Carlton Supporters Club

The format of the AFL Women’s competition will be reshaped in 2019, as the AFL announced it will introduce a new conference system.

With Geelong and North Melbourne set to join the league next year, the expanded 10-team competition will play two conferences of five teams. Teams will play four conference games and three cross-over games.

Carlton will find out who will be in its conference when the fixture is released in October.

The two top teams in each conference will contest preliminary finals on the weekend of March 23 ­– 24. Teams that finish first in each conference will host.

The NAB AFLW Grand Final will be played between the two preliminary-final-winning teams, with the Grand Final host determined by team with greatest number of wins in the home and away season and percentage, if needed.

At Lods
Agree. Our game is unique to Australia, just leave it the fark alone. Why do we have to follow those rubbish American systems. I personally find their sports (baseball, gridiron, Nascar, Indycar etc) absolute tripe.

No offence Kruddler because I know you're a big fan of the American systems for their major sports.

I just have a feeling there may start to be some backlash to the 'Americanisation' of our game.

Draft, Free Agency....now conferencing.
Does any of it make the game better.
Does any of it make it more equal.

I'm not sure....but I'm starting to question it.

Having early draft selections certainly hasn't helped us a great deal.
Even picking first rounders up from other clubs has been hit and miss

It's a complicated situation with Northern teams struggling to retain players.
As quick as the initial contract period ends many look for a move home.
I can't see the Gold Coast surviving in their present form.

Free Agency is a mess.

Conferencing presents problems because of the lack of uniformity in the geographical nature of team's locations.
How do you conference with so many teams located in one city.
What criteria do you use?

At Lods
Agree. Our game is unique to Australia, just leave it the fark alone. Why do we have to follow those rubbish American systems. I personally find their sports (baseball, gridiron, Nascar, Indycar etc) absolute tripe.

OK, a bit to go through here.

Firstly, its not clear from your post if you noticed the 'w' at the end of the AFL there. Just want to make sure that was noticed.

Secondly, the AFLs 'americanised system' does not work because we have half-ar$ed it. We take bits and pieces of it, but ignore other parts. Its no wonder the system doesn't hold up.
Its like trying to copy the car as a mode of transport. You take the engine, you take the chassis, you take the wheels....but you don't take a gas tank.
How is that 'car' going to work as a system? It won't.

Thirdly, Our game is unique, but running competitions and fairness is far from unique. Being stuck in our own system simply because it is our own does not mean its the best system for us. Honestly, that kind of logic is why America still use the imperial system. A better (metric) system has come along, but we like what we have and thats that. *fingers in ears*

Finally, the criteria used for the conferences is IMO by far the biggest issue with implementing the system in AFL. However, AFLW doesn't have such history, and implementing it NOW would be a lot easier to do than with the AFL.

I've long been an advocate of some kind of conference system within the mens game in a way to eliminate the unfair fixturing problem the AFL has forced upon itself.
I think this is a good way to test the waters of the general public.

Yep....the W was noticed....the post was  in response to you "long advocating it (conferencing) for the men's competition".

I'm all for things that improve the game.
I'm all for things that equalise the game as long as they're not too contrived.

I'm less of a fan of the draft as years go by.
Free Agency is a 'genie out of the bottle' and is going to need some major work to put it back in.
Conferencing is pointless when half of the clubs are located in one city.

I don't care much for gimmicky things that don't add to the game.

(and as sure as three feet make a yard...imperial beats metric every time )

You say pointless, i say that can be one of the major reasons to have conferences.

Conferences and divisions generally group teams who are geographically similar. The advantage of that system is to create an untainted draw.

But isn't our geographical situation and the team/city make-up one that doesn't suit conferencing.

We cant have a Victorian conference and a Rest of Australia conference. That would mean a league that travels all the time and one that doesn't travel at all.

Split the Victorian teams and it's goodbye to some traditional rivalries.

I just cant see the point to having conferences....but you might have a better understanding of how it would work and could show a makeup.

Thanks Kruds

Just to clarify a few points

Carlton would play 4 games interstate each year under this system.
How does that differ much in terms of traveling for all clubs from the current system?

We'd play our traditional rivals twice each year...OK with that aspect.
....but am I wrong in saying we'd play Richmond twice every year...but Gold Coast only ever once. ( I don't like that!)

I guess the bottom line is... What's the benefit?...How is this a more even system given that each year the strong clubs and the weak clubs would change significantly?

The East and South divisions look fairly even at present...that wouldn't always be the case.

The benefit is, the AFL don't get to handpick who gets an easy draw and who gets a tough draw. Which is currently the case.