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There are three certainties in life: death, taxes and the inevitable annual outcry that the game of AFL is being ruined.
The primary, though not exclusive, focus this year has been on the ‘rolling maul’, which many commentators have decreed is spoiling the game to such an extent that it is no longer ‘real’ Aussie rules.
In fact some people have been proclaiming its not even an ‘indigenous’ game anymore but is rather some hideous rugby and soccer hybrid. I have one word for this argument.
Nonsense.
Go back 12 months, and the repetitious uproar was that the umpires were ruining the game of footy. Let the game flow by stopping the ‘tiggy-taggy’ free kicks was the cry from the masses.
Well, be careful what you wish for because that’s exactly what happened. The umpires, in a bid to create continuous play, are now far more reluctant to stop the game when the ball has any chance whatsoever of moving.
As every team places great importance on winning contested possession and the tackle count, this further adds to the congestion around the ball when it’s in dispute.
The ‘rolling maul’ is therefore a classic case of an unintended consequence arising from an action, in this case a demand the umpires put the whistle away.
But one thing is certain – coaches will eventually devise a new game plan that eliminates it, or there’ll be rule tweaks to reduce the number of times it happens. Until then it would be far more interesting to hear some serious tactical analysis and comment on its temporary place in the game, and remembering it’s just one component of AFL rather than proclaiming the game is dead because of it.
Another particular grievance of some, including Kevin Bartlett, is the interchange rule. He believes the rule is contributing to the game losing its identity. Kevin thinks it should be scrapped and that the game would improve as a spectacle with 18 players slogging it out to the death.
This means a move back to pre-1978 rules, before the interchange bench was introduced. How he comes to the conclusion that watching two exhausted players fight for a ball is more attractive is beyond me, as is his assertion that no interchange bench would free up space on the ground during the game.
When I last looked 18 exhausted players took up the same amount of space as 18 fresh players, but perhaps I’m missing something.
However it does seem that complaints about the game have gone up a few decibels this year, and the ‘game was better in my day’ brigade have been out in full force. Perhaps it’s just the ever-increasing AFL media overload ensuring more and more commentators and ex-players are desperately trying to be heard.
Perhaps there are some aspects of footy from years ago that people do genuinely and understandably miss. Perhaps people just like to whine. But nostalgia invariably forgets the bad things about the past, and in the case of footy there were plenty of those.
Appalling footy grounds with little or no amenities, mud baths for playing surfaces, urinating in public, beer cans thrown, and healthy doses of overt racism and sexism were just some of the things to look forward to on a Saturday afternoon. And guess what, there was always bad games, boring games, defensive football, terrible teams, low scoring games and blowouts.
And there always will be, it’s the nature of a competitive league.
Right now the game has never been in better shape or looked better, and there’s a multitude of reasons why. The AFL administration itself has done a magnificent job in protecting, expanding and promoting the game at all levels right down to grass roots and junior footy. Just think how utterly brilliant Auskick is.
There has been some perhaps justified criticism with the Essendon saga, but they’ve given us a world-class national competition that’s something to be proud of.
At a club level Hawthorn, Sydney, and Collingwood (to name but three) have quite brilliant successful administrative structures that would be the envy of many corporate entities. On the field we have the privilege of watching some of the finest athletes in world sport. I marvel at the magic of Gary Ablett, the brute force of Joel Selwood, the freak goals from Buddy Franklin, the craft of Scott Pendlebury and the youthful and exciting exuberance of GWS, Port and the Suns.
In the comfort of some fantastic stadiums, we can watch a breathtaking contest that produces big marks, gut running, exhilarating goals, brilliant handball skills and tackling that has never been better or indeed harder.
And I love the fact that AFL players show unbelievable courage to get up and play through pain, unlike soccer players who act as if they’ve been shot by a rogue sniper in the crowd each time an opponent breathes on them.
As a Pommie who’s lived in Australia for 25 years, it’s always a nigh on impossible challenge to try to explain to my mates back home how AFL is the greatest game in the world. But I truly believe it is, and I refuse to let the latest tactical developments (good or bad) cloud that view.
The game will continue to evolve, and it’s never been better shape. We are lucky to have it and should savour it, appreciate it and stop the moaning.
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