.
The players have become increasingly concerned at the subtle shortening of their off-season breaks that under the terms of the collective bargaining agreement should run for eight weeks, but have been increasingly squeezed at the behest of some clubs and their players.
The AFL said last week that it was working on various changes to the competition on the basis of its expansion, but favoured a 22 or 24-week season.
AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou said he welcomed the players' proposal but added that it was one of several models that had been put to the AFL.
"In the modelling we did we have looked at 16 weeks, 17 weeks, 18 weeks and up to 24 weeks," said Demetriou.
"They're entitled to submit that and we look forward to it but we have to remember we have contractual obligations with the MCG and Telstra Dome and stadiums outside Victoria to play a certain number of games and potentially it could diminish the value for the broadcast rights if there are less games."
Gale also revealed a strong sense of frustration with the progress of an AFL-AFLPA working party looking at improving player movement between clubs at the end of each season but ruled out taking the AFL to court over free agency.
The working party, which includes AFL football boss Adrian Anderson, Gale and Adelaide chief executive Steve Trigg, has yet to agree upon a recommendation to be put to the commission at their next meeting on April 28, a meeting Gale has asked to attend.
With the AFL continuing to reject the concept of free agency despite pressure from the players — 93% of whom favour the concept — and player agents, Gale admitted his association was unimpressed at the League's response.
"It's not a grab for cash," said Gale. "We feel it's good for clubs and good for the code and good for the players in getting to other clubs.
"Based on representations we've made it might be a reasonable step to test the legal validity of the current system … we'd hate to get in a situation where this was unresolved."
http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/news/players-propose-17round-season/2008/04/15/1208025192817.html
