The AFL needs flexibility for round 22 fixture

 

Columnist

By Michael DiFabrizio, 8 Aug 2009 Michael DiFabrizio is a Roar Expert

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 AFL, Collingwood Magpies, Western Bulldogs

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Brady Rawlings of North Melbourne gathers the ball ahead of Dane Swan of Collingwood during the AFL Round 06 match between the North Melbourne Kangaroos and the Collingwood Magpies at the Docklands Stadium. Slattery Images

The Sunday of round 22 has traditionally been a fixture-maker’s nightmare. The first week of the finals lay a week around the corner, and a way to ensure the minor premier plays on the Sunday of that weekend, and all other teams enjoy no worse than a six-day break, must be found.

Then, on top of that, there are the broadcasters to consider. It’s in nobody’s best interests to have a dud Friday night game to kick off September.

Since last year, the AFL has only scheduled two games on the last day of the season, instead of the usual three. Whilst that move was certainly made with good intentions, the league hasn’t managed to escape the final round headache in 2009.

Collingwood host the Western Bulldogs in a twilight fixture this year, with both sides already set for finals action. St Kilda, near-certainties for the minor premiership, also plays on that day.

The potential scenarios have caused quite a bit of kerfuffle. The coaches of both Collingwood and the Bulldogs have come out in favour of moving their game. The AFL have seriously explored the idea.

Unfortunately, there appears to be too much difficulty in reshuffling fixtures in this day and age – just look at attempts to switch the venue of this year’s St Kilda-Geelong clash – so don’t expect it to happen in round 22.

However, the AFL won’t be happy if neither the Pies nor Dogs finish fourth, and thus do not line up against St Kilda in their first final. That would likely mean all three finalists playing on the last day of the season would be playing in separate games.

As Rodney Eade said this week, “you wouldn’t be able to play a final on a five-day break.”

To ensure such a scenario doesn’t eventuate, the Friday night game – Channel Seven’s primetime game – would then have to be the only game not involving the three teams playing on the Sunday of round 22.

It’s an undesirable situation, and the AFL should look at solutions for future seasons.

The NRL’s system of “flexible” scheduling – where dates and times are allocated several weeks in advance – has been largely dismissed by the AFL, and rightly so. Stakeholders and fans benefit from the certainty offered by having dates locked in.

But given the situation that arises with the last week of the home-and-away season, flexibility is a trait the league would love to have at its disposal just for round 22.

If you were to adopt an NRL-like system solely for that round – still locking in the venues and clubs, just not dates and times – you could schedule that final round according to the likeliness of sides making the finals as they near closer.

It would ensure not only flexibility to put final round blockbusters in primetime, but to have more options available for the first week of the finals.

It would take a weight off the club’s shoulders and the broadcasters would love it, too.

Follow Michael on twitter @mdifabrizio

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