The AFL needs to fix itself before it takes on the world

Suggestions, in no specific order, to think about for improving this 'game of our own'. For starters, sort out the matchday jumpers mess, by minimising as close to zero as possible the use of 'clash guernseys' (with none of them being all-white)'; then cease and desist from all those (mainly) ugly, dog's breakfast-style 'themed' jumpers; whatever cause celebre can be advertised on special attire for sale to fans, but not for use in game-time; and rid our guernseys of 95% of the current corporate defacement with only a manufacturers' brands at the throat, with a smaller AFL logo below one shoulder, and each club's logo below the other; especially rid them of those wussy twee little AFL logos at the base of each number - so silly looking. Each season, matchday jumpers have the AFL logo framed by 'SEASON 2017' (reigning premiers have 'PREMIERS 2017'), and the club logo by '120th year of competition' (or however many years). Cut all links to parasitic betting mobs passing on their contagion, including all advertising - treat it like alcoholism of the wallet. (And leave the kids' run-through banners alone.) No more - as in TOTALLY, ABSOLUTELY no more - official scalping by upping GF ticket prices beyond the reach of fair dinkum fans, including NO MORE offers of "Win GF tickets!!!!" (some of which are offered before the H&A season has even started); same with the NM Breakfast and other events. Finally, let the members of the GF clubs INTO - THE - MCG - SEE - THE - BLOODY - GAME! Make at least 65% of tickets available for them (allotted pro rata according to memberships). We should keep telling the AFL Commissars and its CEO: "IT'S BLOODY WELL NOT YOUR GAME, IT'S OURS" - remember it's ''Populo ludus populi''. (Otherwise, may Caesar and his 10th Legion return to give you nightmares!) PS: any half-awake IT junkie could work out how to display corporate 'brandings' on matchday screens small, medium and large - just keep them off players matchday jumpers!

""The AFL is a complex beast, a confusing game with an odd shaped ball that forever seeks to be a global sensation while barely garnering the majority of the interest in a country with a population of a small European nation." All true. If it weren't such an outstanding product, it would be really struggling!

"Prime time" Interesting notion. GF has been broadcast live since 1977 (40 years) Weekly rounds were 6 games Sat arvo all starting at 2pm until Sydney gave us a live Sunday arvo game every 2nd week. Friday nights didn't feature until the mid/late '80s but wasn't considered 'prime' real estate until the later '90s. Irrespective of which - to get to #1 in the country for participation (on the basis of this tv coverage....in Sydney? in Brisbane?) - I'd just like to see the participation numbers that Chris is basing his assertion upon.

Easily the best live product.

Spot GJ, I recall many anti AFL posters on the Roar proclaiming when the the AFL got $780M it was way over the odds. What was the last deal?, oh yeah $2B + lol

The AFL is fortunate that of the four main football codes played in Australia: it has the best product. Anyone who has been to an AFL match would agree with me.

Everything in life changes. Are the cars the same now as they were 50 years ago? Did we have the internet and mobile phones back then? Football will always change and evolve. It always will. Even the NRL goes through changes as well. Most of the changes in the AFL have been for the better and to protect the players head and body from serious injury. Most AFL fans don't care about spreading the game to the world. Look at the riots in world soccer. AFL fans are happy to have a game that is unique and our very own game. So most of the changes have been for the better. Back in the 70's and 80's you could take a player out of the game in some off the ball Shepard and get away with cleaning him up and forcing him to be taken off the ground on a stretcher. Oh how the game has changed to protect the player now.

Some rule changes are good, some not so good, 3rd man up is stupid, but the changes around sling tackling etc are smart. The AFL will never be the main code north of the Murrambidgee, but as it stands ATM it is the 3rd most watched code after cricket and the NRL in the north. Because of historical reasons that are a mix of economic, political and cultural the game has a better chance of being bigger O/S than in Sydney in particular, it takes many generations to break those down. Although it must be said that ATM the game is doing particularly well below the AFL level in Sydney, so perhaps we have reached that point or are approaching it.

I agree Andrew. John, the game changes with the good rule changes but there are several rule changes and interpretations that are ruining the game for me. Especially the interpretation of the incorrect disposal. Far too many throws and dropping the ball go un-adjudicated. this is turning the game into a form of Rugby Union. Now Rugby Union is a dying game so why would you try to emulate it? Beyond me. The powers that be in the AFL are just children anyway or att least their attitude is childish. When I hear a CEO say 'get over it' I know we have an immature person running the show. 'Get over it' is a saying used by people who have no idea of the issues that are being put to them or have trouble empathizing with other people and seeing the opinions of others as valuable and viable. The AFL will never conquer the world with this administration because they are inwardly focused and basically seem to be penalised with narcissistic personality disorder. They are more focused on the rules of the game than growing the game. The biggest growth could be in poorer countries but of course this administration doesn't think that is viable. In years to come they will be proved wrong. In other words they have absolutely no vision for the future of the game, only their own self interest.

On the other end there's nobody more frustrating than someone who wants the game to return to its "glory days" of kicking long to a 1 on 1 in the goal square for the entire game.

"The NFL in America has massive concussion problems, which it cannot do anything about due to the fixed rules;" Really? The NFL changes rules annually, and the more significant changes are almost exclusively about improving player safety.

I agree that the AFL needs to be careful with all of the rule tinkering... but that's about it. The rule changes aren't happening because of a vocal minority, they're happening because a bunch of people at AFLHQ think they are being clever and progressive. How many people were calling for the third man up rule to be abolished? How many people wanted a crackdown on deliberate out of bounds? A few, perhaps, but the AFL took it upon itself to change those rules out of a desire to improve the 'flow' of the game. It certainly wasn't caving to external pressure. The loudest voices I hear in the media and the public are usually urging the AFL to leave the game alone, and for the most part the AFL ignores them. The last thing the AFL needs is more self-confidence. They currently have too much of that as it is, seeming to think that everything thy touch will turn to gold. The expansion clubs (AKA 'let's throw cash at the wall and hope it sticks'), the NZ experiment and now China. Those are not the signs of an organisation lacking boldness or bravery. In fact, they're signs of an organisation that has too much of both.

Good article. The Incorrect Disposal rule has been butchered by the ALF the current interpretation is just rubbish.

This post right there is your article! Taking on the world? I can't see much evidence to suggest this is high priority at HQ - more to grow the game North of the Murray. There is an article purely on the idea of making Australian Football an international sport. On that article I posted my view that on current TV ratings and crowd numbers stacking up against the biggest and best known leagues on the planet, I don't see a need - yet - to attempt to show it off os. It is already in someway growing os off it's own back. As you may already know the yanks had TV access to the GF's in the 80's and since then leagues have sprouted in the us and in parts of europe

"The game has had prime time TV coverage for 50 years yet the sport still isn’t the no 1 participation sport in the country." My memory of prime time 50 years ago was being lucky enough to be at 1 of the grandparents house for a few hours on the weekend. That was the only tv I ever watched. Black and white to boot. It was the same scenario for a large section of the population then. And truth be known we would usually be outside entertaining ourselves (often with a football - not the round type). I cannot help but feel that you are being a little loose with the facts that you perceive help support your opinion.

"It has received way above the market price for its television rights and these have been supplemented by the constant addition of teams to the competition. saturation point is nigh upon them." I'd be interested to know how you came to that conclusion Chris.

Chris, I don't think the AFL has any real plans to grow the game, as it is, outside Australia... I think it's only ambition is to sell the current content to overseas broadcasters (i.e. improve that revenue stream). The modified version/s of the game is to complement the main (18 a side) game... so it can be played with smaller numbers and on smaller grounds (like touch footy). The league does not require relegation and promotion, as it has equalisation measures in place (salary cap, draft, and priority picks)... there are numerous professional sporting leagues around the world that don't use pro/rel.... some use equalisation measures (eg. NFL). "There are no grand prizes for coming top of the league but rely on a one off game to decide " - there is the minor premiership for top of table at regular season conclusion, but yes the major prize is for the grand final premiership decider (which requires both teams to win multiple knock-out games). It is a great test of ability under pressure. Soccer world cups, euro cups etc all use a knock-out process.... as do other sporting leagues. "The draw is manifested so that the big crowd pulling teams meet each other on more occasions than others." Yes the draw is compromised... it is a brutal contact sport, and playing each other twice (H&A) would make it a too long season. The double up games is a mixture of traditional rivalries...and some form of 'eveness'. Yes the rules change from time to time... some player welfare, some to negate existing rules being manipulated to play against the spirit of the game. "The game has had prime time TV coverage for 50 years yet the sport still isn’t the no 1 participation sport in the country." It wasn't until the late eighties that games were broadcast in full on a regular basis... and then in the mid nineties games were played in the evening. Participation rates? I am assuming you are comparing to soccer (and other football codes, but not netball)... soccer has been higher for a number of years, yet League and Aussie Rules still out rate soccer, and get bigger broadcast deals... BBL out rates soccer... in fact, does soccer out rate anything it goes head to head against? that sounds a bit mean... but does it? I realise you are trying to push the old soccer is bigger world wide therefore AFL must be rubbish argument, but the fact remains, we have 4 competing football codes, which is equally accessible to everyone, and people watch the codes they prefer. In the US they prefer American Football, in New Zealand they like Rugby.... don't get angry about it...vive la différence!

There's 18 clubs, a whopping NINE of which are in Melbourne. Only two are in "regional" cities, Geelong and Gold Coast. There's no real representation from Tasmania, the ACT or the NT. And here we are talking about playing games for premiership points in China?

The AFL is an Australian based sport played mainly in 4 states of a country with a total population of 24 mill. So in world terms it doesn't even register interest outside these shores and in fact outside state boundaries. It is a big fish in a very small sporting pond. It has received way above the market price for its television rights and these have been supplemented by the constant addition of teams to the competition. saturation point is nigh upon them. The league has no relegation or promotion. There are no grand prizes for coming top of the league but rely on a one off game to decide . The draw is manifested so that the big crowd pulling teams meet each other on more occasions than others. The rules constantly change due to the fact no one outside a few borders really cares . The game has had prime time TV coverage for 50 years yet the sport still isn't the no 1 participation sport in the country.