The fixture “distortion” that the AFL must fix

The AFL has created a “distortion” with the introduction of Opening Round, according to David King.

Following Sydney’s Round 11 victory over the Western Bulldogs on Thursday night, the Swans take off for their second bye of the season following their Round 5 break to make up for their fixture in Opening Round.

John Longmire’s Swans are in great shape and sitting pretty on top of the ladder with a 10-1 record, which is all their doing, but they have had an advantage with a second bye by Round 13.

Some other clubs are yet to have one bye.

King feels AFL CEO Andrew Dillon and fixture boss Josh Bowler must reconsider how they schedule the fixture if Opening Round is to remain.

“If we’re going to continue with this Opening Round idea, we cannot have the bye set up the way it is,” King said on SEN Breakfast.

“You cannot have the Swans having a bye at Round 5 and again at Round 12, with some teams waiting until Round 15 to have their first bye.

“We’ve got so many problems with equalisation across the comp as it is. This is just a nonsense.

“The Swans are in pure health almost to the point where you look across the competition and it’s an advantage to them.

“Their program is in great order and they’ve done a great job, but there has to be some reasoning or logic with a Round 5 bye and a Round 12 bye that puts them in a better space than a team that has to wait 15 weeks.

“If we’re going to have Opening Round, I think we either need to have one game for one weekend and eight games the next weekend at about Round 5.

“Don’t create this distortion and this advantage for some teams over others.”

Kane Cornes agrees, referencing comments made by Geelong coach Chris Scott earlier this season when he said Opening Round “compromises” the AFL fixture.

“It’s a big advantage,” said Cornes.

“Melbourne is probably the same. They had their bye in Round 6 and they’ve got another one in Round 14. Collingwood had a bye in Round 5 and one in Round 15.

“Chris Scott was huge on this six or seven weeks ago. He’s absolutely right.

“What a time to get a bye for Sydney with the position that they’re in and the Western Bulldogs have got to go right through until Round 15 until they even get their (first) bye.”

After the Swans have their second break of the season, they’ll take on Scott’s Geelong at the SCG on the Sunday afternoon of Round 13.