The AFL presents four fixture models to club CEOs, considering changes to the structure of the season beyond the current 20-game regular season. According to reports from multiple outlets, one proposal would insert a group stage between the 20-game home-and-away season and a later wildcard round. The other models are described as alternative formats that also incorporate tournaments and different approaches to draft positioning, as part of broader discussions about how teams qualify for the post-season and how the competition manages early-season talent outcomes.
The proposals are discussed in the context of the AFL seeking to refine the pathway from the regular season to finals-type games, including how additional qualifiers would be determined through a wildcard mechanism. The reports indicate the AFL has been testing new scheduling concepts that could affect match intensity, qualification structures and, in at least one model, the allocation of draft picks. No final decision or timetable is reported in the sources provided; the information describes the AFL’s ideas being put forward for CEO consideration.
