Footy is completely unrecognisable from what it was a mere 100 years ago. Some would say 30 years ago. What it will look like in another 100 is impossible to even imagine.
But what can we expect in ten years?
More players
The time-honoured 18 men will never change. But the interchange bench is another issue. Not only will the AFL bring back the four-man bench, but a six man bench is also a real possibility.
The growing concern over player health will result in an extended bench with as many as two subs. I’m not sure how I feel about this one, but I do feel it is inevitable.
Interchanges in stoppage time
Leigh ‘Lethal’ Matthews wants interchange rotations to be limited only to after a goal. This would decrease the possibility of shock collisions like the one that KO’d Hawthorn’s Luke Bruest earlier this season.
I see this as another sooner-rather-than-later change, but with one big difference to Lethal’s suggestion. Interchanges should also be allowed during stoppages, such as throw-ins and ball-ups.
In conjunction with an extended bench, we could see a massive change in the game.
Imagine a game with 10 seconds on the clock. The ball goes out of bounds. The coach takes off his entire midfield brigade and replaces them with a six-man group of taggers to shut down the game.
NFL-style team changes like this could really change how the game is not only played but coached; the power to alter the entire make up of the game is power not known in our time at this level.
Armour
This will not be a popular change, but it is another inevitability. Players suing over injuries may well become a regular occurrence, but hopefully not.
Players being paid so highly their team deems them ‘too valuable for injury’ is almost nigh. If the Suns had a way to keep Ablett bruise free you know they’d take it.
When padding gets better and more discrete footy fans might be won over to the idea of their team’s million-dollar man wearing rib padding and a helmet.
One day, maybe when the materials technology is such that they won’t have to look like soft NFL players, shoulder pads to prevent AC joint injuries may well be the norm.
Light-up goal posts
This may sound strange, but hear me out.
The AFL could put special sensors in the padding of the goal post and opposing sensors in the Sherrin.
When the whole ball crosses through these sensors, the goal post lights up green for goal.
If not all of the ball crosses, they turn red. Engineers, get on it.
Names On Jumpers
When the players are armoured up they will all look alike. As such, names will be a necessity.
Twenty team competition
A nineteenth team in Western Australia and a twentieth in North Queensland have already been described as possibilities by the leagues boss.
This won’t happen any time soon, at least not until the Giants and Suns are pulling in crowds of 30,000 or more.
But these are the two next fastest growing regions in Australia and the AFL wants to be in every big market (and rightly so).
Tassie fans need to either convince Hawthorn or North Melbourne to relocate or trigger a mining boom in Strahan to even have a frothies chance in Billy Brownless’ place of hosting a team full time.
Hayden
Guest
Protective Equipment will never be introduced nor it should be. It has been shown that Helmet's make Head injuries more likely because players go in harder because it gives them a false sense of security, as its been shown in the NFL. And it has been proven that wearing helmet's in Amateur Boxing is more likely to cause Brain Damage because you can take more therefore you take more hits. And protective equipment wouldn't work with all the duck away from opponents nature of the game, Amour would be too bulky. Andrew Dimitriou recently said a similar thing when asked about Head injuries in American Football.
Real sports lover.
Guest
Yeah right, you American?, no chance.
chris
Guest
They should make it 14 a side and also introduce touchdowns.
John Smith
Guest
You make some bold forecasts, yet say that 18 players will never change. Ever heard of VFA rules? They only changed back to 18 players from 16 in 1992...
seanoroo
Guest
Either way the Tassy devils has a better ring to it, imagine the demons vs devils hell in a cell blockbuster!
Timmuh
Roar Guru
Despite the massive roadkill volumes across the state, quite a few varieties of kangaroo continue to exist there. And let's face it, some of the larger roos aren't easily brought down by a family sedan anyway.
seanoroo
Guest
Im not sure but is Tasmania the only state void of kangaroos?
Timmuh
Roar Guru
I'm not sure about names on jumpers, the game moves too fast for them to be readable a lot of the time. I wouldn't be at all surprised if numbers on the front of the jumper were introduced - except with all the advertising there might not be room. I wouldn't mind seeing an expanded bench, with two interchange and four subs. I don't expect that to be the balance, but further changes to interchange and sub do seem likely and to me tnhat seems a good balance to cater for injury and reduce the bench rotation that is impossible for fans to keep up with at present. That interchanges may belimited to stoppages would be fought by some coaches, but I personally would like to at least see trialled. The rules around sheperding will no doubt change yet again, possibly outlawing it entirely. The way things are going, four goal umpires may be looked at once more. Its not discussed much any more, but I can see a send off rule coming in at the top level. It is in the rule book, with the AFL explicity stated as an exception. (The AFL forced it on unwilling states by threatening to cut funding if they didn't agree to it.) We may well see the end of umpires reporting players during a game at AFL level. The introduction of a 25 or 30 metre penalty for things like going over the mark. The 50 metre penalty was designed for acts deliberately holding up play, and the two tiered penalty seems to work in the state leagues which have it. The AFL will probably be too pig-headed to look at anything any other body has introduced though. This is very much a wish rather than expectation: Hopefully the introduction of NZ and PNG into the under age national championships, pehaps splitting the ACT off from NSW and creating a division 3 for those teams to play in. Again, wish more than realism : I would like to think that inside a decade we will see the first player drafted from overseas who ahs learned the game in the ir homeland, rather than just put into the "international rookie" scheme. It seems highly unlikely, but just possible. I suspect that may be 30-50 years away as a more liekly target. There will not be more than 18 teams in the next ten years. Nor will any current tem move to Tasmania - if a club is in financial difficulty, why would it move to somewhere certain to make finances worse; and that the AFL will not give special help to, because it Tasmania does not expand the market (the AFL already takes more out of Tasmania is than long term viability allows). A team may be forced to move to Perth. If that occurs, the AFL will remain 18 teams for not just one decade, but probably for half a century.
Brewski
Roar Rookie
No armour, but i think their will be a change on the shepherding, tackling rules, i dont like gang tackling, they will have to do something about head high tackles, players being cleaned up from other players blindsiding them from the interchange bench. But i like the idea of 16 a side and 4 I/C, open play is generally what people want, maybe a ban on Ross Lyon coaching videos is up their somewhere !!. 20 teams is a possibility with Nth Qld and 3rd Perth teams. I think 9 a side football should be considered on a smaller ground, the possibilities are endless really.
TW
Guest
The AFL coaches rule our game and decide which direction the game goes - Everybody else just trails along. For example --- Look what they did to the 19th man then the addition of the 20th man. At that time they were to replace injured players only. The coaches then said eventually we need interchange like the other codes because we have speeded the game up with the run on handpass. The best feature and main tenant of our game will always be the exciting breakout from the backline long kick or kicks to the high flying forwards and kicking for goal. That is what makes our game different and Tom Wills foresaw that system in the 1860`s. So if you guys can read the coaches minds you may have some idea
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
I found a couple of early 20th C match reports. No substitutes back then :)
Nathan of Perth
Guest
"An early buy out of the Etihad stadium is a distinct possibility" Quite possible - before it needs to have major renovations and life-extension work anyway.
Nathan of Perth
Guest
Should call it a try, not a touch down.
Nathan of Perth
Guest
Never say never - at the very least, a greater number of substitutes is almost assuredly on the way, no matter how much the coaches squeal.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
That's almost returning to the days of the 19th and 20th man - I'd say that has zero chance.
Nathan of Perth
Guest
Wouldn't be totally surprised if they did away with interchange and went for an all substitutes bench.
The Cattery
Roar Guru
I like the sound of 16 plus 4 plus 2 subs (22 man game day team). The old VFA idea of 16 men would open up the game so much more, plus it would be a boon to country footy needing to field only 16 players. While a 3rd WA team is a no-brainer, I have to admit that at the moment, 20 teams sounds like a step too far.
nearpost
Guest
I prefer the possible football changes, some confirmed some not: Asia Cup in Australia 2015. Aussie teams getting further in Asian Champions League - home semis and finals coming soon. A-League Coaches and teams continuing to produce even better football Socceroos to attend next two World Cups Interesting rule changes you propose, name on shirts, an extra team here or there in AFL that's all great but football has so much more to get excited about.
JamesP
Guest
More players - I think to change the starting 18 on the ground will be a massive change. You could argue that less players on the ground could lead to less flooding and more free flowing football - but it could also lead to more goals and more blow-outs. Would only work if the competition became a helluva lot more even. Interchanges in stoppage time - Not sure here - would be easy enough after goals (30 secs to do it), but what about boundary throw ins (about 15 secs) and after points (now almost immediate). If anything, it would create longer stoppages and lengthen the quarters. Armour - NO Light up goal posts - that would be interesting. Lets aim for goal line camera's first and go from there Names on Jumpers - why not? 20 team comp - agree a relocated Melbourne team to Tassie is likely - could even happen (unlikely) within the current broadcast agreement due to the maintaining of the 9 games per rounds as per the contract. I think it will be North. Has the least amount of members and support - and now plays 2 games in Tassie. Reckon they will go to 4 soon. Bulldogs are not much better, but at least have Melbourne's growing West to work with. Longer term I think 3rd WA team a possibility (but wait for new stadium first), followed by ACT. Fitzpatrick on EMT mentioned that the AFL were beaten to Canberra by the NRL. North QLD is way too risky for mine - population spread all over the place. Rather go for Darwin (ultra long term option)
Redb
Roar Guru
More Players? - No I think less. 16 man team with 6 interchange (2 subs). No to Interchange squads on and off. Why slow the game down. Armour - why not, although I would classify it as padding so players dont use the armour to ram each other ala NFL. I think armour would add to the gladiatorial apsect of the game as a TV spectacle. Light up goal posts - great idea or a version of it that tracks a GPS inside the ball as it moves through the goal post senses. Could track the speed the ball is kicked through the goal,etc. Names on jumpers - meh. 20 team comp. - 3rd WA and Nth QLD. North will be the Tassie side most likely. I relocation and 2 startup in 10 years.