RICHMOND CEO Brendon Gale doesn't like the current fixture and thinks the debate about how it should look in the future needs to be revived.



Gale told Melbourne radio station SEN that club CEOs quickly dismissed the 17-5 fixture model when the AFL tabled it at a meeting in May because of commercial considerations. But he said the issue was important enough to examine further.



He revealed that he had discussed the matter with AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan a few weeks ago and both had agreed the matter needed proper assessment.



"It might be time to bring it up and have a decent discussion and debate around it," Gale said.



The 17-5 model means all 18 teams play each other once in the first 17 rounds before the League is broken into three groups of six where qualifiers are played for the finals and draft picks.



The top six teams then play for top four spots, the middle six teams play for seventh and eighth spot, and the bottom six would play to determine the draft order.



Those against the model raised concerns about blockbusters, home games and using such a small sample to determine draft picks.



Gale said if the fixture worked against a club it could erode the progress a club was making.



"You can work your butt off to get that extra one per cent of improvement and effort to compete and win and yet if the fixture is in your favour or not it can make a huge difference," Gale said.



"I don't like the current fixture as it stands and I think this (the 17-5 model) is a serious step towards addressing the inequity to the fixture. And if that's the case, I think we should look at it."



McLachlan repeated on AFL 360 on Wednesday night his view that the problems created when clubs rested players in round 23 were best addressed through a fixture model that didn't potentially advantage one team over another.



However, he said the 17-5 model would need serious discussion and would take time to be implemented.



"I've always thought that there was a discussion for it. If it gets up, it will be ready for 2017 or beyond," McLachlan said.





