Now, well tomorrow actually, is the time to get it off your chest. My issue is the Fixture, specifically finals. My preference would be for a system similar to the AFL, where the top 4 get a second bite, rather than the current select your opponent. I appreciate it seems inevitable that this means 4 weeks of finals instead of the current 3. My thought was, can the FC start with 4 weeks of finals and then work backwards with the desirable aim of everyone playing each other at least once, as well as examining whether the bye rounds are actually split rounds and we could also play split rounds. A) Can it be done? B) Do people want to do it?
cant be done. I think playing each other once each is the main aim. Finals are secondary. One option is to have a top 4 over 3 weeks. 1v2 & 3v4 then loser of first match plays winner of second in week 2 (with winner of 1v2 having a week off) Then winner of that match plays winner of week 1 1v2 in granny. Although, I do prefer top 8. I'm not completely sold on selecting opponents though.
In the interest of canvassing all options, you could also consider a top 6 with 1 & 2 getting a bye in week 1 and straight through to a prelim. Then 3 v 6 and 4 v 5 in week 1. Obvious downside is two less teams in the finals though.
JC wrote: In the interest of canvassing all options, you could also consider a top 6 with 1 & 2 getting a bye in week 1 and straight through to a prelim. Then 3 v 6 in and 4 v 5 in week 1. Obvious downside is two less teams in the finals though. I like that
Okay, there's some good thoughts here. Particularly like ant's contribution of 'can't be done' and then telling us how it might be done. LOL. Since we are faced with split rounds masquerading as byes, let's also throw into the discussion of do we, or do we not, have rolling lockouts, which we trialled this season?
I like the idea of the final 8 ... but if it can't be done or we wish to change the structure of the finals a little then I'd be willing to give the Final 6 a go. Final 8 would be preferred outcome FWIW, but Top 6 could work. On rolling lockouts - I reckon the first round and split round are two where we should have this type of arrangement. I personally favour a rolling lockout every round, but can't support it because not everyone has the ability to be online before every game to make changes. It leaves things a little unfair in that regard. We should just stick with the normal lockout except for times where there is a split round.
I would like us to play through the first round (split) and the second bye period (also a split), but would prefer not to play through the 3 week bye period, it's possible to do so, but with a whole bunch of issues unless we scrapped or significantly altered that periods trading and drafting. I am in favour of a 6 man finals series, for exactly the reasons Terry has given as aims, it allows for natural fairness in the finals series and we still all play each other once.
yeah, we've used that final 6 system in the TS fantasy NBA for the last 3 seasons and it works really well. There's no double chance though, and a week off for top 2 may be a bit too much of a reward for them. Its probably better than the top 4 option though. and we cant do a 4 week finals series under the proposed AFL fixture, without playing in the 3 week bye rounds/ or not playing each other at least once during the season.
anthak wrote: yeah, we've used that final 6 system in the TS fantasy NBA for the last 3 seasons and it works really well. There's no double chance though, and a week off for top 2 may be a bit too much of a reward for them. Its probably better than the top 4 option though. and we cant do a 4 week finals series under the proposed AFL fixture, without playing in the 3 week bye rounds/ or not playing each other at least once during the season. Reckon playing over the three bye rounds would be nightmarish. If we can avoid it, we definitely should. I can't even think about how we'd play over the three round bye period ... I'm sure there is a way but it just strikes me as something more easily avoided.
Raptor wrote: I'd rather a top 8 and everyone misses out on playing someone once. And do you want second chance for top 4 with that?
Everyone playing each other once is my vote. It is the thing that is the most annoying about the 'real' football. We don't have to deal with that in fantasyland (hopefully).Don't really care about if it is final 8 or final 6 too much, recognising of course that if everyone plays each other once then we will have 3 weeks of finals.I like the concept of the higher ranked team choosing opponents if we stick with the final 8. Makes things interesting (even though I hated actually making the choice because I overthink things).Don't have a problem with the final 6 though. In all honesty, wouldn't mind them reverting back to it for the real stuff so clubs like Carlton can't sneak through finals and make me care about them.
Some very appealing ideas being put up here - thanks (from a member of the current FIXture committee) for the input. I can imagine a concept where we take the best one or two scores for each player from the two rounds played during the multiple bye rounds. Bit of a nightmare to score, but not impossible. Assuming there are straight choices I think I would rather do that than not play a full round robin series. I am not sure it would stuff up the mid season trading period to be playing a series of games in parallel.
Top 6 for me... dare I say it (and this is tongue in cheek) what about a top 5 for some real nostalgia!
Thanks Banditto, are you saying you would trade off a less than full round robin series for a top 6 finals series?
sorry Chels, was distracted by a delightful horseradish encrusted eye fillet, and only answered half the question in my haste to pick up the cutlery I put above all else the requirement to play every team once per season...
I can't see how a top 6 is a good thing in an 18 team competition. A top 4 team deserves an extra advantage, and opponent picking isn't a good enough one for mine. But I would rather keep top 8 and do the opponent picking than go to 6.
Cannot fault your priorities amigo, I hope the chosen wine complemented the eye fillet to a 'T' as it were. I agree that ensuring we play a full round robin should be the number one priority of the FIXture committee. That then determines how many weeks we have to play finals; agreed that we should have some form of rolling lockout in the two split rounds (rounds 1 and 18 / 19 from memory). It worries me that some members think we can have a full round robin and an eight team play-off series and take time to have an overseas trip within the confines of the AFL calendar. Earlier this year the ever resourceful Fitzy suggested playing two games in the same week to try to accommodate the conflicting demands of members within a cramped calendar.