The AFL is considering radical changes to the fixture in coming years to remedy the age-old problem of clubs playing some others twice in what turns out to be a lop-sided season.

This year has been a classic example with Richmond knocking on the door of the eight after having no wins against a top six side and a good draw that’s delivered two wins each against Brisbane, St Kilda and GWS.

AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan is floating a preferred option of an initial 17-round season, where every team plays each other once.

Following that, the teams would be broken down into three pools of six for the final five rounds of the 22-game season.

Under the proposal the top six would play off for spots in the top four; the middle tier teams would fight it out for seventh and eighth spot on the ladder; and the bottom six teams would battle for draft positions.

McLachlan said the proposal had been debated among AFL staff and Club CEOs for the past 18 months, although he reiterated any fixture change “certainly wasn’t going to happen next year”.

So, what would have happened this year if the system was in place?

Here’s the ladder after each club had played 17 rounds; and what it shows is that the battle for top four and final eight spots might have had more to do with performance than the luck of the draw.