17-6 fixture redraw concept under consideration following AFL conference with club CEO’s

Club chiefs sat down with new AFL boss Andrew Dillon to discuss a possible wildcard round and other radical fixture proposals including a change to the biggest game of the year.

AFL CEO fixture revamp art

Every side could play each other once before the ladder is divided into three groups for the last six rounds as part of a future fixture revamp being considered by the AFL and club chief executives.

Senior figures gathered for a two-day conference to discuss the key issues facing the game including increasing the soft cap, a mid-season trade period, Tasmania’s new team, AFLW and ways to revamp the fixture.

It included a left-field idea to move to a best-of-three grand final series which has support from interstate clubs, but the longshot proposal would be difficult to implement.

Officials present at the meeting on Wednesday said the 30-minute discussion on the fixture was designed to stimulate ideas to enhance and add value and fairness to the competition.

There were mixed views on the wildcard concept which would see the seventh-placed side take on 10th-placed team and eighth challenge ninth to secure a finals berth.

CEO-elect of the AFL Andrew Dillon put the concept of a wildcard weekend to clubs on Tuesday. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

But sources on Wednesday said there was potentially stronger support for an overhaul of the fixture to divide the ladder into three pools of six after each club had played each other once.

It means at round 18 the fixture would be redrawn so teams in the top-six would play each other, the middle-six teams would be grouped together, and the bottom-six would all lock horns.

But sources were at pains to say the concepts were only discussed broadly and that any changes to the AFL fixture could be three years away following significant input and development.

The fixture redraw has significant benefits as it would help create more even competition among the teams who are slated to play the other sides from the same bracket.

It would essentially replace the wildcard weekend concept and see teams in the top-six play for top-six spots and the middle-six vie for seventh and eighth-place.

Sources on Wednesday said it created a more equitable scenario across the fixture with heavy emphasis placed on the outcome of every team playing each other once.

There are concerns there current 24-round fixture is too heavily compromised by the teams each sides are drawn to play twice, including cellar-dwellers North Melbourne and West Coast.

However, the 17-6 redesign may also have to include a rivalry round where the local derbies and major rivalries are played for a second time, including the West Australian ‘Derby’ and South Australian ‘Showdown’.

West Coast’s struggles have caused concerns over the parity over the AFL fixture. (Photo by Will Russell/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

The league would potentially incorporate Gather Round as part of the first 17-match block.

Clubs remained uncertain about a mid-season trade period, pending the detail of the proposal.

Clubs questioned whether the mid-season trade period should be restricted to player-for-player moves, whether it should be capped to players under a certain salary, and how it affected salary caps.

In the meeting the league acknowledged there was a significant amount of work to be done on the mid-season trade period concept which may not be finalised for next season.

There are fears clubs down the bottom would trade-out key senior players, which would leave the bottom teams even weaker as the top sides powered ahead to the finals series.

The league reinstated its view the new Tasmanian team would not enter the league without a new stadium, while the clubs are committed to finding ways to heavily promote AFLW.

There are moves to increase the soft cap payments so clubs can spend more on their football department staff.

There is a push to increase the value of termination clauses for senior coaches, in particular, and create a marketing payment for senior coaches which could sit outside the soft cap.

Clubs are adamant soft cap spend must increase following revelations about coaches’ declining mental health and job satisfaction survey results.

Originally published as 17-6 fixture redraw concept under consideration following AFL conference with club CEO’s