The AFL competition’s 22-round fixture structure and final eight system will continue at least for the next two years, through to the end of the 2013 season.
AFL clubs were advised today (June 1) that there would be no significant change to the structure of the premiership season for the time being.
The AFL’s Chief Operating Officer, Gillon McLachlan, said that the AFL Commission, at its meeting on the Gold Coast last Friday, had decided the season would remain at 22 matches per club, and to continue with the current McIntyre Final Eight, played over four weeks.
“The introduction of the new teams in the Gold Coast Suns and the GWS Giants, combined with the creation of a new match schedule for the broadcasting of games within the next five-year television contract, has introduced significant new complexity into the fixture process,” McLachlan said.
“It was therefore recommended there be no change to the existing 22-round home-and-away season.
“The AFL will have an increased focus on fixture optimisation, and will look closely at an on and off-field equalisation across all of the 18 clubs.”
McLachlan added that the AFL remained open to further looking at the fixture and finals system structure in the future.
The AFL, however, has confirmed a change to the structure of the pre-season NAB Cup series, as follows;
• Round one of the pre-season will follow the format introduced for 2011 with six groups of three teams to play two matches apiece at the one venue, across three shortened matches in a single day/evening.
• For Rounds two and three, all clubs will then play two full-scale matches and have their fixtures scheduled in October/November, enabling clubs to prepare their travel and training schedule, ensuring better promotion of all matches with fixtures published well in advance.
• For Round four, the two-best performed clubs over the four matches played in Rounds 1-3, on a wins and percentage basis, will compete in the NAB Cup Grand Final, while the other 16 clubs will all play matches at venues used in the home-and-away season.
McLachlan said all clubs heavily favoured the ability to plan as much of their pre-season preparation as possible, by knowing their matches well in advance, while the change would enable the AFL to program all clubs for both a regional and capital city-based game across the first three rounds of the NAB Cup, for promotional purposes.
