In the wonderful game of Aussi Rules, we do have a number of Australian states and countries elsewhere who do love to play the game (to some extent) and who are more than happy to send a team to participate in the international special events of the game.
I suggest devoting two or three months of the year to the home areas format. Each player may only represent the lowest ranked one area of the seven places where he, his parents and his grand parents were (born and) raised.
Of course the event would be incredibly dull and one sided with a super-favourite who would obviously win (much as all the US-dominated worlds championships are massively dull). This is a problem that ought to be solved in every sport, and here is how to solve it in Aussie Rules:
Melbourne is split into nine map areas (NW, NE, N, S, W, C, SW, E, SE) by us cutting it along two carefully chosen vertical and two horizontal lines. This makes nine teams, all competing for a good place in the rankings, and each of these will choose one area, spot, district or neighbourhood name as its team name in a QF, SF & F name choosing process vote (and no cheesy nicknames allowed). The same happens with the four Rest of Victoria areas N, S W & E (as the rest of the state is cut into four further national team areas by us using two diagonal cuts in half).
These 9 + 4 Victoria teams go up against the likes of PNG, Nauru, Ireland, England, USA, Germany, Japan, China, NSW, SA, WA, NZ, etc
Year one serves as a qualifying games year, helping to decide which 12 teams go into the top level for year 2; all other teams play in Level B in year 2;
In year 3, we have only the top 8 teams in level A, a further 8 (ranked 9-16) in level B and all others play in level C;
Then, from year 4 onwards we have 6 (every other year) or 8 (every other year) teams in level A; the next-best four teams in level B; the next 4 in C; the next 8 in D, and the rest in level E.
This way, if say your area in ranked 11th - this would mean that every other year, the team is in level C (11-14) and every other year, while it stays in this ranking position, it plays in level B (9-12). Whereas tournaments and leagues tend to have mostly mismatches, this cleverly designed format would give each team proper good even matches, and each game would be worth watching, and watching with suspense as to who will win it.
To truly perfect the idea, a little more tweeking is essential (mostly around how to make it less likely that the same one area wins every year, for which there are also good sensible systematic adjustments in-build, while also allowing people who are not happy with how their home area treats them could go for the one guest post each other non-champion team is allowed ...), and the question of where to hold each game will be a case of wherever the best ticket sales revenue could be found.
I do feel that this concept would be truly magical, and that after a while the fans would end up looking forward to this as the highlight to their year
I suggest devoting two or three months of the year to the home areas format. Each player may only represent the lowest ranked one area of the seven places where he, his parents and his grand parents were (born and) raised.
Of course the event would be incredibly dull and one sided with a super-favourite who would obviously win (much as all the US-dominated worlds championships are massively dull). This is a problem that ought to be solved in every sport, and here is how to solve it in Aussie Rules:
Melbourne is split into nine map areas (NW, NE, N, S, W, C, SW, E, SE) by us cutting it along two carefully chosen vertical and two horizontal lines. This makes nine teams, all competing for a good place in the rankings, and each of these will choose one area, spot, district or neighbourhood name as its team name in a QF, SF & F name choosing process vote (and no cheesy nicknames allowed). The same happens with the four Rest of Victoria areas N, S W & E (as the rest of the state is cut into four further national team areas by us using two diagonal cuts in half).
These 9 + 4 Victoria teams go up against the likes of PNG, Nauru, Ireland, England, USA, Germany, Japan, China, NSW, SA, WA, NZ, etc
Year one serves as a qualifying games year, helping to decide which 12 teams go into the top level for year 2; all other teams play in Level B in year 2;
In year 3, we have only the top 8 teams in level A, a further 8 (ranked 9-16) in level B and all others play in level C;
Then, from year 4 onwards we have 6 (every other year) or 8 (every other year) teams in level A; the next-best four teams in level B; the next 4 in C; the next 8 in D, and the rest in level E.
This way, if say your area in ranked 11th - this would mean that every other year, the team is in level C (11-14) and every other year, while it stays in this ranking position, it plays in level B (9-12). Whereas tournaments and leagues tend to have mostly mismatches, this cleverly designed format would give each team proper good even matches, and each game would be worth watching, and watching with suspense as to who will win it.
To truly perfect the idea, a little more tweeking is essential (mostly around how to make it less likely that the same one area wins every year, for which there are also good sensible systematic adjustments in-build, while also allowing people who are not happy with how their home area treats them could go for the one guest post each other non-champion team is allowed ...), and the question of where to hold each game will be a case of wherever the best ticket sales revenue could be found.
I do feel that this concept would be truly magical, and that after a while the fans would end up looking forward to this as the highlight to their year
