No Perfect Answer To Split Bye Rounds, Australian Football League Says

The Australian Football League said there is ‘‘no perfect answer’’ to the bye system, and that it "will judge the latest three rounds of split matches against round 18, spread over two weeks," according to Jon Pierik of THE AGE. With the need for two byes this season at the request of the AFL Players Association, "debate has again flared about what is the best format, ensuring the season retains momentum." Having a full weekend free of matches or "just the one stand-alone fixture," as had been the case years ago when Sydney and Collingwood met at ANZ Stadium, "appears all but ruled out." AFL GM of Broadcasting/Scheduling Simon Lethlean said that the current system, with six matches held over each of the three bye weekends, "had strong merit." Lethlean: "At the end of the day, fans and media just don’t want byes at all, which is not possible. But we have two this year, I think for the first time, so we are trying out what we think both are best" (THE AGE, 5/26).