An early look at possibilities for the 2016 fixture

[Tigerdog]

Assuming we beat North ;D and other results go as predicted in round 23 (and that the groupings are judged after the home and away season) the ladder will end up like this


Freo
W/C
Hawks
Swans
Richmond
Bulldogs

Adelaide
North
Port
GWS
C'wood
Geelong


Saints
Melb
Ess
G/C
Carl
Lions


The rules that will determine which clubs play each other twice:

– Sides ranked 1-6 on the ladder will have a minimum of two and a maximum of three double-meetings with other top six sides. They will have a minimum of one and a maximum of two double-meetings with sides ranked in the second bracket (7-12). They will have either no double meetings or a maximum of one double-meeting with a side ranked 13-18.

– Sides ranked 7-12 on the ladder will have a minimum of one and a maximum of two double-meetings with sides ranked in the top third bracket (1-6). They will have at least two but no more than three double-meetings with teams in the same bracket. They will have a minimum of one and a maximum of two double-meetings with sides ranked 13-18.

– Sides ranked in the bottom third (13-18) will have either no or a maximum of one double-meeting with a side ranked 1-6. They will have at least one but no more than two double-meetings with sides ranked 7-12. They will have a minimum of two and a maximum of three double-meetings with sides ranked in the same lower third bracket (13-18).



We play each team at least once = 17 games. There are 22 games a year so that leaves 5 games as double ups.
If we finish in the top 6 that then dictates that we have to play a minimum of 2 double ups and a max of 3 versus the following teams

Freo W/C Hawks Swans Bulldogs


The second group of six we would have to play a minimum of 1 double up and a maximum of 2 double ups against the following teams

Adelaide North Port GWS C/wood Geelong


The third group of six we have a minimum of 0 double ups and a maximum of 1


Saints Melb Ess G/C Carlton Lions

 

[Rosy]

Looks interesting doggy. Bookmarked to read at a future time when I haven't had a couple of wines. :-[

 

[Ice]

wont be a bad thing as Freo, Hawthorn and Sydney will be in decline

 

[JamesTiger82]

Are the groupings judged after round 23 though or is it after finals? Amid the doom and gloom after the 2013 elimination final I remember a few people saying (tongue in cheek) that at least it would give us a slightly easier fixture the next year...

 

[larabee]

Looks like it'll be a long time before we play pies, carlton and the druggies twice in the same season again

 

[Tigerdog]

Are the groupings judged after round 23 though or is it after finals? Amid the doom and gloom after the 2013 elimination final I remember a few people saying (tongue in cheek) that at least it would give us a slightly easier fixture the next year...

Not sure that is why I put this bit in

Assuming we beat North ;D and other results go as predicted in round 23 (and that the groupings are judged after the home and away season) the ladder will end up like this

 

[TheCan]

Don't care but I would be demanding the last 4 weeks must be on mcg no travel no other stadiums and don't care who we play just need to build form for the tilt on the flag

 

[tigers80]

Wouldn't the gestapo be wanting us to be playing our arch rivals twice to maximise $$$$$

 

[JamesTiger82]

Not sure that is why I put this bit in

Yeah I think it might be done after finals like the draft order...don't quote me on it though.

 

[caspar]

Surprising they fix these sorts of things in the name of fairness (and I think it does actually show an attempt at fair thinking) when the question of $$$$$$$ comes up as it will for us v the rest of the "big" 4.

Trap themselves with their own *smile* again (although I personally don't mind this strategy as an attempt to even up the draw.)

 

[YinnarTiger]

Are the groupings judged after round 23 though or is it after finals?

After finals. In 2013 although we finished 5th after H&A we officially finished 7th and were counted in the middle 6 for the 2014 fixture.

 

[Brodders17]

Surprising they fix these sorts of things in the name of fairness (and I think it does actually show an attempt at fair thinking) when the question of $$$$$$$ comes up as it will for us v the rest of the "big" 4.

Trap themselves with their own *smile* again (although I personally don't mind this strategy as an attempt to even up the draw.)

i actually think it is one of the worst things the AFL does. they deliberately give some teams easier fixtures than other. it does not make a more even competition, it means the ladder is less likely to reflect the true standings of teams.
i get that because of the 18team/22 round competition some teams will have easier and some will harder draws, but that should be by chance and not by design.

 

[caspar]

I s'pose chance draws are a thing of the past .

Ive also thought that the afl would love to find a way to fixture collingwood and say Carlton 15 times a season on Friday night, haw vs haw 18 times and Gold Coast vs gws 16 times, coz they're the sorts of games that get the afl / commentators rigid.

Given that chance draws are a thing of the past ("who wants to see collingwood wasted on interstate teams twice a year" think the afl), I prefer that the fixture is engineered to try to balance teams chances (albeit in a pretty small way really) over the course of a number of seasons.

Mind you, this system also gives the idea of tanking a bit of a spit polish too.

 

[Chimptastic]

i actually think it is one of the worst things the AFL does. they deliberately give some teams easier fixtures than other. it does not make a more even competition, it means the ladder is less likely to reflect the true standings of teams.
i get that because of the 18team/22 round competition some teams will have easier and some will harder draws, but that should be by chance and not by design.

IMO the AFL realise if the bottom teams play each other twice and the top teams play each other twice, then the overall effect is less difference in the number of wins between the bottom teams and the top teams. (Bottom teams win a couple more, top teams lose a couple more). This gives the appearance of an even competition, like you said, which is their goal. Therefore, broadcasters and betting agencies benefit. More $$$ made.

It's not about fairness, it's about $$$ and convincing people to believe it's about fairness.

 

[TigerMasochist]

IMO the AFL realise if the bottom teams play each other twice and the top teams play each other twice, then the overall effect is less difference in the number of wins between the bottom teams and the top teams. (Bottom teams win a couple more, top teams lose a couple more). This gives the appearance of an even competition, like you said, which is their goal. Therefore, broadcasters and betting agencies benefit. More $$$ made.

It's not about fairness, it's about $$$ and convincing people to believe it's about fairness.

BINGO. Nailed it in one Chimp.

 

[CarnTheTiges]

Isn't the entire fixture designed to fit in the ANZAC Day match between Essendon and Collingwood, and everything else just revolves around making sure that happens?

 

[percyms]

Yeah I think it might be done after finals like the draft order...don't quote me on it though.

Interesting as all the Derby's get played twice a year regardless of previous year laddr positions...

 

[YinnarTiger]

Interesting as all the Derby's get played twice a year regardless of previous year laddr positions...

There's nothing in the rules to prevent all the derbys being played twice.

eg Sydney (top 6 in 2014) play GWS (bottom 6) twice. They don't play any other team from the bottom 6 twice and GWS don't play any other top 6 team twice.

 

[Col.E.Kurtz]

After finals. In 2013 although we finished 5th after H&A we officially finished 7th and were counted in the middle 6 for the 2014 fixture.

That's right, it's one of the few benefits of playing badly in finals, we've stayed out of the top 6.