Port Adelaide and Crows to get similar AFL draw after finishing in same weighting group
PORT Adelaide and the Crows can expect similar draw in 2019 as they will be in the same “middle-six” group for the AFL fixture next season.
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PORT Adelaide and the Crows have the framework for their 2019 AFL fixture — and for the first time since the league draw has worked to a “weighted system”, both the Power and Adelaide will be in the same group.
This is the “middle six” section for teams ranking seventh to 12th — along with Sydney, Geelong, North Melbourne and Essendon.
This means, Port Adelaide and the Crows will have their five “double-up” games in next season’s fixture decided on this format:
ONE but no more than two return matches against top-six clubs: Richmond, West Coast, Collingwood, Hawthorn, Melbourne and Greater Western Sydney.
ONE but no more than two return games against the Swans, Cats, Kangaroos and Bombers. The Showdowns between the Crows and Power ensures that at least two of the five double-ups come from this middle-six category.
ONE and no more than two return matches against bottom-six clubs: Fremantle, the Western Bulldogs, St Kilda, Gold Coast, Brisbane and Carlton.
The split for the Crows and Power is most likely to have the five double-up games made up of three return matches — including the Showdowns — from the middle-six group and one each from the top-six and bottom-six sections.
This would appeal to the football departments at Alberton and West Lakes, particularly with double-up games against Sydney and Geelong — the teams that today seem most vulnerable to losing their top-eight rankings to the rebounding Crows.
Commercially, in particular for ticket sales to home games at Adelaide Oval, the SA-based AFL clubs would prefer two return games against the top-six clubs that include blockbuster Victorian drawcards Collingwood, Hawthorn and AFL premier Richmond. This second top-six game would have to come at the expense of playing just two rather than three middle-six rivals next season.
The fixture will take shape in the next week as the AFL deals with this “weight rule”, introduced at the end of 2015 with the splitting of the 18-team competition into three six-club groups. This is the first time since this format has been in place that both the Crows and Port Adelaide have been in the same group.
The fixture also will take into account the clubs’ special requests, contracts with venue operators and broadcaster needs.
AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan last week told The Advertiser the league was still favouring 22 predetermined games and a bye in the 23 weeks of the home-and-away season — rather than the “17-plus-five” model of having all 18 clubs play their 17 rivals once and then the last five games being played as round-robin matches with three groups decided on top-six, middle-six and bottom-six rankings.
There also will be a bye before the top-eight final series begins.
The fixture is expected to be released in late October.