Could we make the playoffs double elimination and give every team at least two playoff matches?
Also a certain Mr William Watson (who may or may not be in possession of a suspect number of balls) passionately extolled to me last night the idea of the last 16 playoff being a draw, rather than a straight 16 vs 1, 15 vs 2 etc.
The effect of this could be to make the regular Wednesday match less important pointswise, you just need to get into the top 16. Whatever other good and bad luck it throws up it would almost always make the top four teams progress more difficult as right now the #1 team have the statistically easiest route of anyone, and they're the people that need it least.
The best team should still win, and anyone going out would do so because they were beaten.
Could we combine these ideas? Random draw with double elim?

Good point Bernard that could be another very positive effect.
Are you sure about the numbers there? Yes there would be double the number of matches to play but also there would be double the number of games happening at least on day 2 because no one would have been eliminated.
Day 1 - 8 matchesDay 2 - 8 matchesDay 3 - ? matches (potentially 8!)Day 4 - up to 4 matchesDay 5 - up to 3 matchesDay 6 - 1 matchPossible Day 7 - 1 matchhaha I'm totally not sure about how this would work, it's complicated and my brain hurts! What would be the maximum amount of days to reach a result? What's the minimum? Is it possible we'd end up with less overall matches?

There is an alternative solution to allow some teams a second chance. We could follow the Australian play-off system. They have a system where by the worst losers in the first round are eliminated but the best losers are rewarded with a second chance vs a narrow winner while the big winners are able to skip a round and progress straight to a quarter final.It's all explained in the McIntyre Final Eight System and the AFL Finals System .

Are you saying Dominic that we should change the play offs to more-than-2 strands of groups-of-8 teams?
That could be cool... It's hardly surprising that some teams appear to feel strongly that they don't want to finish 16th :-P and there's no law saying it has to be two brackets...
More games, more semis & more finals, 6 out of 8 teams play a minimum of 2 matches, every team would be in a bracket they have a realistic chance of winning. Champions of top bracket still righteous overall champs. I like this that you suggested Dom; AFL Finals System , check it out peeps, it could be a lot of fun. No second lives if you lose the final.
Happy New Year everyone