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As the new season is about to begin, one has dreams and visions of what they want to see. Here are a few of mine.
1. The standard of umpiring approaching competency
The declining standards of umpiring has been the bane of the game in the last 10 years, accentuated by the denial shown to it by the people in power during the home-and-away season and highlighted by how the standard lifts alarmingly during the finals – when the wheat is sorted from the chaff and we get the best whistle-blowers officiating.
Hasn’t the AFL got enough resources to ensure the best officiating every week?
2. A team to challenge the perception the 2014 flag is a race of three
Most pundits see the 2014 premiership being a fight between reigning premiers Hawthorn, Sydney and Fremantle, taking a lot of interest out of this year’s competition.
One would love to see a team or two rise as genuine challengers to add to the theatre.
Whom could it be?
Maybe a talented North Melbourne outfit, a West Coast Eagles team without the injuries that cruelled it in 2013 or the Tigers of old adding some roar?
3. Some consistency by the Match Review Panel and tribunal
Every time a player is reported, fans always have heads in hands over the ‘chook raffle’ the judgements resemble.
A player can commit an act and get off one week and then another player get three weeks for the same act the next.
The AFL is a multi-million dollar entity and needs to get this near-farce right!
4. A bit of luck for luckless stars
I am a fanatical Hawthorn fan, and one of my worse moments was the elimination against Fremantle in 2010 where I had to endure a rambunctious Fremantle crowd as a young Anthony Morabito ripped us to ribbons with his line-breaking mastery.
After I calmed down, I thought he was the next Anthony Koutifidis, such was his upside.
Tragically, three knee reconstructions later, Morabito getting back on the field again is in question.
Heartbreakingly, this young gem has not been the only one, with others like Daniel Menzel, Gary Rohan and Brendan Whitecross having the football gods turn their backs on them.
Let’s hope fortune shines on them in 2014, and beyond.
5. The AFL deeming certain games ‘blockbusters’
The AFL have already done this from a pricing point of view, slugging extra charges on replacement games for members.
They should do it with the fan in mind. Taking games away from Etihad Stadium that will attract more than its capacity and relocating them to the MCG.
It is absurd that one can have clashes scheduled there that automatically eliminates 30,000 being able to see it live
Naturally, this will never happen because of the contractual arrangements with Etihad Stadium to stage a number of high profile games there.
In this age of the AFL, it is the corporate consideration first thought, and the fan considerations are an after-thought.
6. The Brownlow Medal gaining some credibility
The award given to the ‘fairest and best’ should be changed to the ‘midfielders medal’, with the last non-midfielder to take home the award being Gavin Wanganeen in 1993.
It has become an award that only focuses on one area of the game, without ever paying respect to the place forwards and defenders have.
7. The magic men to thrill us once more
There are some players in the league that make fans sit on the edge of their seat when the ball is in their area, anticipating something freakish to happen that leaves one’s jaw dropped.
Buddy Franklin is the king of this, with others such as Stevie Johnson, Cyril Rioli, Harley Bennell, Nic Natinui among others leaving us begging for more.
Let’s hope we see them cast their spells in 2014.
8. Greater Western Sydney proving it will not be a basket case
It astounded all traditional Australia Rules fans that the AFL would turn its back on so many viable supporter hotbeds to extend into western Sydney.
Especially when Sydney is notoriously AFL ambivalent, and the second team was to be placed in a multicultural part of the city, where Association Football is the passion.
In its first two years, home crowds have struggled to top 11,000 and, in GWS’s defence, it is because of the current weakness in its team.
Will the crowds come when they become more successful?
9. Some current, bone-jarring rivalries to continue, and some new ones to start
The current must-see rivalries are the South and Western Australian derbies and the Geelong versus Hawthorn epics.
After the final in Geelong last year, where Fremantle upended the Cats on the back of some Ryan Crowley niggle on Stevie Johnson and Adam Selwood, the game ended with a real ill-feeling between the two clubs. This has set up a mouth-watering clash between the two when they meet this year.
Buddy Franklin leaving Hawthorn for bitter foes Sydney will up that rivalry as well.
Lovely stuff!
10. The AFL to show common sense and a heart over Lou Richards
It can be justified by the rules applied to ‘Legend’ status in the Australian Rules Hall of Fame, as to why Lou Richards is denied his rightful status.
But…
Can anyone think of a better definition of an Australian Rules Legend than Lou Richards?
A champion player with 250 games with Collingwood and then in retirement, with his standing in the media, arguably did more to popularise the game than anyone.
In his heyday, he was as big as any of the on-field greats.
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