AFL shouldn't be spooked by NRL's Origin behemoth as it weighs up mid-year competition
It is completely reasonable to consider an NBA-style tournament, which, in effect, might represent a reprise of the old night series – the Ansett Cup was one version – that sat inside the regular season.
It is not to this column's jaded taste, and I doubt that most fans will support a mid-year tournament, given their innate opposition to radical reforms.
Many, however, will favour the parallel proposal, as The Age's Sam McClure reported, of a regular season that is cut back to 20 games, when the Tasmania Devils arrives, with one game added for rivalry round (showdowns, derbies, blockbusters in Melbourne) and another for Gather Round.
The Devils' scheduled entry in 2028 provides a great opportunity to re-shape the fixture. It was this recognition that framed the proposal.
The old night series had some value – and was even taken semi-seriously by clubs. Kevin Sheedy certainly used to cite night premierships on his resume, as did Denis Pagan.
But the franchise diminished over time, as night footy became entrenched in the 'real' season, and it dwindled further into irrelevance once the good teams used it merely as a vehicle to prepare for the season proper.
What the AFL and some clubs have recognised, though, is that their competition does not have any meaningful prize besides the premiership cup (the same applies to the AFLW); Michael Voss, unlike Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham, does not have another trophy on the line to salve his reputation/job (not that it saved Ange).
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