AFL Daily: AFLX tournament shelved, rolling footy news for Tuesday, August 5, 2019

There will be no silver balls and 'Zooper goals' in next year's pre-season after the controversial AFLX tournament was dumped from the February calendar. But the concept isn't entirely dead.

The AFL’s much-maligned AFLX concept is on life support after being scrapped from the 2020 pre-season campaign.

The league informed clubs today the format would be shelved at least for the next year, with no firm decision on when it might again be introduced.

The Rampage won this year’s four-team AFLX format at Marvel Stadium, with the league reporting strong support from children but a wave of negative feedback from football traditionalists.

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Its sparkly silver Sherrins and “Zooper goals” were roundly mocked by AFL fans despite a strong crowd at the event.

The league told the AFL’s 18 club chief executives at a two-day conference in Nagambie it wanted a decluttered pre-season.

The AFL scheduled a non-step series of press events and media announcements around its AFLX tournament this year that took away attention from the AFLW competition.

Next year four new teams will enter the fourth season of AFLW, with now AFLX tournament giving it clean air to promote the code.

Clubs would prefer to see AFLX in a post-season format that could include playing the abbreviated format during an overseas tour at the end of next year.

The league is unlikely to play International Rules this off-season, so must decide where both of those formats fit into the AFL schedule.

Northern-based clubs were expected to talk to AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan about a new cost of living allowance at the CEO’s conference.

The league will also discuss the new head of mental health and the league’s progress as it seeks to address an issue seen as the biggest in the game.

The league continues to review the pre-season format, which could still be abbreviated as the AFL attempts to lessen pre-season injuries.

It was concerned by the number of stars who suffered serious injuries on the eve of the 2019 season and wants its best players available in Round 1.

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Originally published as AFL Daily: AFLX tournament shelved, rolling footy news for Tuesday, August 5, 2019