All Clubs Give The Green Light to 18 Teams
As the AFL launched the 2008 Season at Telstra Dome, the 16 AFL Club presidents unanimously gave the all clear on behalf of their clubs for the AFL to make the move and expand the competition to 18 teams by 2012, tying in nicely with the start of what will be the biggest TV Rights Deal in
the history of AFL Football. In fact they mentioned that the AFL may not be being aggresive enough in their endevours to expand, something that I am sure the NRL and A-League are not happy about. The thing to come out of the meeting between the presidents and the AFL was that in order for the game of AFL Football to be a national game their needs to be games played every weekend in both Sydney and Queensland. There is no work yet on how these clubs will build the playing lists, but the AFL have put forward some proposals that include draft pick and priority picks.
It must have been a pretty compelling case that the AFL put forward to the presidents because Jeff Kennett and Eddie McGuire, two of the heavy weights of the AFL Clubs certainly made their feelings heard when it was first announced that the AFL was set to expand the competition. The clubs agreed that 18 teams would be better than 17 so you would think that both teams will come in during the same year which means that there will be no bye for any team during the year.
Certainly a historic day for the game of AFL Football and exciting times for all those kids that a re dreaming of playing football at the highest level..
phot credit Campbell Imray
Would this not mean that the fixtures would be even more un fair with looked after teams like Collingwood etc not playing certain teams twice.
The best solution would be to get rid of a few clubs, not increase the number….
To me it seems like in the next 25 years we are headed towards the european way of football. Will the competion be expanded perhaps to 20,22 or 24 teams with a first and second division structure with promotion and demotion
Geographicaly are we too big for that and do we we have the population to support it.