Australian Football League Looking At Variations Of 17-5 Fixture Model For '18

The Australian Football League is "pushing ahead with plans for a radical overhaul of the season fixture, with a change possible as early as next year," according to the AAP. The league is looking at "variations of a 17-5 model that would see teams play each other once," then split into three groups based on ladder position for the last five rounds. AFL Clubs & Operations GM Travis Auld said that the investigation is "still in its infancy" but added that a change in '18 is "not out of the question." Auld: "We’re into that process but it will take some time ... it’s incredibly complicated. There are a lot of impacts of changing our fixture. But we want to give it some real consideration." The 17-5 model has "the benefit of maintaining interest in the season for longer as the six teams in the mid-ladder group fight for two finals berths" -- seventh and eighth -- that "might not have been in play for as many teams at that point in the season" under the current system (AAP, 2/14).