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Quite frankly it often looks as though a handkerchief could be thrown over the players in a game of Australian rules football.
Statistics suggest that the scrappy, ongoing contests that resemble something similar to a rugby union ruck or maul have led to a dramatic increase in ball-ups and throw-ins – as well as less goals being kicked.
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In what is particularly a trademark ploy for sides inferior in fitness and precision of kicking, hordes of numbers swarm to each contest to prevent a free-flowing, attacking and high-scoring spectacle.
And fair enough, too. However, it is not ideal for the appeal and growth of the great Australian game.
It makes for ugly viewing which has consequences too great to be undermined and the AFL community has gone into meltdown because of it.
So here’s one small change that would bring big rewards.
Firstly, the AFL could consider awarding five premiership points to the winning team in the event of them reaching 140-plus points in doing so.
After 15 rounds this year, this has only been achieved seven times, namely by Adelaide, Collingwood, Hawthorn, Geelong, Western Bulldogs, St Kilda and West Coast.
Given that percentage often or always dilutes the yearly mid-ladder log jam come finals time, determines the winner of the minor premiership and decides the ‘winner’ of the wooden spoon, the value of the elusive five-point win – instead of the usual four – cannot be underestimated.
Teams would jump at the opportunity to record them as frequently as possible.
It would lead to teams spreading out across the ground a lot more, keeping more numbers forward of the ball and not congesting the contest too much.
The result? A far more exciting display of football in which we see more one-on-one contests, more goals being kicked and more pin-the-ears-back run-and-carries.
Picture Buddy Franklin one-on-one with Josh Gibson, Eddie Betts weaving his banana-kicking magic on the boundary or Cyril Rioli tearing down the wing to kick a thrilling goal on the run.
It’s the stuff that’s made of magic.
Some may say it would lead to the sides inferior in fitness and precision of kicking, such as Brisbane and St Kilda at this current time, losing by bigger margins.
However, at least it would make for a more free-flowing, attacking and high-scoring brand of football.
If we start to see bigger deficits, that’s then a problem for player development and management as well as the salary cap.
Think back to the man who revolutionised the game of cricket. Was Kerry Packer all about a brand of excitement?
Given the coloured clothing, night matches and ‘big-name’ player signings from the West Indies and afar, you bet he was.
Perhaps the AFL’s solution to less congestion and in turn greater excitement, is the idea of the winning team being awarded five premiership points for a big score.
A million other solutions to mass congestion have been suggested in recent times, right from the subtle to the radical.
There’s the possibility of an interchange cap reduction, which sounds like a completely reasonable move, and then there’s the radical idea of ‘zoning’ suggested by Leigh Matthews that – although perhaps may make for football utopia, to use Lethal’s words – would be way too difficult to monitor both from an umpiring and playing perspective.
However, the solution regarding the rewarding of five premiership points to the winning team in the event of them reaching 140-plus points seems to me like one that is highly reasonable.
Gillion and Co., the ball is in your court.
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