Australian Football League side Collingwood President Eddie McGuire and North Melbourne benefactor Peter Scanlon "have a radical proposal to enliven the AFL fixture" -- give the pre-season competition winner a "wildcard" berth into the finals in September, according to Jon Pierik of the SYDNEY MORNING HERALD. The preseason competition, as McGuire noted, has lacked "zing" for quite some time, as clubs predominantly use the competition to "blood their younger players." The grand final was scrapped after the '13 series, and the once NAB Cup "is now known as the NAB Challenge, with clubs given three matches to prepare for the season proper."
McGuire, though, "wants spice added to the pre-season summer format." McGuire said, "So here is where I put a bomb in the water -- as soon as this tennis that we are pretending we are interested in -- finishes, we should be ready to go. Whoever wins the NAB Cup, gets a wildcard finals place. The first thing you hear the commentators say when they get on (TV during the NAB Challenge) is: 'This is just a hit and giggle, no one is really caring'" (SMH, 1/27).
