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Chapter 1: What factors influence the AFL fixture and its luck component?
you know it's a bit of a throwaway line but i don't think it is sort of who you play so much as when you get them and there's a lot of luck involved in that and so the broader question and this is not for me to answer i don't spend too much time on this but it's interesting for the afl is is that the way they want it to be should should should the draw be so compromised that luck plays
such a big role, or should they try to manipulate it even more than they do? If you were to steel man the argument for the wildcard round, one of the few arguments that I can come up with to really support it is that the difference between finishing seventh and tenth may well just be a matter of the draw. And if that's the case, then that's a pretty good argument for giving ten a run at seven.
Chris Scott with his thoughts around, well, the cue would have been the double up games in round 13 that we embark upon this weekend. So Simo's not a biter there, but I know Sam Edmonds will be for Alex Scott and start to sell your livestock or sell your home. Hello, Sammy.
So one thing Simo hasn't grasped, and geez, he's taken to it like a duck to water our lawn of work, Gerard, but he's got to get his head around the fixture. A bit like the trade period. It's the two missing clubs in his bag. Yeah. I love that, though. This is not for me to answer. I don't spend much time talking about this. Is that code for actually the exact opposite?
Chapter 2: What are the arguments for introducing a wildcard round in the AFL?
I love the way he frames things, Chris.
I haven't heard that concept of the steel man argument. So instead of the straw man, the steel man, the strongest possible version of someone's argument.
Yeah. And the wild card that he mentioned there, this will be the most used word in football in the back portion of the years. It just becomes increasingly obvious to fans that this is something to aim for when otherwise Q would have been in the right. This is the genius.
Maximum dramatic effect.
The genius of the wildcard is precisely this, just no matter the sport. So I know, as you touched on there, we are kindred spirits when it comes to the fixture. Now, we take an interest in it, but why it is the way it is, and I don't pretend to understand a half of it, Gerard. In fact, in many respects, there's a reason behind the way things are set.
But often when you have things explained to you by those who know, it makes a lot of sense. And I actually think the league... could do a lot better and would actually be best served doing a lot better when it comes to explaining the fixture at times because they don't.
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Chapter 3: How do double-up fixtures affect team matchups this season?
The complexities behind it, the broadcast parameters and the desire to grow the game and find new audiences. I think if they actually came out and explained the way certain things were, then a lot of us would probably maybe not necessarily agree with it, but at least understand it. So...
Case in point, starts this weekend, the first of the double-up games in the middle of the five weeks of buys, eight weeks after we last had buys. So we've got teams doubling up against each other this weekend on three occasions when they haven't played five teams once. So Hawthorne are playing the Dogs eight weeks after they met in Gather Round.
Five teams are yet to play the Dogs, but the Hawks are reunited with them here. In fact, the Dogs, who missed finals last year, I might add, Gerard, have to play Hawthorne, Adelaide and Sydney. Three pretty good teams twice before they even play West Coast, Richmond or North Melbourne once. Gee, so that's what Chris is getting at there.
And Adelaide back already against the Cats and back again on a Thursday night. They played them on a Thursday night in round three. So complete and utter deja vu there between Adelaide and Geelong. Five teams are yet to play Geelong.
Chapter 4: What complexities exist behind the AFL fixture setup?
But here are the Crows getting them again inside 10 weeks. And then there's West Coast playing Port Adelaide again, again, 10 weeks after they last met. So three double ups before those teams have played a handful of teams even once.
If you wanted to do it properly, you could. It would be, of course, it's complicated. Everything about the fixture is complicated. If you made it a priority, you could. So the AFL deliberately doesn't make it a priority. They're totally unfazed by that.
So everyone would play each other once, and then you'd start to circle back on some teams.
So you'd still have all of your derbies and showdowns and queue clashes and all the fun that needs to be had and all the economics that needs to be met. You could do it if you wanted to, but they choose not to.
Yeah, do they choose not to, or is there another reason that we're not aware of, maybe a bit of both?
I just don't think it's a priority.
Yeah.
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Chapter 5: How does the AFL explain its fixture decisions to fans?
So it's a 24-round season. This year we are going down a different path with ā 22 and 23 floating. So they've extended the parameters of the floating fixture, if you like, which is a small change. Chris there mentions, can they manipulate it even more? Maybe in time there will be other chunks of it. They're down if they do, down if they don't, because that upsets the fan base too.
The fan base wants certainty in the fixture. They don't want it hanging in the breeze until five minutes out. Carlton could be pure cinema now, and they've just been removed from all prime time slots.
The irony of that is hilarious.
Which had to happen. They had to be taken away. Essendon as well. But then with Carlton turning around, and that game they played against Geelong, I think I was told is the second highest rating game of the season.
Chapter 6: What are the implications of the floating fixture in the AFL?
Yeah. So if they do get ahead of steam up, you're not going to be able to watch them on free-to-air.
And the pity of the fixture is that Fremantle and Sydney don't meet until round 18. Yeah.
I know. We're hanging out for that one, aren't we?
Yeah.
And Geelong and Fremantle, they meet again round 15. I think we're really looking forward to that one. But yeah, the fact that Sydney don't play them until round 18, a curiosity.
Chris Fagans just held his press conference. This is what he wants from his leaders.
Yeah, they're a very diligent group, our leadership group, and they may well have been trying to overdo the on-field organisation and helping out others, and that's sort of detracted a little bit from their own games.
I think what you want your leaders to do first and foremost is to play well, and their intentions were good, but I think a little bit more of a single focus on each person this week playing to their best is what we need, and the leadership will just handle itself.
Yeah, and Jarrod Barry said much the same earlier in the week as well.
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Chapter 7: How do recent performance trends affect fixture scheduling?
He said Eric Hipwood really close, maybe next week for a return, and replacing Kitty Coleman's keeping him up at night, Fag. So maybe Shadow Brain comes in there, given Dane Zorko might still be four, five, six weeks away. That probably went underestimated, just how big of a loss Dane Zorko is. So plenty to work with there. Josh Fraser, we'll bring an update on that later.
Jarrod, he's spoken a little while ago, and Dean Solomon up now. Big day of coaches' press conferences.
All right, you'll be across it.
Sammy, thank you. Cheers, Jake.