+x+xCouldnt disagree more.
Its literally the least of the APLs problems.
My ideal number of teams in the top flight in Australia is 15. Play everyone at home and away for 28 games.Who honestly cares about a bye. Theres international breaks all over the world, as well as make up games in almost every league due to European participation.
add 2 byes each to that equation and you're having 30 match days. Then you have Unite Round on top (which needs to happen for at least 1 more year). So we're either going to have to start 1 month earlier (late September) or have 4 midweek games each.
Having an odd number of teams makes thing far more difficult logistically than you think. Off the top of my head, I can't think of a top tier league anywhere in the world that has an odd number of teams in the league.
I'm at a loss to understand why we would have 30 match days. Surely having 13 teams is the same as having 14 teams except one team plays a 'dummy' team each round. i.e the equivalent of seven games each week - though only 6 played. After 13 weeks you would have played all opponents (including a bye) - then simply reverse the fixtures for a 26 game season.
Unite round (the 27th round does present problems). I would scrap it - but if does go ahead I would change it completely. It should not be a traditional game but rather a weekend festival. Not of traditional 90 minute 11 man games but maybe a sevens type tournament including not only the 13 clubs (or even 14 clubs) but also the NST teams.- that way the league is a balanced home and away and people could watch multiple shorter matches in the one stadium over two days in a festival that "unites" both competitions while not unbalancing either.