AFL finals 2011

So lately there has been much talk about the make up of the AFL Finals next year, and when they're gonna hold the bugger. Personally I think it's all details coz it's going to be the Saints defending their title against whoever has the balls to challenge them but they're details really...

Anyway so as it stands there are 8 teams in the finals. 16 teams, 8 in the finals pretty simple maths even for me.
So next year with the introduction of the Suns or whatever dicky name they're going by next year, will bring the number of teams to 17, again simple maths, but we have people starting to think about finals.
How many teams will contest them?
When will we hold the Grand final? and so on and so forth.
Personally and historically the last team to come from outside the top 4 and win the damn thing was Adelaide and we're not going to discuss who they may or may not have beaten in order to win said flag. They were the last team in like 20 years according to my God and Saviour Nick Riewoldt on On the Couch on Monday night, blasphemy to some but the truth in my eyes haha.
But seriously, take as an example last year, I think there were teams getting into the finals having lost more games then they won. Seriously do we think these teams deserve to be there? To be competing for AFL's grandest prize? I think not.
Unfortantely for some the title of AFL Premiers is not won after 22 rounds, it's won after 25 or 26 if you're good enough to get there, and yes I do see the point of a finals system and I also see the point of having no finals, but that's for a time where the Saints are actually looking like taking the minor Premiership, or not.
But getting back to my point, 8 teams is enough for the finals. Personally I can also make an argument for just a final four only but I think that might be a bit silly.
I think to extend it to a top 10, because having an uneven number is just stupid, actually if you really wanted to make things easy it should really be a top 12 so the number of teams knocked out leaves an even number of teams so that they can all play the next week or so there are 2 teams getting a break, making it more equal, is rewarding teams for mediocrity no matter what the number of teams in the finals are.
Yes I know that as the system stands now there are teams who are doing just that but the number is small. I don't think there should be more than 1 or 2 teams at the most who find themselves in that situation.
So in summary, leave the finals at 8.

Now the Grand Final.
Will the fights over the G ever end?
Next year the AFL planned to hold the GF on October 1. As a side note I don't like this coz first weekend in October sounds nowhere near as good as last Saturday in September, but that's a side issue.
But Cricket Victoria has said they are claiming their rights to the G as of the first of October as the traditional start of their season.
So what are the AFL to do? They can't start the season earlier because, again, the state cricket clubs who control the MCG, SCG and Gabba won't release the grounds before March 31. Oh my oh my... I guess at a stretch they could manage it, it would put Eithad under a bit of pressure, but it's workable for 2 weeks.
Eithad hosts 3 games, Friday night, Sat and Sun;
Skilled Stadium gets one;
ANZ Stadium gets one, stuff the NRL;
AAMI Stadium gets one,
Subiacco gets one
and for kicks lets send one to either TIO, which might be a touch hot, or Aurora.
That's 8 stadiums for 17 teams with obviously 1 team having a bye.
This is more workable then moving the AFL Grand final elsewhere, because the Grand final isn't the grand final without the G.