It’s only been two weeks since he retired, but I already find myself disagreeing with Nick Riewoldt.
On Sunday he suggested that it is time for the draw to be axed, and for games that are level at full time to go into extra time.
I could not disagree more. To be honest, draws are not central to the game, and removing them will not be overly detrimental to the sport itself. It would also not improve the game in any way, making it a pointless exercise.
There are three equal and legitimate outcomes from a game of football: win, loss and draw. If scores are level at full time, then neither team deserves the win, but they also do not deserve the loss.
Of course, in finals we need a result, and the size and importance of each game in modern times rules out the possibility of replays. So extra time is certainly needed in that situation. But for the regular season, draws should and need to remain.
(AAP Image/Julian Smith)
The first recorded game of what was to become Australian football in 1858 ended in a draw after three Saturday’s worth of play. So the draw has been an acknowledged result of the game since its very beginning.
Of course, that’s not a reason for it to remain part of the game; the game has continually evolved. One fact has remained though, you have a certain amount of time to score more than your opponent.
If you fail to do this, you do not win the game – and you shouldn’t be given an extra opportunity to win if you couldn’t do it in regulation time. That is why the draw should remain.
Luke Shuey’s goal on Saturday night was extraordinary fundamentally because it was an extremely rare moment. Draws themselves are of course rare, finals draws are even rarer and goals after the siren in extra time are basically unheard of.
Their rareness of these events is what makes them special. Some have argued that this rareness is exactly why they need to be abolished – i.e. that they are a remnant from another time.
Of course as GWS found out this season, two draws puts you right back in the pack with everyone else. We shouldn’t change rules like this just to make the ladder more exciting. Premiership points have always been more important than percentage and they will remain so.
A draw is a recognition that on certain days two teams may be equal. One does not necessarily have to be better. It’s important for the AFL to remember this and keep the draw for the regular season. Let moments like Luke Shuey’s extra time goal be saved for finals, that will mean games like that remain extra special.
republican
Guest
.....to be sure, a bad idea. Most League supporters I know believe this innovation to be a blight on their game whole the nRL have been scrutinising this more recently, with some pressure to cease with it altogether. Draws are to be valued across all contested sport. Soccer, where they are the rule rather than the exception, happens o be the most supported 'brand' of footy on the planet. In first past the post contests i.e. Swimming where the clock determines the victor, races can't always be split and as such Medals are shared. Leave it alone for heavens sake. Does the AFL have a special nerdy department dedicated to looking for reasons to tweek our game as a self perpetuating exercise to justify their own existence?
Hipocritic
Guest
Yeah get rid of the draw and while we are at it get rid of the loss. Any team that is behind at the end be allowed to have shots at goal until they in front. No losers, no draws and every one is a winner. Get rid of the bounce, get rid of forced behinds, get rid of behinds, get rid of the real holding the ball rule, get rid of non deliberate out of bounds, get rid of everything or alternatively just leave the great game alone.
Rosella
Guest
I have always thought the draw should be retained, it is a legitimate result, even if unpopular with supporters & players. However now that all finals have extra time it seems prudent that home & away matches operate under the same rules. The occurrence of draws in finals is pretty rare and so the opportunity to see potential issues with the way the rules are implemented limited. The game seems to have ways of generating unforeseen issues or problems relating to new rules. Would be a shame for a GF to be ruined or significantly impacted because of unforeseen issues with the operation of extra time. At least if extra time is played during the home & away the will be additional opportunities to evaluate how extra time operates and the impacts on players, umpiers etc.
valhalla
Guest
heaven forbid .... what would fans of the rectangular codes use to mock australian football if that happened
Nick Symonds
Guest
What's next, getting rid of behinds as well?
Not buying
Guest
I didn't have an opinion before reading this article but it has turned me the other way with its poor logic and unsupported arguments. I agree draws are a legitimate result. But why do we "need" to retain them? It's actually more exciting not to have them, the players never like them and the result they produce is just as valid as the draw.
Paul D
Roar Guru
How often do you have a two horse race
Johnno
Guest
So what happens in a horse race?
Wayne
Roar Guru
Draws are fine in regular season. Also, when your severely outmatched, scratching out a draw against a highly fancied opponent is still a result.
Leonard
Guest
Nick Riewoldt seems to be a lovely bloke, a good guy and a decent person (as far as we can tell - which is not a dig at him, but a much-needed caveat in an age of hyper PR BS). But being all these does not insulate people from saying something stupid - and all calls to get rid of H&A draws can only fall into the 'Roo-lly' stupid basket. (For many valid and understandable reasons, this does not apply to Finals.) Not every contest in sport and in life has a winner and a loser: sometimes the various factors at play on each side balance each other out so finely that a draw of a tie is the only fair and just outcome. Test (aka 'real') cricket, that most complex of all sports, recognises this with its win / lose / draw / tie set of results. Surely Nick is not playing the politicians' and intellectuals' card: that we plebs are too stupid to deal with draws, whether in life or in sport? Take a break, Nick - go see the world outside AFL, away from our often dumb media, and start enjoying life as she is lived.
Sal
Guest
Play on until someone scores. Don't know why there is a push to get rid of draws, it's a legitimate result.
Brian
Guest
Out of interest if the scores are level after the 10 mintues does the siren go and the ball bounced in the middle or is it just play on until someone scores? As for draws 100% they should stay.
Daz
Roar Pro
Agree 100%.There is absolutely no need to "must have" a winner during the regular home and away season, as we already have a simple and elegant mechanism to determine draws. If two teams are deemed equal at the end of the allotted time, then we split the available points equally. If we remove the draw, will we also reinstate Brownlow countbacks to remove draws from that too? Stop trying to change things that don't need changing.
Mattyb
Guest
Completely agree with the article. There are three legitimate results like you said in football,and points are allocated accordingly. This complaining about everything from some sectors is becoming a bigger issue than many of the issues being raised.
Knoxy
Guest
Good article agree completely. The only thing I would add if that personally I don't think they should use golden point in finals matches either. I think that is a cheap way to determine the winner. If the scores are still level after 10 minutes of extra time then they should just play 10 minutes of extra time again. Keep playing extra time until you have a winner.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Yeah I think the replay was cruel and unusual punishment, it felt an anachronism at the time and I'm glad it's been retired Riewoldt is still that scarred by it he's crying for draws to be abolished 7 years later
Milo
Roar Rookie
Totally agree. A draw is actually a genuine result. I was even supportive of the policy pre 2010 when we had three different outcomes depending on when the draw occurred ie nothing during the H&A but two points each; extra time in minor finals and full replay for Grand Final given the importance of the game. Notwithstanding that, the logic of extra time in the GF is hard to argue against.
Knoxy
Guest
How do they make it meaningless during the home and away season? If it's a draw you just split the four points. Seems pretty reasonable to me.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Great argument and well written. I find myself in total agreement
Conor
Roar Guru
Agree with you 100%,