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AFLX fixtures and rules

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Shaun Atley of North Melbourne (L) and Jack Billings of St.Kilda pose with AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan during the AFLX launch. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)

AFLX was a short-lived experiment by the AFL, allowing the game to be played under modified rules on rectangular fields.

The experiment proved very unpopular, especially after the second season saw numerous gimmicks – both aesthetically and in terms of the rules – added.

It was eventually scrapped in 2019. Here, you can refresh your memory with a list of which players played for which teams, as well what rules were employed for the experimental version of the game.

AFLX Squads

Deadly
Eddie Betts (c), Shaun Burgoyne (vc), Cam Ellis-Yolmen, Joel Hamling, Jarrod Harbrow, Brad Hill, Lewis Jetta, Tim Kelly, Steven May, Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti, Sam Powell-Pepper, Willie Rioli, Travis Varcoe, Chad Wingard.

Bolts
Patrick Dangerfield (c), Luke Hodge (vc), Jack Billings, Mark Blicavs, Andrew Gaff, Robbie Gray, Tom Hawkins, Andrew McGrath, Luke Parker, Daniel Rich, Steele Sidebottom, Jack Steele, Jaidyn Stephenson, Robbie Tarrant.

Flyers
Nat Fyfe (c), Marcus Bontempelli (vc), Aliir Aliir, Travis Boak, Jeremy Cameron, Stephen Coniglio, Isaac Heeney, Jack Higgins, Lachie Hunter, Michael Hurley, Josh P Kennedy, Rory Laird, Scott Pendlebury, Alex Rance.

Rampage
Jack Riewoldt (c), Patrick Cripps (vc), Luke Breust, Phil Davis, Zac Fisher, Shaun Higgins, Tom McDonald, Tim Membrey, Rory Sloane, Dylan Shiel, Isaac Smith, Lachie Whitfield, Easton Wood, Dayne Zorko.

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Team-by-team

Adelaide Crows – Eddie Betts, Cam Ellis-Yolmen, Rory Laird, Rory Sloane (4).
Brisbane Lions – Luke Hodge, Daniel Rich, Dayne Zorko (3).
Carlton Blues – Patrick Cripps, Zac Fisher (2).
Collingwood Magpies – Scott Pendlebury, Steele Sidebottom, Jaidyn Stephenson, Travis Varcoe (4).
Essendon Bombers – Michael Hurley, Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti, Andrew McGrath, Dylan Shiel (4).
Fremantle Dockers – Nat Fyfe, Joel Hamling, Brad Hill (3).
Geelong Cats – Mark Blicavs, Patrick Dangerfield, Tom Hawkins, Tim Kelly (4).
Gold Coast Suns – Jarrod Harbrow (1).
GWS Giants – Jeremy Cameron, Stephen Coniglio, Phil Davis, Lachie Whitfield (4).
Hawthorn Hawks – Luke Breust, Shaun Burgoyne, Isaac Smith, Chad Wingard (4).
Melbourne Demons – Steven May, Tom McDonald (2).
North Melbourne Kangaroos – Shaun Higgins, Robbie Tarrant (2).
Port Adelaide Power – Travis Boak, Robbie Gray, Sam Powell-Pepper (3).
Richmond Tigers – Jack Higgins, Alex Rance, Jack Riewoldt (3).
St Kilda Saints – Jack Billings, Tim Membrey, Jack Steele (3).
Sydney Swans – Aliir Aliir, Isaac Heeney, Luke Parker, Josh P Kennedy (4).
West Coast Eagles – Andrew Gaff, Lewis Jetta, Willie Rioli (3).
Western Bulldogs – Marcus Bontempelli, Lachie Hunter, Easton Wood (3).

Full draft results

Pick AFLX team Player AFL club
1 Deadly Brad Hill Fremantle Dockers
2 Bolts Tom Hawkins Geelong Cats
3 Flyers Scott Pendlebury Collingwood Magpies
4 Rampage Lachie Whitfield GWS Giants
5 Rampage Rory Sloane Adelaide Crows
6 Flyers Alex Rance Richmond Tigers
7 Bolts Steele Sidebottom Collingwood Magpies
8 Deadly Jarrod Harbrow Gold Coast Suns
9 Deadly Tim Kelly Geelong Cats
10 Bolts Mark Blicavs Geelong Cats
11 Flyers Jeremy Cameron GWS Giants
12 Rampage Phil Davis GWS Giants
13 Rampage Dayne Zorko Brisbane Lions
14 Flyers Isaac Heeney Sydney Swans
15 Bolts Robbie Gray Port Adelaide Power
16 Deadly Chad Wingard Hawthorn Hawks
17 Deadly Travis Varcoe Collingwood Magpies
18 Bolts Andrew Gaff West Coast Eagles
19 Flyers Stephen Coniglio GWS Giants
20 Rampage Isaac Smith Hawthorn Hawks
21 Rampage Luke Breust Hawthorn Hawks
22 Flyers Rory Laird Adelaide Crows
23 Bolts Luke Parker Sydney Swans
24 Deadly Steven May Melbourne Demons
25 Deadly Lewis Jetta West Coast Eagles
26 Bolts Jaidyn Stephenson Collingwood Magpies
27 Flyers Travis Boak Port Adelaide Power
28 Rampage Easton Wood Western Bulldogs
29 Rampage Tom McDonald Melbourne Demons
30 Flyers Lachie Hunter* Western Bulldogs
31 Bolts Andrew McGrath Essendon Bombers
32 Deadly Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti Essendon Bombers
33 Deadly Joel Hamling Fremantle Dockers
34 Bolts Jack Billings St Kilda Saints
35 Flyers Aliir Aliir Sydney Swans
36 Rampage Dylan Shiel* Essendon Bombers
37 Rampage Shaun Higgins North Melbourne Kangaroos
38 Flyers Michael Hurley Essendon Bombers
39 Bolts Daniel Rich* Brisbane Lions
40 Deadly Willie Rioli West Coast Eagles
41 Deadly Sam Powell-Pepper Port Adelaide Power
42 Bolts Robbie Tarrant North Melbourne Kangaroos
43 Flyers Josh P Kennedy Sydney Swans
44 Rampage Tim Membrey St Kilda Saints
45 Rampage Zac Fisher Carlton Blues
46 Flyers Jack Higgins Richmond Tigers
47 Bolts Jack Steele St Kilda Saints
48 Deadly Cam Ellis-Yolmen Adelaide Crows

*player acquired via steal card.

What was AFLX?
Think of what T20 is to cricket, what sevens is to rugby, what fast four is to tennis – that’s what AFLX is to AFL. In the AFL’s own words, AFLX is “an express form of the game”.

Essentially it was shorter, smaller version of Australian rules football, one that might be easier to scrounge together a few mates for, or not as much of a time commitment to sit down and watch.

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What are the rules?
The big change is that AFLX is played on a 110-metre rectangular field, rather than the traditional oval.

Gone are the traditional centre square and forward 50 arcs, instead replaced by two rectangular 15-metre ‘forward zones’ at each end of the ground, and a ten-metre ‘launch zone’ in the middle of the field. As such, what would be a 50-metre penalty was only be a 25-metre penalty in AFLX.

Despite the ‘X’ in AFLX supposedly representing the fact there are ten players on the field per side, each team was allowed just eight players on the field in 2019. They also had six on the bench – with no interchange limit. Matches were also divided into a pair of ten-minute halves with no time on.

In terms of how the game is played, the rules were designed to speed up and streamline movement of the ball in any way possible.

This included a last touch out of bounds free kick, no marks for backwards kicks (except in the 15-metre forward zone), a ten-second shot clock for set shots, and kick-ins from behind the goal line after any score – except a super goal.

In terms of scoring, a goal kick from inside the launch zone (or behind it) was counted as a ‘super goal’ worth ten points. Super goals were also awarded if a player marked a kick from the launch zone (or behind it) inside the forward zone and converted it, or if a player awarded a mark or free kick in the launch zone was awarded a 25-metre penalty and converted the set shot.

A rushed behind awarded a team one point – however, the opposing team also got a free set shot on goal from 15 metres out that was also worth ten points if converted.

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The biggest change for 2019’s AFLX tournament was the introduction of the now infamous ‘Gatorade game-changer’. Each team nominated a game-changer for the last five minutes of a match, with every point scored by that player during the five-minute period worth double.

Why on earth did it exist?
Good question. The simplest answer is that AFLX was seen by the AFL as a way to take the game international, as the rectangular ground and reduced numbers would make it easy to play in nations that don’t commonly have sporting ovals.

“AFLX has been created to provide us with the options to play a form of the game in places where oval grounds are limited and to showcase our game internationally at a point in the future,” said Andrew Dillon of the AFL.

When was it?
The 2019 edition of the AFLX eschewed traditional teams entirely, instead opting for a one-night round-robin tournament between four superhero-themed teams.

The Bolts, Rampage, Flyers and Deadly played shorter games of ten minutes per half all on Friday, February 22 at 6:30pm (AEDT).

Despite AFLX being designed for rectangular fields, 2019’s tournament will be played at Marvel Stadium.

AFLX 2019

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Friday 22 February – Marvel Stadium
Match Time (AEDT)
Bolts vs Rampage 7:10 PM
Bolts vs Deadly 7:37 PM
Deadly vs Flyers 8:04 PM
Rampage vs Flyers 8:31 PM
Rampage vs Deadly 8:58 PM
Bolts vs Flyers 9:25 PM
First-ranked team vs Second-ranked team 9:57 PM

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