Not sure if AFL Victoria are still using some whiz bang software for their fixturing but if they are I reckon they should ask for a refund.
I suspect Hook gets one of his lackeys to look after it, but as seems to be the case every year at AFL Victoria there's very little innovation in the scheduling of matches.
Anyway here's my five point wishlist for the 2010 fixture:
- Endeavour to play a few "triple headers" during the season. Perhaps in Rounds 1, 2 and 3 when conditions are good and its light until later they could play TAC Cup at 9.30, VFL Res at 11.45 and VFL seniors at 2.30. Or even better maximise the lights at Casey and Werribee - say for example play Gippsland v Dandenong TAC at 1.30pm, Casey v Frankston Reserves at 4.15pm and Casey v Frankston Seniors at 7pm.
- Stop the rediculous practice of reserves teams meeting in consecutive weeks. Surely it can't be too hard to rid the draw of such a horrible and unfair scenario.
- Have a greater focus on "rivalry matches" and fixture them prominently. And do the same with local derbies (perhaps even have a round devoted to the local derbies) - Williamstown v Werribee, Nth Ballarat v Bendigo, Frankston v Casey, Sandringham v Port, Coburg v Northern Bullants.
- Significantly improve what is an appauling TAC Cup fixture this year by scheduling the vast majority of Metropolitan TAC games into two timeslots - 10.45am and 2pm. Allow fans and recruiting personel a chance to get from A to B and to stop off for a bit of lunch between games!! There are a heap of 1pm games this year which is smack bang in the middle of the day, the fixture should be in two clear time brackets so people can see two games in the same day. When there is an AFL C/R at Geelong, there should be a TAC game at Werribee or Williamstown in the arvo. Make it user friendly cos at the moment it isn't.
- Try to maximise the AFL split round by playing a full round of matches on the weekend when there is no AFL footy in Melbourne on the Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
