Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
AFL chair Craig Drummond admits shortening games are on the agenda as the league weighs up how to fixture the season when Tasmania enter the competition in 2028.
With the Devils to become the league’s 19th team, AFL hierarchy are trying to work out the best structure.
Speaking at the SportNXT conference in Melbourne on Tuesday, Drummond knew the AFL needed to be “more thoughtful” about the draw.
“We talk about whether we should have a shorter game,” Drummond said in an interview with Eddie McGuire.
“If we want to have more games?
“Do we need to have more games?
“If we want to have more games, we probably need a shorter game.
“Most football people would say, players certainly, and the PA (players association) would say we’re probably just about maxed out on the number of minutes that players are playing.
“We will need to think carefully because we can’t have the current number of rounds of 23.
“We need to have either 24 or something different.
“It is likely we’ll see – and we are talking to the clubs, some meaningful change in our scheduling in 2028.”
AFL and clubs discussed the future fixture conundrum during the season, with radical options like a mid-season tournament and a group stage after the home-and-away season floated.
Drummond, who was not asked about his involvement in the Geelong concussion saga, did make reference to the Pullman Hotel scandal involving several Sydney players.
“If you don’t want to adhere to those values and expectations, then there’s other opportunities outside sport,” Drummond said.
“But within sport, as within business, we have high standards, high expectations, high values and we expect people to behave.”
Drummond also revealed users of the AFL’s app will be required to log-in from next year, saying it will be a “different experience”.
The move comes amid a push to attract bigger audiences, especially into India.
