The AFL is an extraordinary beast.
On Thursday it was reported across all major media outlets, otherwise known as AFL lackeys, that the AFL Competition Committee was ready to put forth its rule change recommendations to the AFL Commission later this month.
The proposed rule changes have been bubbling along as a key issue all year, thanks to more congestion-heavy games and lower scoring than many key stakeholders, particularly Channel 7, have liked.
The AFL has been in a rush to make changes, carefully and strategically leaking their plans throughout the year in order to warm up the football public.
September is supposed to be a celebration of football, with all focus on the clubs that make finals and the games to be held throughout. Already, we’ve had four hot matches in the first week of finals, which have produced myriad storylines and narratives about players and clubs, both winners and losers, alike.
But of course the AFL has to use this time to leak its changes. Rarely do they get their timing right, and once again they have failed dismally.
But onto the rule changes themselves.
Firstly, the positives.
Runners will likely only be allowed on the ground between goals. This is a win. There’s really no need for them at all, so any scaling back is a start.
Water carriers should also be seen less. Let’s leave the playing arena to the players, wherever possible.
There is talk of simplifying the rules, and halving the length of the rule book. This is to be applauded. There is a ridiculously high amount of rules in the game, making it impossible to adjudicate for umpires.
There are so many rules that could be gotten rid of, so it’s pleasing to hear that they will scale them back. Perhaps a reason the game is in the state it is, is because of the never-ending rule changes over the last decade or two.
Now, onto the areas that people are going to have problems with.
Starting positions at centre bounces, named 6-6-6, has been spoken about at length, and appears certain to be implemented. Four players will have to start in the centre square as they currently do, two players will be assigned to the wings, anywhere on the sides of the square.
Along with this, six players will have to start forward and back at each end, including one in the goalsquare (we’ll get to that in a moment).
Given that the large impetus for these rule changes is to cure congestion, and the least congested part of any game is the centre square bounce, you can rest assured that 6-6-6 will do absolutely nothing.
(AAP Image/Julian Smith)
The biggest proposed change, by far, is extending the goal-square, doubling it from 9m to 18m.
The idea behind it is to prevent forward-lines locking the ball inside 50 with their forward pressure, by giving the defender kicking out after a behind more options.
The modern game sees teams highly focussed on repeat inside 50s, and this draws a crowd into one half of the ground, if not one third of it. It’s harder than ever before to transition from defensive 50 to attacking 50.
By extending the goalsquare, the AFL is trying to effectively widen the ground and give the team kicking out more usable space. The ball can go a bit deeper into the middle and bit a bit wider out to the flanks and wings.
What this should do is spread the defensive zones across a wider area, opening more holes in said zone. So it won’t just be about the long ball, but short passes should be easier to achieve, which means marking instead of ground balls, which in turn eases congestion.
It could work. But we can almost guarantee there will be unintended consequences, even if we don’t know what they are.
It’s staggering the AFL wouldn’t trial these for at least a full round of pre-season matches first, rather than a few lower level games and training sessions. People respond viscerally to change, and a new goalsquare will be confronting to many.
The AFL isn’t necessarily in the wrong to want to improve the spectacle. Coaches have made the sport much more dour and defensive than it used to be. The great pity is that most of them seem to grasp that attacking and free-flowing football is more likely to have success. Instead, they try and mitigate risk when they have weaker lists.
Richmond gained a competitive advantage in 2017 by doing nothing more complicated than taking the game on. It catapulted them from 13th on the ladder in 2016 to a storied premiership, and has them warm favourites to go back-to-back.
No doubt the head people at the AFL are serious about their role as custodians of the game, and believe they have its interests at heart.
But they don’t have the trust of the football community. They usually stuff things up. Their motivations don’t always appear pure. Worst of all, they almost always look like they are making things up on the run.
Either way, change is coming, for better or worse. Let’s hope it’s the former.
Daws
Roar Rookie
So you would be okay if someone punched you in the face on the football field?
Dan
Guest
Disagree. Each goal forces the ball back to the middle where ‘forward pressure’ does not come into consideration. The challenge is that the team feels like it is under pressure and drops people behind the ball, in turn creating the congestion.
Dan
Guest
With the 18m square, does it mean that if a kick out is on the front edge, they could legitimately pass the ball backwards to someone standing on the point line for a mark? Is there something in the rules about not being able to do this? Feels like an opportunity to waste seconds on the clock...
Bill C
Guest
The 18 metre goal square is unnecessary. Sam Frost kicked a torpedo from the goal square on Friday night, that nearly landed in the centre circle. I've said before that if a handful of players in each team were identified as having the ability to consistently kick a torp, teams should practice the skill and make it part of their arsenal. No need for ill-conceived rule changes.
Goalsonly
Roar Rookie
Yes my bad. The attacking side will be more desperate to keep ball in play and defensive team will be kicking points for opposition from anywhere up to 20 meters out. Even as a bail out.
Goalsonly
Roar Rookie
"The idea is to win first and foremost in every sport I can think of." Spot On Riche, That's what gives us the freedom to table results how best compliments the creative skills of the game. So as to highlight the sport as entertainment and spectacle and hopefully sell it all over China for billions of dollars. You don't need point rewards to dictate competitive play. It's kind of an insult to keep pushing that line. It's natural and as you say it is the basis of sport. The reason why is that ... sport is there it test us out to bring out our best. Thats why we play.
Cracka
Roar Rookie
I would like to see the following changes. 1) Reduce the 50mt penalties to 15mt penalties - it will help stop players running forward and flooding the forward 50, every single time one is awarded, plus we do away with easy goals. 2) Reduce the interchanges - this will help with the flooding, but also we will see more players rotating from the centre square to the forward line, as coaches will rest ruckmen and mids in the forward line, which will mean they the resting players will be less likely to follow their defenders up the ground and this will mean, when we have a turn over in the middle of the ground teams will have players in their forward 50 to kick to. I don't think we need a 6/6/6 rule, bigger goal squares (again players will just flood behind the centre circle), no extra umpires. I believe the current game is way too over umpired and we need the free kicks to be awarded when they are seen and take away the interpretation of the rules, we don't need any grey areas in umpires decisions let go back to black and white rules.
Mark Day
Guest
1. Play on when kicking backwards - to avoid time wasting in a close game. 2. Boundary umpires to throw ball in from 3 metres inside the boundary line - to place the ball in the centre of the oval and prevent it going straight out of play again 3. One player from each team (Full forward and full back) never to leave the 50m arc during the game unless leading for the ball or free kick to be paid in front of full forward’s goal against offending team - to ensure a one on one competition when ball is delivered to forward line. Will likely encourage longer kicks directly into the forward line making for less deviated play as occurs now whilst the forwards get to and set up in the forward line after roving the ball and contesting play. 4. And perhaps a fun change to call “play on” if the ball bounces back into play after hitting a post.
David jones
Guest
These guys are all over the rules changes. Great podcast https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/one-game-at-a-time/id1258729162?mt=2&i=1000418876255
Ham man
Guest
Also 4 umpires was better because it stopped negative tactics employed by coaches the 2 rounds it was trialed the games were a lot better to watch.The less coach influence the better
Ham man
Guest
Have 1 interchange player and 3 subs.Sub's can change games when all 3 are put on after half time and game has opened up after half time remember Teddy Hopkins.Only interchange after goals and starting positions after points are scored like 4 players each in opposite 50 arc.The problem is the game never open up this will fix it
Observer
Guest
Methinks the AFL board have bigger fish to fry than tinkering with rule changes. Gold Coast Suns for one have gone from ordinary to bad to now woeful despite the built in leg ups in the system for new franchises. Forward half congestion, to my way of thinking is a distant priority when there is an entire club wallowing in deep mud. Protecting the player's head / contact to the head as an issue, is still in a state of flux; with often wildly variable weekly interpretations of what constitutes reckless and or intentional / unintentional contact to the head. Players making contact with umpires is another issue that is yet to see uniform policing. I could bang on with more examples such as the goal line video reviews etc where current rule interpretations are yet to gain stable adjudications which is frustrating those on both sides of the playing fence. So how about it AFL board? Let's see some finer tuning of the way the game is played in it's current form before introducing reforms that are unproven or at least have a very low baseline from which to study the results if there are indeed any results at all..... I'd much rather see the AFl actually properly police the rules as they are with some tighter interpretation rather than trying to influence the way the game is played by making further rule changes.
RT
Roar Rookie
The idea is to win first and foremost in every sport I can think of.
Goalsonly
Roar Rookie
Point taken on high standard of pressure, I do rate goals and spectacle very high. Last night (melb v hawks) was similar in a way but a few extra goals seemed to make a big difference in the entertainment values. Maybe it symptomatic of rising above the fear and being that bit cleaner.
Goalsonly
Roar Rookie
Just on the EPL, you would think that the future King of England William who is president of the Football Association would want to see all the tricks and skills his elite could muster. Yet even with his Royal Charm he has to watch pretty low scoring and defensive sport due to the 'fear of losing' induced by the point system. Because in the point system if you do lose you actually go backwards even if you play a highly entertaining high scoring game.
Goalsonly
Roar Rookie
The four point system is unnecessarily cruel putting a lot of people under incredible pressure. It also produces a negative mindset. And occupies populations attention with footy dramas. EPL soccer changed their points system in early 80's as they were concerned with low scores but soccer remains about a 2.5 goals per game even so. Goals are the true indicator of on field achievement. Converting winning into a point system is a second rate system. The whole idea of using numbers to record games is sort of separate to the game itself but as you have gleaned, it has come to dictate every facet of the game. Reward points are being tried in Netball and Rugby with mixed results and complications. Footy could lead the world in releasing this sport from its shackles.
PeteB
Guest
Yes please answer Cam. Are you suggesting that you’re okay with what happened to Brayshaw ??
Mister Football
Roar Guru
Surprisingly, the key rules which make Australian Football unique, are still there. Interestingly, we are returning to the original rules by having the kick off from a behind at 20 yards! :)
Seano
Roar Rookie
Why does the new format take out all the spaces and paragraphs? Make me look like a child.
Seano
Roar Rookie
Any time change will be worked out by coaches, I hate the giant goal square and like the rest though. Interesting the the 50m line is actually going to be used when initially it was just for looks. If they want to fix the scoring they need to do it with out rule changes. 3 points a win 2 points a draw 1 point for scoring 100 or more if you win or draw. Problem solved. Let’s see the first borning Ross Lyon type miss the finals with more wins! Game on!