The West Coast Eagles voiced their reservations regarding a new fixture that would be quite radical in some ways, saying that it would impose an even harsher travel burden on the Western Australian sides, but as of this writing Fremantle has not been heard to say anything against the proposed 17 – 5 fixture, as it is known.
The AFL wants to go to a fixture where every side plays every other side one time, and then plays five games against teams in their third of the ladder.
The Western Australiana clubs are already compelled to do quite a bit of flying in order to fulfill their away obligations in Victoria, NSW and Queensland, but for the many sides in Melbourne, a switch to the 17 – 5 could go mainly unnoticed, as the biggest logistical headaches are nothing more than determining how to most conveniently get from one Melbourne suburb to another.
West Coast honcho Trevor Nisbett seems to feel that one more extra trip during the home-and-away season, combined with whatever extra trips might be necessitated by the finishing order for the finals.
It would seem to the casual observer that a chief sticking point is that the schedule for the final five games would be determined by ladder position after the first 17 rounds, a degree of uncertainty that does not set well with club routines.
