On Tuesday, The Age published the 10 Commandments for Australian Football. They read as follows.
1 Thou shalt have four posts.
2. Thou shalt have an oval shaped, leather ball.
3. Thou shalt kick the ball
4. Thou shalt have a game that is free flowing
5. Thou shalt have players of all shapes and sizes
6. Thou shalt have a game that is attacking
7. Thou shalt not care what size the oval is
8. Thou shalt not care how long the game runs for
9. Thou shalt protect the play maker
10. Thou shalt play the game so vigorously mothers should be concerned.
We all probably have our own ideas of what should be sacred within the game.
Personally, I’ve pondered the ‘untouchables’ for some time. Looking beyond Australian Football, we know that football went from leather balls to plastic balls, and that the size and weight of golf balls, cricket bats, and so on, can vary.
But how shocking was it when Dennis Lillee introduced the aluminium bat or when Kerry Packer gave us coloured clothing and white balls for day night cricket?
Cricket is actually a good example.
By broadening the product range – through Tests, one days, and 20/20s – they have tampered with the colour of clothing, the colour of balls, the colour of stumps, line markings, field restrictions, bowling quotas, length of game, and more.
In doing that, they’ve compartmentalised their product offerings rather than completely re-invent the traditional basis of the game – Test cricket.
Rugby union has also done that, via the Rugby 7s. However, the current issue of the ELVs has forced many rugby fans to confront their ‘untouchables’ and the ‘spirit of the game’.
So what do you think about these 10 Commandments for AFL?
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- Dennis Lillee, ELVs, ODI
December 4th 2008 @ 8:53am
Michael C said | December 4th 2008 @ 8:53am | Report comment
8. Thou shalt not care how long the game runs for
As Pip indicated, this probably didn’t need saying – -
other than we interpret it as meaning “Thou shalt not play two 45 minute halves like soccer where the 90 mins elapsed on the refs watch is more important than the actual ‘playing time’”????
because, we know that a game presently is 80 mins plus stoppage time which generally equates to somewhere between 115 and 125 minutes of elapsed time (and KB – that DOES NOT count the breaks for 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 time).
We know that it used to be accounted slightly differently, as 100 mins plus time on, which, still equated to somewhere between 115 and 125 mins of elapsed time.
We know that via the NAB cup and International Rules matches, that time on can be deemed negotiable and the base time component can be reduced.
We’ve probably all played lightning premierships at our local clubs – and certainly time divisions are flexible, and the AFL conducted a lightning premiership of it’s own back in ’96? …..blighted by the worst possible weather out at Waverley park!!!!
December 4th 2008 @ 8:59am
Redb said | December 4th 2008 @ 8:59am | Report comment
11. Thou shall not let Collingwood win another flag……..ever!
Redb
December 4th 2008 @ 9:11am
Pippinu said | December 4th 2008 @ 9:11am | Report comment
heh, heh – that should be absolutely no. 1!!
December 4th 2008 @ 9:37am
Koala Bear said | December 4th 2008 @ 9:37am | Report comment
8. Thou shalt not care how long the game runs for
So is that still 20 min qrts times 4 = 80 mins and only 19klms (av) covered in each qrts ? .. I agree that’s about their limit..
.. Stats don’t lie… 
~~~~~~~
KB
December 4th 2008 @ 10:09am
sheek said | December 4th 2008 @ 10:09am | Report comment
Redb,
What if Collingwood never won another flag, wilted & faded from the AFL? Who would everyone hate then???
Moral to the story is you NEED Collingwood. They should win the occasional flag, in order to keep them interested, & allow everyone else to have occasional apoplexy!
December 4th 2008 @ 10:14am
Michael C said | December 4th 2008 @ 10:14am | Report comment
sheek -
sounding very anti-biblical -
If Collingwood did not exist, it would be necessary to invent them
December 4th 2008 @ 10:16am
Michael C said | December 4th 2008 @ 10:16am | Report comment
KB -
again, given no more than 3 or 4 players at any given time are wired up with GPS equipment, then, 19km covered by 3 or 4 players in the first quarter is pretty impressive really.
Point is?? Gotta know what stats you’re quoting.
December 4th 2008 @ 10:20am
Michael C said | December 4th 2008 @ 10:20am | Report comment
KB -
tell me the truth – - do you still believe that the 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 time breaks are included in the 120 mins of footy in each match?
Do you actually understand what ‘stoppage time’ is?
Stoppage time is all the standing around in soccer setting up a corner or a dfk, or after the ball has gone flying 30 metres wide of the goal and the goalie faffs around, it’s the time spent with the ball ‘dead’ over the side line before entering play, it’s the time with a fellow writhing in (fictitious or otherwise) ‘pain’ on the ground and the ref prodding him to see if he’s genuine.
In AFL – the clock is stopped for this time.
In Soccer – the clock IS NOT stopped for the VAST MAJORITY of this time.
I can understand I guess that your brain isn’t conditioned to comprehend it.
December 4th 2008 @ 11:55am
Koala Bear said | December 4th 2008 @ 11:55am | Report comment
MC,
Tell me was that a “Sorry” from you now you have checked out the “ground covered” stat 19klms av CH 10.. I can’t accept that as a “Sorry” I need to hear a real “Sorry KB” from you; are you now ready laddie to say Sorry KB.?..
I have no idea how they clock a team for “ground covered” stat, but rest assured I shall have more to say on that when the new season stats begin.. As you have stated, it is only 3 players that are wired up; are you sure .? Surly not; if so, it still would be a calculation over all players on the field, as if it were not, the stat would read a bit differently wouldn’t it.. ? ie “3 players ground covered”
Interestingly enough, I saw a Football match early on in the year a Liverpool FC “ground covered” stat over 45 mins official time was 60klms.. If one was to break that down it would be something like 30klms over 22 mins now that is impressive .. even more so taking your analogy of your 30 min play per half argument .. that is really impressive….
You see in football we don’t include the half time break as part of the official time .. Are you now trying to say that the breaks between qrts stoppages are part of the official time in a game of Grooky ie waiting for the ump to restart or sitting on the ground being addressed by the coach..?. That is insane, and you need professional help if you believe it to be so, the Grooky officialdom state clearly that the official times for a qrt are 20 min.. … I have always stated and said “official time”… Yes we have the clock running in Football for corners etc.. But do you not also have the clock running down after every mark, wherever on the field after the ump blows his whistle for a mark with players holding up play to consider their options, or taking time, to line up a shot on goal.. hmmm…. Yes I think so….
~~~~~~~~
KB
December 4th 2008 @ 12:16pm
Michael C said | December 4th 2008 @ 12:16pm | Report comment
KB -
the AFL has a strict policy on ‘extra equipment’ on the footy field. I’ve a friend who is an AFL umpire and another who is a retired AFL umpire. Before each round, the umpires recieve a document (email) of the approved non-standard equipment for that round. This includes any ‘arm brace/guard’ type equipment – such as when a player might return early from a fractured wrist with a protective ‘guard’.
Likewise, such items as GPS vests and other heart monitoring equipment – - all has to be approved. Note when you watch such games, ch.10 especially did the heart monitor stuff – and they will invariably have no more than 3 or 4 players on each side for any game.
GPS is the same – and that’s why all the study data is fairly thin and yet spread across many games. Because, to build up an archive of say 80 ‘single player games’ of data – you will be going through about 20 actual AFL games.
There are however people with a vision of having all players wired up in the future so as to better ‘manage’ players on and off the ground.