Jul 30, 2020
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Let my man Fry Guy have some peace and quiet
10 year 10 point plan to save AFL
With fans disenchanted with the game they love, its time for a radical plan to overhaul a system that is flawed and failing to meet expectations with fans nationwide.
1. 10 teams in Victoria is too many. With sponsorship and member dollars dwindling, the AFL can no longer financially support the same teams every year. 4 teams are facing the chopping block with Melbourne being the obvious first choice. Carlton, Essendon and St Kilda make up the 4 clubs that need to be removed and recreated in the VFL to ensure the AFL competition is both fair and viable into the future.
A mini draft would be held to fairly distribute players to other clubs. The order would be a randomly created draw which would follow in order in subsequent rounds until all clubs call time on their choices. The drafted players would still have the length of their contract in tact but would have to renegotiate the details of their salary.
2. A fairer draw means a 26 round ‘Home and Away’ season. Each club would be entitled to 2 Thursday, Friday and Saturday night matches. Good Friday would be scheduled for the Grand Final replay from the previous season. Public holiday football no longer to be an MCG affair only and be spread across the other states evenly.
One game to be played on Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. 2 on Saturday afternoon and 2 on Sunday afternoon.
The finals would be contested by the top 6 teams.
3. The salary cap to be increased to 15 million dollars to cover coaches, assistants and all support staff. The equalization rule would be scrapped.
Individual player salaries to be capped at $800,000. Third party agreements to be allowed to increase a players earning potential. All receipts of other income to be forwarded to the AFL to ensure legal and fair process be followed.
Squad numbers to be increased to 50 to accommodate the influx of new players from the axed clubs.
Squads would be made up of -
38 players on the main list.
5 rookies (Able to be upgraded at any time with short term injuries to players)
5 reserved top up players (To be upgraded only with long term injuries on the main list)
2 project players (Not able to play senior football unless upgraded at the rookie draft)
* Rookies and project players would have access to state academies if required.
4. Rule changes - The sub rule to be abolished and the interchange capped at 30 per match. Experts suggest soft tissue injuries may rise but that is pure speculation. Fitness would become a more desirable quality. Tired Players would be rotated through the forward line.
The blood rule and the concussion rule would not affect the interchange cap.
The last player to touch the ball before it goes out of bounds turns it over to the opposition. Ball-ins are only required when there is no clear decision or if the ball is touched from more than 5 metres away. The lack of stoppages means less ruck infringements and less congestion.
Both these changes would ensure higher scoring matches.
The 3rd man up in the ruck would be banned with only 1 player from each team to contest the ruck.
5. Father/son selections to be taken with the clubs first round draft pick. Any subsequent father/son selections to be taken with the next available pick.
Each state to set up a football academy. Each club gets 2 pre-draft choices and those players are graded as ‘rookie or project selections’.
6. Bring back State of Origin football. SA Vs VIC. The fans want it and the players want it. No more excuses. More than a century of tradition to be reinstated during a mid season break.
7. Remove all gambling sponsorship. The hypocrisy must be stamped out. Sport science regulation must be enacted. A panel to oversee what clubs can administer to players and can respond to club inquiries.
ALL footballers must have a genetic passport from the age of 14. Blood and urine tests to be carried out every 6 months until the age of 17, then as seen fit by the drug testing agencies. The 3 strike drug policy reduced to 1 warning.
8. The match review panel to be increased and strengthened. Umpires to be more accessible to the media. After match interviews would benefit everyone. Review systems at each ground to be the same to avoid conflict. Experts to be appointed as official reviewers.
9. Commentators who are employed at football clubs represent a conflict of interest. Having someone commentate on a team they represent at board level is undesirable. Left wing agendas should be avoided and political and social issues abandoned. Sport needs to be free of these issues.
10. Play the Grand Final at night. It gives broadcasters maximum exposure and makes it a better spectacle.
These changes will divide the football community but will ensure the competition remains viable and healthy. With the threat of other sports taking a greater share of the market this is surely the way to go into future.