THERE are major differences between AFL, NRL and football competitions in terms of how champions are determined at seasons end.
Worldwide, the declared “champions” of football competitions are the teams that accumulate the most points through a season of home and away fixtures.
In football, there is excitement at the top of the points ladder as teams strive to win the championship and promotion to a higher division.
The teams at the bottom of the points ladder provide excitement as they fight for survival and avoid relegation to a lower division.
In football (worldwide) clubs are involved in knockout competitions that pit teams from all levels against each other providing opportunities for less-experienced teams to take on the highest- rated teams, creating “David vs Goliath” games.
In England for example, the FA Cup is one such competition, probably the most famous knockout competition in the world.
The champions in football are the teams that top their competitions, as they are deemed the most consistent teams through an entire season.
In Australia, for a reason they call “Australian culture”, we emulate AFL, NRL and ARU competitions and determine champions after an end-of-season “Consolation Trophy”, whereby the top half of the competition take part in a knockout two-week competition, with the last one standing declared the champion.
The team that collates the most points over an entire season, therefore the most consistent, is deemed “Minor Premier”!
Frankly, I don’t see anything “minor” about being the best team over an entire season.
Football has a unique excitement factor in promotion and relegation, not to mention the excitement of the National Knockout competition the Australia Cup, where every club, regardless of stature, gets to compete for a chance to become National Cup Final Champions.
So it beggars the question: Why do football administrators in this country continue to insist on emulating the other codes when football has so much to be proud of.
