Australian rules football is one of the nation's favourite pastimes. It is a game steeped in and sustained by its tradition, beloved for its singularity as much as its spectacle.
However, this has rarely hindered those in charge of the country's most-watched code from attempting to edit its foundations. History is littered with ill-fated, albeit well-intentioned experiments, undertaken for a variety of reasons. Some were executed in an effort to broaden the game's appeal to the dormant masses, particularly in the northern frontier; some were an attempt to level the playing field, while others were in aid of globalising this uniquely Australian sport.
We're counting down 10 of these AFL experiments, and casting a verdict on their respective efficacies.
The pre-finals bye
Introduced in 2016, the pre-finals bye was designed to ensure teams featuring in September were fielding their strongest possible sides. Infamously, sides like Fremantle and North Melbourne had made a mockery of the final round of the home and away season in years prior by resting multiple stars in the run-in to September.
The concept took immediate effect, with the Western Bulldogs welcoming back a host of influential players to claim their first flag in 62 years, and becoming the first (and so far, only) side to win the premiership from seventh, in the process.
The week off has thrown statisticians a myriad of curveballs since, however. Straight sets exits are far more common than they once were, which informs the bye's biggest criticism - top four sides have their advantage lessened, and lose match fitness by way of playing so infrequently. Between the conclusion of last year's home and away season and grand final day, Geelong averaged a game every 11 days (three finals in 34 days), far greater than the customary week or less.
The alternative with the most widespread support appears to be following the Super Bowl model, wherein the bye would move to the week before the Grand Final - something we saw in the Covid-impacted 2021 season.
Verdict: Wanting the best possible product in the code's showpiece month is an admirable endeavour, but sides who finish the season in the top four deserve more of an advantage than they currently receive. 5/10.
