AFL Structure - A way to Save Richmond..

[the_boy_jake]

AFL already has problems with one-sided matches and blowouts. Despite all the equalization devices it stilll has a major problem. The gap between St Kilda/Geelong and Melbourne/Us is frightening. There is no way you could expect a team to come up from a lower division and be competitive.

There are key differences between the games of AFL and soccer which make relegation possible there and not in AFL.

1. Soccer matches are often decided by one or two goals. If a poor team gets lucky and then works hard to protect theiir lead they can get a favourable result. The afl equivalent of a lucky goal is a lucky 6 goals.

2. In soccer two or three star players can be nullified tactically. Even if they play well the end product may not be goals. How would a VFL player nullify Riewoldt/Kosi? And if those guys play well it will result in goals, no question. All it takes for an AFL game to become a blow out are two or three matchups favouring one-side heavily. This is why you see so many 10+ goal margins and why the AFL is obsessed with the draft to equalise lists. Promoted teams wouldn't stand a chance unless they got 10 new players.

3. I think from a corporate point of view a single league is much better. The reason soccer is promotion/relegation is for historical reasons. I think the premier league from a money perspective would love to abolish promotion/relegation but the fans wouldn't have a bar of it. The afl are unlikely to switch to this model, especially because if it fails, there is no going back.

[TigerLand]

It might not be a good indicator but it works fine at local levels.

With football and ever cricket with Multiple Divisions in every league there are teams that have come from Div 3 even 4 and become power houses from following a succession plan, such as building up a Junior club etc.

The good thing about a 2nd Div is that at least teams like Melb, Freo, Rich, North Melbourne play each otehr week in week out whilst still getting first crack at draft picks being in Div 2, they don't have to play the top 8 every 2nd week and lose by 10-20 goals..

Last 2 games:

Rich 68    df by    Syd 123
Rich 59    df by    Coll 152

With some bad luck add to this season playing one of the top 3 again.. Imgaine if our next 2 games were playing Geel and Saints for a 2nd time...

[the_boy_jake]

It might not be a good indicator but it works fine at local levels.

Interesting.

My local team here in Brisbane, Western Magpies got promoted to AFLQ div 1 last season and are currently 0 from 17 with a % of 45.75.

Maybe works better in the southern states with more player depth..?