Thursday saw the return of the NRL, the first mainstream sport to resume in Australia after the easing of COVID 19 lockdown legislation.
The work behind the scenes by chairman Peter V’landys to take initiative and implement a restart and changes to the game has been nothing short of impressive.
The AFL is set to restart on June 11th in crowd-free stadiums and can learn a lot from the resumption of the NRL.
The NRL implemented crowd noises to their broadcasts on the weekend to provide the feel that an audience was present.
Cheers at times were often loud and over-hyped on occasion but worked will provide an atmosphere to the broadcast.
Another major change was only one referee compared to the usual two. This provided the game with a bit more pace rather than conferring and deliberating a call with a second referee.
The biggest ruling change was the 6-again wave on advantage rather than stopping the play. This was a welcomed change keeping the game moving along rather than breaking for repeated sets.
The AFL can learn a lot from the round of NRL. The AFL need to be liaising with broadcasting partners over the next two weeks to implement crowd noises. Broadcasters should be sourcing the familiar “Ball” call that is just so unique to the football that we are so used to.
The AFL’s current system of three on-field umpires would be the bare minimum at the moment, as the game gets faster off the ball incidents are becoming more prevalent and require an extra umpire to keep an eye on that.
Although the AFL doesn’t have a set of six again rule, stoppages in the field of play are becoming more a part of the game. The reduction of repeated ball ups needs to be eradicated by creating a wider perimeter to prevent the sharking of the ball.
The previous weekend of live sport in Australia provided by the NRL was something that all sports fans were happy to experience.
Munro Mike
Roar Rookie
There was a really good interview a few weeks ago - with a rep from the NRL and it was quizzed to them about why the NRL was looking like starting before the AFL.....the question was posed in a 'competitive sense'. The response was wonderful. It wsa asserted that the AFL had so many more complexities than the NRL had and that both codes had been doing a heap of work together in mapping a way out of this - - so rather than being 'competitive' they were being 'collaborative'. The NRL has NZ....yep....but the AFL has a whole lot of other factors including minimum 2 teams in each mainland state; and long term contractual arrangements with stadia such as the MCG that need variations; and a greater capacity to fit in around the cricket calendar. The rectangular venues don't have that issue - - they can (not ideally, but can) run soccer and rugby concurrently if needed. So - it's not really that much to do with being 'conservative' or not. Although at the State Govt level the Victorian situation (outbreaks) has forced greater caution in that jurisdiction. It remains to be seen anyway - how many interruptions may pop up. It may end up impossible to run an actual season to completion.
Munro Mike
Roar Rookie
#Micko Yeah - I don't like that either.....it's the old concept of let a guy go when he's in the zone. The sports scientists might be a little too blind to sports psychology and having your opponent in a panic......imagine the '96 Grand Final....Glenn Freeborn for North.....kicks 3 goals towards the end of the 2nd term to crack the game open......now he'd probably be benched for his 2 mins after that first goal.....what happens next??
Micko
Roar Rookie
What spins me out now is if a bloke kicks a goal...they immediately run to the bench now! :shocked:
Munro Mike
Roar Rookie
#Micko It used to be worthwhile making a note in your footy record of who started each quarter on the bench and you could track the rotations......went way past that.....don't both anymore unless it's the ruck having a breather.
Micko
Roar Rookie
Gil is a "born to rule" type. He studied management/commerce/marketing/business type stuff at Uni, even going to one of those elite US Universities! He's just there to line his own pockets and make the AFL purely a business. They're getting even more involved in random virtue signalling now, like all the other big corporations do! :sick: :thumbdown:
Micko
Roar Rookie
Would love to see the ridiculous number of rotations limited. Should be like 4 a quarter!
Munro Mike
Roar Rookie
Originally it was 18 a side with no 'subs/replacements'. First came the 19th man and then the addition of the 20th man. The 'interchange' system kicked in during the 1970s but a lot of coaches largely treated it as a 'dragging' mechanism rather than a 'rotation' mechanism even though there was no limit. Then came the jump to 4 on the bench and coaches in the mid 2000s started taking advice from the physios/sports-scientists and the high rotations became the norm.
Redb
Roar Guru
Prefer real crowds than fake ones. Perhaps a good move for the NRL long term they dont get much ion the way of crowds anyway,.
Micko
Roar Rookie
Apparently there used to be two subs/no interchange for most aussie rules leagues, and then they changed to interchange at some stage, possibly 80's or something. The sport was a good product, but now like the two rugby codes there's too much interchange/subs involved, dulling the sports. I'm from WA & watched the last bit of that NRL game between Panthers & Knights, and the extra time was good because both teams looked exhausted, but the game seemed open and free flowing, yet still obviously tense due to the situation.
Rellum
Roar Guru
Isnt it more like 90 a game. I am a cricket/league guy but to me that is an absurd amount. Maybe even move to replacements instead of intetchanges like League needs to.
Lachlan Mitchell
Roar Guru
Plenty of initiative was probably the key factor in seeing the resumption of the tournament - but surely a step in the right direction
Lachlan Mitchell
Roar Guru
Yeah I agree, love seeing Dusty and Danger play up forward for the rest they are looking for . how low can we go 50 a game - 10 or so a quarter?
Lachlan Mitchell
Roar Guru
The noise at times was often over the top, but yeah the speed of the game limits one umpire in AFL. Stoppages are the major concerns.
Lachlan Mitchell
Roar Guru
Yeah agreed in a much bigger hole financially than the AFL, but to come back and still put on a decent showing is respectable.
Lachlan Mitchell
Roar Guru
Strong steps in the face of backlash,
Rellum
Roar Guru
Sorry, that was meant to say "harder for teams to be fresh"
Forty Twenty
Roar Rookie
Many poured scorn on the NRL because finance was a big factor in the haste to get going again. I'll bet none of the critics would be happy if they were held back from working or their business was banned from opening if it was relatively safe to do so.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Gil instils in me nothing. We need Teddy Roosevelt or Paul Keating types running the joint. I think V'landys will land a few on the AFL.
DingoGray
Roar Guru
Absolutely, he's done a magnificent job. Very strong leadership.
Paul
Roar Guru
I'm sure there's an element of that, DG. I don't think we'll know just how much for a few years, but you're right, the game needed to minimise down time and fortunately, they had a bloke with the right skillset to get them back onto the paddock quickly.