Carlton End Alignment With Northern Blues.

[kruddler]

Rumors of lots of stuff going down behind the scenes, it looks like this interruption is going to be the catalyst or excuse for all sorts of changes to the game whether we like them or not, maybe it will be quite an unfamiliar game when it returns at least in the way it's managed, coached and traded.

Seems a lot of it isn't just about COVID-19 but the AFLs desire to reduce the costs of being an AFL club making them all more profitable. One thing is players might get their wish for the shorter games they have been pushing for, but at significantly lower wage.

My dad always said, be careful what you wish for!

Other things being floated, extended lists, reserves/unders competition(Shorter games with a curtain raiser!), more player trades, reduced coaches/runners/trainers, sub-contract players or even full free agency, etc., etc..

It sounds like some clubs are asking for a setup that allows players to be freely traded from lower leagues into the AFL mid-season, whenever, like a feeder competition that is outside the draft. In much the same way Premier League team might freely trade for a player from a lower division.

There are rumors that two Melbourne club's are borderline on going to the wall, to potentially be relocated to Tassie and NT.

One of the most radical proposals relates to the draw, they are talking about clustering fixtures so that when club's travel interstate they complete a host of games before returning to greatly reduce travel. To do this the AFL has to commit to decentralized / shared facilities. For example we go to Perth, stay there and play Freo and Wet Toast in consecutive rounds then return. Apparently this slashes the amount of overall travel.

I wonder how badly we are hurting given that Pokies, even if they eventually re-open, are now as palatable as toxic waste dumps?

Not sure i like the double-up games as an option. Unless you do that every year (which equates to WAY more travel) there would be years where you don't travel to a state at all. The whole thing is counter-productive to what the AFL has been trying to achieve - each team in each state, each year.

As for the changing of lists....
Something i've been pushing for a long time is more freedom with lists, just like the NFL.
A player gets injured, he goes onto a list - Another player comes on immediately.
A player has mental health issues, he goes onto another list - A player comes on immediately.
A player not performing up to standard, sack him - a replacement player comes on immediately, who you can sack 2 days later if you wish.
Have injuries to your entire ruck list, add 2 rucks. They come back, sack those 2 rucks.

Keep the same amount of list sizes that you do now, but don't have them fixed at ANY POINT in the season. That way you ALWAYS have cover for injuries, suspensions, illness, bad luck.

Of course, alternatively....
You bring back the reserves (for all) and extend the senior list sizes to cover both and allow your reserves to 'top up' as required.


As for which teams are left.
If you don't trim the fat now, you never will.
Saints? -> Tassie. = Southern Saints
Kangas? -> NT = Northern Kangaroos
Dogs -> WA = Western Bulldogs

That will leave us with....
2xQLD
2xNSW
2xSA
3xWA - AFL see a 3rd team in WA as a viable option
1xNT
1xTassie
7xVIC (6 melb + 1 geel)

That will leave the 'big 4' and Dees+Hawks. As the melbourne teams, which are clearly the most successful of all the melbourne teams. Keeping the majority of the history in tact.

I think thats a much more sustainable model.
In the future we can add another SA team, and wherever else the game is growing the most can get the 20th team. Fixturing then becomes a lot easier.