There’s been talk of the AFL adopting US-sport inspired concepts like a wildcard round and conferences.
And now the AFL is considering introducing an NBA Cup-like secondary tournament to run in season as part of a focus around “creating more content and marquee moments” across the fixture.
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As first reported by The Age, the idea was discussed at least week’s meeting between all 19 clubs’ chief executives on the Gold Coast as the league’s bigwigs got together to discus the future of the game.
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The proposal would see the in-season tournament potentially introduced when Tasmania is slated to enter the AFL in 2028. It could result in $5 million in prize money to the winning team and potentially even a guaranteed spot in the finals.
It’d result in significant changes to the regular fixture and reduce the number of rounds, with teams to only play each other once plus rivalry round and Gather Round. The in-season tournament would then make up for the leftover games to marry up with the current setup.
The AFL is considering introducing an NBA Cup-like in-season tournament as part of a focus around “creating more content and marquee moments” across the fixture.
The AFL is considering introducing an NBA Cup-like in-season tournament as part of a focus around “creating more content and marquee moments” across the fixture.Source: FOX SPORTS
While games in the NBA’s in-season tournament count towards the regular season, the AFL’s concept would be completely separate to the home and away campaign, with two options for when games would be played.
They’d either run simultaneously with the premiership season, with matches to be played every four to six weeks. Or the season could be paused for around a month in the middle of the campaign to open up a slot.
It’s believed the concept has received support from the majority of clubs and is being looked into by a subcommittee of CEOs.
One idea floated among club CEOs was the potential for the teams to recruit state league players or recently retired champions like Dustin Martin and Lance Franklin.
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AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon confirmed the concept was under consideration.
“We had a really productive couple of days with all 19 club CEOs and the AFL executive on how we as an industry prepare for the next 5-10 year period, including continued discussions on developing a long-term sustainable competition structure, including accounting for the introduction of Tasmania from 2028,” he said in a statement.
“A committee of club CEOs and AFL representatives have been working through ideas, with a focus on creating more content and marquee moments across a season that are appealing for fans, players and clubs.
“At this stage they are just all ideas, with further exploratory work and discussions need to continue to be progressed with stakeholders across the industry.”
The NBA Cup was first introduced in 2023, with a focus on creating more excitement in season and all fan bases more engaged for longer.