There might be fewer blockbusters for Collingwood under the new model. Credit:Paul Rovere The fixture components were squeezed even further in recent years with the introduction of an 18th team to the competition. But the number of home-and-away games remains at 22 and is basically certain to stay that way for some time. In a perfect footy world, clubs would play each other twice in the regular season. That outcome is a million miles away. Last week the AFL announced that, combined with effectively abandoning the NAB Cup pre-season competition, each club would benefit from the introduction of a second bye and the home-and-away season would start earlier. Arguably more significant and groundbreaking was that the league's boffins would utilise a "weighted" model for preparing the fixture. A decision on which five clubs your team could face more than once would be heavily dependent on the previous season's ladder. Under the new model, the AFL ladder will be bracketed into three groups of six – simply 1-6, 7-12 and 13-18. To determine the five return or "double-up" fixtures for each club, a few straightforward restrictions are in place. Teams will be limited to a minimum of two and a maximum of three "double up" games against clubs in the same third of the ladder. For example, Hawthorn may only be scheduled to face the likes of Geelong, Sydney and Fremantle twice next season, instead of this year's outcome where the Hawks had to play five of 2012's top eight teams twice.

In 2005, ace tipster Matthew Park had a handle on the fixture. Credit:Michael Clayton-Jones More interesting was the restriction that teams will be limited to no more than one return game against a team in the bracket at the "opposite" end of the ladder. So if minor premiers Hawthorn are scheduled to play lowly Melbourne twice in 2014, they would be restricted to just one game against league minnows and bottom-placed GWS. But in the interests of producing a fairer result, has the league created a new fixture component that will result in some "nightmare scenarios"? Not so simple, but simpler: The Age 2000 Footy fixture. The AFL is already on the record as saying it wants to support and maximise the number of derbies and showdowns each season, along with the new so-called "rivalries" between the two Queensland clubs and the NSW clubs and the time-honoured "blockbusters" between Victorian clubs.

But what happens when Collingwood is safely ensconced in the top six and "traditional rivals" such as Carlton, Essendon, Richmond and even Melbourne are all locked in the bottom third of the ladder? The very next season the Magpies would be restricted to just one return match against one of those teams. It may seem far-fetched, but in the not-too-distant future the perennial Anzac Day clash between Essendon and Collingwood may be the only match that season between the two clubs. Either that or Collingwood and Carlton will meet only once. You can't have both outcomes. Likewise if Melbourne hosts the Magpies in the Queen's Birthday clash, Demons officials can forget about a second game against the Pies at the MCG. An unlikely set of circumstances, I hear you say? When will we ever see so many Victorian clubs entrenched in the bottom rungs of the ladder? Perhaps not for some time, but the competition is slowly changing. Make no mistake, club officials may be in for a rude surprise. After all, doesn't everyone want to host Collingwood and reap the financial rewards? A HYPOTHETICAL LADDER AND PERMUTATIONS 1 Collingwood

2 Geelong 3 Sydney Swans 4 Fremantle 5 Port Adelaide 6 Gold Coast Suns

7 North Melbourne 8 Brisbane Lions 9 Adelaide 10 West Coast 11 Western Bulldogs

12 St Kilda 13 Carlton 14 Essendon 15 Richmond 16 GWS Giants

17 Hawthorn 18 Melbourne Brackets of clubs: 1-6: Collingwood, Geelong, Sydney Swans, Fremantle, Port Adelaide, Gold Coast 7-12: North Melbourne, Brisbane Lions, Adelaide, West Coast, Western Bulldogs, St Kilda

13-18: Carlton, Essendon, Richmond, GWS Giants, Hawthorn, Melbourne And who your club may play twice (just a few examples) . . . COLLINGWOOD Geelong Essendon

Fremantle Sydney Swans North Melbourne SYDNEY SWANS GWS Giants

St Kilda Collingwood Port Adelaide Gold Coast ESSENDON

Collingwood Carlton Richmond Brisbane Lions Western Bulldogs