Richmondtragic

Roar Rookie

Joined February 2020

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At the start of this article I was somewhat sceptical but intrigued by some of the proposals you made. The idea of a 34 game season was an exciting concept and an 8 man bench was also something I could easily see happening. There was quite a bit to like, considering of course that these were, for the most part, just plans for 2021 and a league desperately in need of revival.

I all but stopped however reading after I heard the ludicrous suggestions of 9 point goals and balls coming back into play after hitting the post. I’m aware that the league will need money in order to revitalise, but destroying the integrity of the game isn’t the way to do it.

The concept of promotion and relegation is also another baffling suggestion as I don’t think you realise the difference between the AFL and the English Premier League. The AFL actually owns all the clubs and so wants to see them all thrive and do well. The Premier League is merely a league in which all the privately owned english football clubs have agreed to compete in (that’s the general gist of it I think). A system of promotion and relegation simply wouldn’t work for the AFL.

The idea of short term contracts is also a dangerous suggestion as it would make success stories like Damien Hardwick, a coach who has built an incredibly powerful team over a period of 10 years and only tasting success 7 years into his job, impossible.
It would also leave players constantly fighting to renew contracts and maintain job security, which might result in better games, but would also make the industry as a whole painfully stressful.

This is a pretty mixed bag, some ideas are gems, some not so much. The AFL could do well to incorporate some of these ideas, but I think it would do better to ignore some of them entirely.

What should the AFL look like in 2021 and beyond?

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AFL

2020