JUST DECLARE THE 2020 SEASON CANCELLED!!

[Enrico_Misso]

Time for some realism.

No Premiership in 2020.

If events do allow some sort of resumption later in the year it should be a series of exhibition matches including at major regional centres.

You could call it the 2020 pre-season cup.
The games should be played with 15 or 16 a side, shortened quarters and extended benches to provide an entertaining spectacle that won't overtax non matchfit players.

The prime aim would be to lift morale, raise some revenue, and reposition the game to make a triumphant return in 2021.

[samuraisaint]

Schools in Victoria closed until July (at least).

Country in lockdown for 6 months (at least).

It's over.

Just play a lightning premiership later in the year- it's probable that some teams from some states may not even be able to compete unless state border closures are lifted anyway.

[Trev from the Bush]

Zombies have been licking my lounge room window and I have my cricket bat in hand ready to smash their skills in!

Should there be a warning that watching too many repeats of Shaun of the Dead during the WhuFlu lockdown?

Anyway, I agree. 2020 season will amount to nothing and account for nothing.

[BackFromUSA]

Season could start July 31st and get 16 more rounds in before 4 weeks of finals with a Grand Final on 12 December.

Push it back a week to a December 19 Grand Final at Marvel Stadium and can start on August 6th or 7th.

OR even limit it to a 12 game season (11 to play pre finals) and the season can start as late as September 10 or 11.

And that is without adding extra playing days which makes fixturing and recovery time hard to manage but its not impossible.

AND IN DRASTIC CIRCUMSTANCES

16 rounds CAN be completed in 8 weeks! That would mean an October 1 start date and a December 19 Grand Final at Marval.

2 games on a Monday (one on 7 or 7mate and both on foxtel platforms)
2 games on a Tuesday (one on 7 or 7mate and both on foxtel platforms)
2 games on a Wednesday (one on 7 or 7mate and both on foxtel platforms)
2 games on a Thursday (one on 7 or 7mate and both on foxtel platforms)
2 games on a Friday (one on 7 or 7mate and both on foxtel platforms)
3 games on a Saturday (one on 7 or 7mate and others on foxtel platforms)
3 games on a Sunday (one on 7 or 7mate and others foxtel platforms)

16 games (2 rounds) per week.

Games would become even shorter - probably 10 or 12 minutes plus time on per quarter.
Interchange bench numbers might increase to 6 but still keep rotation limits on and maybe even reduce them as an experiment.

If you play on the Monday then you play one of the teams that played on the Tuesday on the Friday or one the teams that played on the Sunday on the Thursday.

Teams only get 3 or 4 day breaks. But players will be playing 60 -70 minute games vs 120 minute games.

Radical but possible - NOT IDEAL.

HOWEVER:

My bet is a July 31 start in empty stadiums here and interstate.

Crowds back by October.

Final series as normal over 4 weeks.

Grand Final 19 December at Marvel.

TV gets 128 H&A games versus 176 however TV audience would be up 30-50% when stadiums are closed so it would even out for the networks in terms of total H&A viewer numbers / ad value.

[Enrico_Misso]

... and to make it more free-flowing we could ban tackling, introduce an offside rule, when there is a turnover the game could be paused while the specialist defensive and attacking units change through the dugout, and all free kicks in the forward half lead to two shots at goal by the pinch kicker for 3 points from the designated free kick line.

[Secret Kiel]

Don't tell me Enrico you've found a way to get your membership refunded. Is the legal loophole cancellation?

[BackFromUSA]

... and to make it more free-flowing we could ban tackling, introduce an offside rule, when there is a turnover the game could be paused while the specialist defensive and attacking units change through the dugout, and all free kicks in the forward half lead to two shots at goal by the pinch kicker for 3 points from the designated free kick line.

My post reduces rounds and game time but saves the TV revenue for 2020 and keeps the AFL and Clubs in minimal and manageable loss scenarios.

Your post changes the fundementals of the game.

Not sure that I agree.

[Enrico_Misso]

... and to make it more free-flowing we could ban tackling, introduce an offside rule, when there is a turnover the game could be paused while the specialist defensive and attacking units change through the dugout, and all free kicks in the forward half lead to two shots at goal by the pinch kicker for 3 points from the designated free kick line.

My post reduces rounds and game time but saves the TV revenue for 2020 and keeps the AFL and Clubs in minimal and manageable loss scenarios.

Your post changes the fundementals of the game.

Not sure that I agree.

My point(with a dose of sarcasm) is that 10 min quarters/6 on the bench also changes the game entirely.

Quite happy to play exhibition matches/lightening premiership under those rules.
But let's not call it AFL and degrade our game by awarding a premiership with those Mickey Mouse set of rules!

[Enrico_Misso]

Don't tell me Enrico you've found a way to get your membership refunded. Is the legal loophole cancellation?

Have not asked for a refund of my gameday StK membership.
But good to hear Finnis saying that members experiencing financial hardship should ring the club and they will come to an arrangement.

However I will be very very disappointed if my player sponsorship package isn't "sweetened" for 2021 if all we have to show for our 2020 outlay is that one brief (and fairly ordinary) function back in February!

Am also keeping an eye on the MCC who are talking about some sort of membership refund when the situation becomes clearer, though that is a bit different as there isn't the same emotional attachment as with the Saints.

[Secret Kiel]

Don't tell me Enrico you've found a way to get your membership refunded. Is the legal loophole cancellation?

Have not asked for a refund of my gameday StK membership.
But good to hear Finnis saying that members experiencing financial hardship should ring the club and they will come to an arrangement.

However I will be very very disappointed if my player sponsorship package isn't "sweetened" for 2021 if all we have to show for our 2020 outlay is that one brief (and fairly ordinary) function back in February!

Am also keeping an eye on the MCC who are talking about some sort of membership refund when the situation becomes clearer, though that is a bit different as there isn't the same emotional attachment as with the Saints.

Anyone that requires a refund because they are experiencing hardship needs to rethink thier lifestyle because clearly they weren't living within thier means and I think Finnis and the club and all of the other clubs and AFL would thiink the same. However they are probably jusy saying they are willing to give a refund as a PR exercise.

And I also think the AFL and clubs need to be responsibile on the other side of this crisis and not offer memberships that can be purchased with credit, especially memberships for babies and pets and other outrageous ways of sucking money out of people's pockets with credit cards.

And anyone from the MCC requiring a refund should be subjected to a full financial and tax audit and made to justify why they should be allowed to keep their memberships.

[kosifantutti]

Anyone that requires a refund because they are experiencing hardship needs to rethink thier lifestyle because clearly they weren't living within thier means and I think Finnis and the club and all of the other clubs and AFL would thiink the same. However they are probably jusy saying they are willing to give a refund as a PR exercise.

.

Lots of people have had a change in circumstances since the crisis started.

[BackFromUSA]

... and to make it more free-flowing we could ban tackling, introduce an offside rule, when there is a turnover the game could be paused while the specialist defensive and attacking units change through the dugout, and all free kicks in the forward half lead to two shots at goal by the pinch kicker for 3 points from the designated free kick line.

My post reduces rounds and game time but saves the TV revenue for 2020 and keeps the AFL and Clubs in minimal and manageable loss scenarios.

Your post changes the fundementals of the game.

Not sure that I agree.

My point(with a dose of sarcasm) is that 10 min quarters/6 on the bench also changes the game entirely.

Quite happy to play exhibition matches/lightening premiership under those rules.
But let's not call it AFL and degrade our game by awarding a premiership with those Mickey Mouse set of rules!

So if the season continues with 4 on the bench and 15 minute (plus time on) quarters as per round 1, then you have no objection to the rest of it?

Why not just say that?

[saintspremiers]

I have an issue with a legitimate AFL Grand Final being played at Marvel not the MCG.

MCG is contracted for all Grand Finals until about 2040ish - I know this year is very different, but I’d be wanting the MCC to either have an allocation at Marvel or give us MCC members some compensation.

Easiest way is to have Marvel half MCC and half AFL members, the remaining 10,000 corporates and be done with it.

[Secret Kiel]

Anyone that requires a refund because they are experiencing hardship needs to rethink thier lifestyle because clearly they weren't living within thier means and I think Finnis and the club and all of the other clubs and AFL would thiink the same. However they are probably jusy saying they are willing to give a refund as a PR exercise.

.

Lots of people have had a change in circumstances since the crisis started.

Which should be the catalyst for people to rethink thier spending habbits. If you are already asking for your money back, which is possibly in market value for those that are asking, the cost of some beer and smokes for a week. Any possible refund is not really going to sustain your life for very long and is a very small amount agianst the backdrop of significant welfare payments being doled out.

[Enrico_Misso]

... and to make it more free-flowing we could ban tackling, introduce an offside rule, when there is a turnover the game could be paused while the specialist defensive and attacking units change through the dugout, and all free kicks in the forward half lead to two shots at goal by the pinch kicker for 3 points from the designated free kick line.

My post reduces rounds and game time but saves the TV revenue for 2020 and keeps the AFL and Clubs in minimal and manageable loss scenarios.

Your post changes the fundementals of the game.

Not sure that I agree.

My point(with a dose of sarcasm) is that 10 min quarters/6 on the bench also changes the game entirely.

Quite happy to play exhibition matches/lightening premiership under those rules.
But let's not call it AFL and degrade our game by awarding a premiership with those Mickey Mouse set of rules!
(But I remain skeptical any season will happen this year unless we turn AFL into a summer sport.
Hence my initial point that if, as likely, we can't get something happening by July we should just abandon having a Premiership this year and just play exhibition games).

So if the season continues with 4 on the bench and 15 minute (plus time on) quarters as per round 1, then you have no objection to the rest of it?

Why not just say that?

Mmmmmm.
Not quite sure where the borderline is between "acceptable compromise" and "Mickey Mouse rubbish" is.

Possibly happy for a shortened H&A season with 15 min quarters, but for the finals to be "legitimate" they MUST be played under normal rules.

[Enrico_Misso]

... but if, as likely, we can't get a H&A comp running by July then we shouldn't have a "compromised" Premiership in 2020.
Just, if possible, play some exhibition games to whet appetites for a 2021 return.

[The Fireman]

I wanted it cancelled final siren 1st game.

[samuraisaint]

... and to make it more free-flowing we could ban tackling, introduce an offside rule, when there is a turnover the game could be paused while the specialist defensive and attacking units change through the dugout, and all free kicks in the forward half lead to two shots at goal by the pinch kicker for 3 points from the designated free kick line.

My post reduces rounds and game time but saves the TV revenue for 2020 and keeps the AFL and Clubs in minimal and manageable loss scenarios.

Your post changes the fundementals of the game.

Not sure that I agree.

My point(with a dose of sarcasm) is that 10 min quarters/6 on the bench also changes the game entirely.

Quite happy to play exhibition matches/lightening premiership under those rules.
But let's not call it AFL and degrade our game by awarding a premiership with those Mickey Mouse set of rules!
(But I remain skeptical any season will happen this year unless we turn AFL into a summer sport.
Hence my initial point that if, as likely, we can't get something happening by July we should just abandon having a Premiership this year and just play exhibition games).

So if the season continues with 4 on the bench and 15 minute (plus time on) quarters as per round 1, then you have no objection to the rest of it?

Why not just say that?

Mmmmmm.
Not quite sure where the borderline is between "acceptable compromise" and "Mickey Mouse rubbish" is.

Possibly happy for a shortened H&A season with 15 min quarters, but for the finals to be "legitimate" they MUST be played under normal rules.

Lightning Premiership for the McClelland Cup/Trophy. No AFL Premiership this year - some states won't even come out of lockdown until after September either so the AFL could be playing with only 11 teams or something like that.

[Secret Kiel]

The season is over and membership money must not be given back.

The AFL has not only racked up $600 million in debt in the form of loans from banks, it also has its hand out for 100s of millions more from taxpayers. And the Docklands is put up as collateral.

And for the privillage; all but a handful of clubs have signed over control to the AFL.

Is anyone curious as to why some clubs didn't want to open thier books up to the AFL, what are they hiding.

Bloody hell folks, wake up. The predatory speed at which the vultures moved in is frightening.

Does anyone actually really understand what the long term implications are. Has anyone been asked to vote on any of these changes? I thought we were a membership based organisation.

Rather than ask for your money back ask questions.

[remboy]

In WWI there was a season when only 4 teams played and the winner got a premiership. Pretty sure everyone is happy to include that in the records.

[samuraisaint]

In WWI there was a season when only 4 teams played and the winner got a premiership. Pretty sure everyone is happy to include that in the records.

Not me - the wooden spooner won the premiership in 1916 that way - Fitzroy were the unworthy recipients.

And in a fit of abject irony in 1913 St KIlda beat them fair and square by almost five goals in the grand final - but because Fitzroy finished on top after the H&A season they had the right to challenge us to another game (which we narrowly lost.)

Two joke flags to Fitzroy right there. A bit different to what we had to cop in '65, 97, and 009 wasn't it?

[remboy]

In WWI there was a season when only 4 teams played and the winner got a premiership. Pretty sure everyone is happy to include that in the records.

Not me - the wooden spooner won the premiership in 1916 that way - Fitzroy were the unworthy recipients.

And in a fit of abject irony in 1913 St KIlda beat them fair and square by almost five goals in the grand final - but because Fitzroy finished on top after the H&A season they had the right to challenge us to another game (which we narrowly lost.)

Two joke flags to Fitzroy right there. A bit different to what we had to cop in '65, 97, and 009 wasn't it?

Maybe but they’ve got the flags and we dont.

[samuraisaint]

In WWI there was a season when only 4 teams played and the winner got a premiership. Pretty sure everyone is happy to include that in the records.

Not me - the wooden spooner won the premiership in 1916 that way - Fitzroy were the unworthy recipients.

And in a fit of abject irony in 1913 St KIlda beat them fair and square by almost five goals in the grand final - but because Fitzroy finished on top after the H&A season they had the right to challenge us to another game (which we narrowly lost.)

Two joke flags to Fitzroy right there. A bit different to what we had to cop in '65, 97, and 009 wasn't it?

Maybe but they’ve got the flags and we dont.

Maybe, but the rules keep changing, don't they?
Be interesting to see what happens if the state borders stay closed - 8 clubs won't be able to compete at all this year.
Might be another VFL Grand Final!

[Enrico_Misso]

In WWI there was a season when only 4 teams played and the winner got a premiership. Pretty sure everyone is happy to include that in the records.

Not me - the wooden spooner won the premiership in 1916 that way - Fitzroy were the unworthy recipients.

And in a fit of abject irony in 1913 St KIlda beat them fair and square by almost five goals in the grand final - but because Fitzroy finished on top after the H&A season they had the right to challenge us to another game (which we narrowly lost.)

Two joke flags to Fitzroy right there. A bit different to what we had to cop in '65, 97, and 009 wasn't it?

Most people who understand the history are NOT happy to include that 1914 premiership.

Firstly the clubs were asked to voluntarily disband during WW1 as a gesture of solidarity with the war effort.
8 complied but 4 didn't despite a backlash at the time.
[Aside to bring up my annual ANZAC day rant - how ironic is it that one of those 4 clubs that defied the calls was the mighty Collingwood who now rebrand themselves as the great supporter of ANZAC day and the spirit of the diggers - WHAT A PACK OF FILTHY HYPOCRITES!!!!!].

Secondly, the 4 teams had a hotch potch of players, basically whoever they could get, and plenty of players turned up to a training session and were then given a game.
So there was a total lack of continuity in playing personnel.
Hence the games were basically exhibition games and the standard was perceived to be poor.

Hence it IS quite valid to argue that no premiership should have been awarded in 1914.

[bigred]

Cannot be a premiership this year.

AFL desperate to get some TV going for the money, but come on.

Will have a great big asterix next to it.