FOOTBALL fans will get their AFL fix earlier next year, with the AFL Commission approving an earlier start to the 2014 season on Wednesday.
In a couple of changes to the way the AFL season will be structured next season, clubs will each receive two byes – first between Rounds 8-10 and then Rounds 18-19 and the AFL premiership season will begin with a split round on the weekends of Match 14-16 and March 21-23.
The season will span 22 rounds across 25 weeks plus finals.
Clubs will also each play two warm-up matches prior to the 2014 season, with the NAB Cup Grand Final to be replaced possibly by a representative-style game each received two byes.
The practice matches will be played both regionally and in metropolitan areas.
The way the AFL completes its fixture will also change in an aim to avoid teams having to play each of the previous year’s top eight or bottom eight twice.
This season, the Hawks have played each of last year’s top eight, except Fremantle twice.
To do this, the AFL will group the ladder into three groups of six teams – top six, middle six and bottom six. Clubs who finish in each category will play a maximum of three matches against teams who finished in the same area.
AFL general manager of broadcasting Simon Lethlean said the change to the way the season is fixture will help keep the competition equal as well as better enabling the AFL to ensure key matches can be accommodated twice a year.
“The weighting of second-time match ups for clubs enables the AFL to better deal with the key requirement of equality, as well as continuing to ensure that our venue obligations and our broadcast obligations can be met," he said.
“Retaining a pre-set fixture for each season ahead, rather than re-fixturing the final rounds of the season after all clubs have played each other once across 17 rounds, better enables the AFL to manage travel-loads of the non-Victorian clubs in particular, and ensure that key games such as Derbies, Showdowns, Q Clashes and major blockbusters can be accommodated twice in a season.”
