The AFL season could be in for a massive shake-up in the future with the possible introduction of a secondary tournament to be run in-season, similar to the NBA, to help keep more fans engaged for longer throughout year, according to a report.
The Age is reporting that the idea is being ‘seriously considered’, after there was strong interest in the concept at the club CEO’s meeting on the Gold Coast last week, re-visiting what was first suggested 18 months ago.
As it is so early in the discussion stage, it is unclear whether the new competition will be run like English football’s FA Cup, where the Premier League is paused every 4-6 weeks, or whether the season will stop for a larger block for this tournament to be run in its entirety.
It would likely mean the number of rounds in the regular season would be reduced to playing each other once in addition to an additional rivalry round and Gather Round.
But some of the major drawcards for this idea, which has interested clubs and the AFL, are that it would award millions of dollars in prizemoney and could even offer the winning team a spot in the finals. In addition, it would ensure the terms of the AFL’s broadcast deal are met.
But CEO Andrew Dillon confirmed the idea but insisted it was only exploratory.
“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 five- to 10-year period, including continued discussions on developing a long-term sustainable competition structure, [and] including accounting for the introduction of Tasmania from 2028,” Dillon said.
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“A committee of club CEOs and AFL reps 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 all just ideas, with further exploratory work and discussions need to continue to be progressed with stakeholders across the industry.”
The revisiting of this proposal, which could potentially be introduced once Tasmania joins the competition as a 19th team in 2028, comes after criticism that the season has become too divided, with the top and bottom sides meaning too many lop-sided games.
The AFL has also considered adding games to the calendar, such as State of Origin, but only in an exhibition sense.
This new competition is set to be worked on by a subcommittee of CEOs, but it is believed that it has so far received wide-ranging support from the majority of clubs.