ONCE upon a time, back when there were a dozen Victorian Football League teams and when 12 was an easily divisible number, the annual fixture was more a matter of simple arithmetic than commercial convenience. But as the years rolled on, as Australian Rules became a national game and as more teams came into being, the AFL draw has metamorphosed into something neither fair nor equitable, but a process that is (to adjust metaphors) not cricket.
As The Saturday Age reports today, the AFL is under criticism by clubs, commentators and supporters for its handling of the annual fixture. Although the 2012 draw is not released until the last week of October, after clubs have had the chance to comment on several drafts, calls are already growing for an overhaul of future draws. The present system, they say, is inequitable, and doesn't allow teams to play each other twice, at home and away, or, indeed, play at the same venues. Also, under the present draw system, not all teams have the same commercial and attendance opportunities, and more powerful teams are predictably thrashing developing teams, thereby reducing interest in the game - and what is football without its dedicated supporters?
The league's own justification is smug: ''An equitable draw which maximises attendances and television audiences.'' But there's more to it than that: the very basis of fair play on which the game itself depends should also apply to how fixtures are determined - where or when they are played, and by whom. Next year, as the AFL gains an 18th team, would be a good time to aim for a fairer approach.
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