Four-time premiership coach Alastair Clarkson feels the same frustration many fans do at the current congested state of the game and has called on the AFL to act.
Clarkson declared Hawthorn’s four-point win over North Melbourne at Marvel Stadium on Sunday “a terrible spectacle”, with few positives beyond the four premiership points.
Like many others in recent years, certainly this season, the contest got bogged down in slow, unimaginative ball movement, with overpopulated stoppages making for a difficult, albeit close, contest to watch.
AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan has urged coaches to play a more attractive, high-scoring style, but Clarkson believes a simple instruction to umpires from head office to reward the tackler will do the trick.
“The umps are doing what they’re told to do, what’s coaching got to do with it?” Clarkson said.
“We teach our players to tackle and if a player doesn’t dispose of the ball correctly then the rule book says to blow the whistle and play a free kick.
“At the minute the seagulls (players) are all going after the chip but if there’s incorrect disposal (free kicks) you watch the seagulls spread.
“But the seagulls aren’t spreading out any more because we’re just not paying the free kick, yet we’ll do one for tiggy-touchwood ruck or marking infringement.
“But they won’t pay the ones for holding the ball.
“It’s frustrating.”
(Dylan Burns/AFL Photos)
Clarkson was at a loss to explain how his team laid 69 tackles against the Roos and didn’t receive a single tackle-specific free kick.
“What’s happened to our game? You can’t have that many tackles and not one of them be incorrect disposal,” the coach continued.
“You wonder why the game is an arm wrestle and that you can’t get any open footy.
“Tonight’s game… if that’s the spectacle that we’re trying to search for in our game, then our game’s in a dreadful space.”
Geelong coach Chris Scott, after his side’s three-point win over Melbourne, said that reducing teams from 18 to 16 players on the field would clearly reduce congestion.
Clarkson used the Cats-Demons game to illustrate his point.
“The AFL can’t be happy,” he said.
“Two goals each (at halftime) on a beautiful winter’s day? No rain and it’s Geelong and Melbourne, who I both think will play finals this year.
“Fair dinkum.”
Clarkson urged the AFL to move away from its desire to protect the player making a bid for the ball rather than reward the tackler.
“I’m sorry for shit-canning our own brand, and our own club and our own team in this space,” he said.
“But I was so disappointed in the way we played and I was so disappointed with the way that the game is being played right at the present time.
“It’s frustrating, and it must be frustrating our fans.”
Colin Phipps
Guest
Easy fix penalise all of the ball contact (it is against the current rules outside 5m from the ball), to be policed by the goal and boundary umpires. Change from an oval to a rectangle ground, get rid of the goal posts and install hoops at each end
Dean
Guest
I couldn't agree more, there were many clear holding the ball decisions where the player had priority but were just not paid. I thought the Hawks in particular got a raw deal and l think Clarkson is right on this one. Yeah l know l am a Hawks supporter but a lot of people have said similar things.
PeteB
Roar Rookie
67, 66, 64, 58, 52 and 47 points all winning scores from this round. Some absolutely awful games.
Macca
Roar Rookie
The fact the coaches are the ones who changed gives me confidence they will change it back, remember it was Thompson's cats who brought back attacking footy after the Eagles and Swans dire fare. If the AFL eep changing the rules the game will cease to exist.
RT
Roar Rookie
As I said in another article today.. The biggest cause of congestion is the non decisions around tackles. It is simple. Drop prior opportunity (was only introduced late 90s I think) but scrutinise the legality of the tackle for too high or a push in the back properly. Players would stop taking possession in a pack or handpassing to a teamate in trouble but tap it on instead. Most tackles where the player doesn’t dispose of it would then result in a free either way. The only time it is a ball up is if the ball is held to the player (as it used to be). There would also be less congregation around the ball because ball ups would stop being the norm, so players would spread out. Don’t kid yourself that the player getting the ball is always the playmaker. They are often the timewaster and defender, knowing the best way to stop the opposition scoring is to take possession of the ball in a pack, because the umpire never pays a free.
PeteB
Roar Rookie
A number of good suggestions here. AFL should try them all. Sixteen a side, reduced interchanges, no marks for kicking backwards and pay holding the ball. Gotta be some immediate improvements from all that.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Surely we agree Macca both of us love footy. Something is wrong and maybe the compromise is somewhere between both our views. I simply don’t trust coaches. They are the ones who changed it
DingoGray
Roar Guru
I actually don't mind the idea of removing the prior opportunity component of the AFL completely out the equation. You stick the tackle, you get the free kick whether you've had prior opportunity or not. It's a very easy adjustments for both players and Umpires. There's no interpretation issues. Get in moving. Stop's the re-start bounces around the ground.
Macca
Roar Rookie
Only because you watch the Pies Pete. :stoked: Aprt from the kicking for goal from Set shots the blues played pretty attractive footy Saturday night and were super impressive against the Cats the week before. Tune in Thursday night to see 2 sides playing footy the way it should be. Brisbane Port should be another quality game - I wouldn't bother with you mob V the bombers or the Giants V the Hawks and Richmond V Melbourne will be attrocious but Bulldogs V North could be fun. Again it isn't the rules that need to change it is the coaches attitudes.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
I know Macca. But it was a nice combo from Rome don’t you think? Footy is stuffed Macca. Good games are the outliers now
Macca
Roar Rookie
How many changes have we made in recent years that have made no difference because the coaches don’t want things to change. And you are about 100 year apart with those two references, Caesar assassinated in 44 BC, great fire of Rome 64 AD.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
And I think Macca we are fiddling while Rome burns. Et tu Brute?
Macca
Roar Rookie
What other professional sport plays on a ground the size of the MCG or even Marvel. You probably would see Jetta Run and bounce - after he has broken free of the clearance congestion, it will be like Rugby union, pack around the stoppage, win the clearance then run hard to the try line. The number is 18.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
I don’t think so Macca. 8 blokes on the G or Optus each and you’d be seeing Jetta Rioli runs and bounces all day. I’m not saying 8 a side, I’m saying find the number. What other professional sport has 36 blokes on one oval Macca?
Macca
Roar Rookie
Ratten had the blues playing the same way back in 2011 - he has a way he wants to play and his record suggest it works. Teague is pretty clear he wants football to be more of an art than a science, Dew clearly is having great success playing an exciting brand. These blokes aren't going to change everything in the face of a few losses, they will improve. 8 a side would not be football, it would be AFLX. But even with 8 a side Clarkson would make it slogfest, simply roll all 8 player up to the stoppage and force the opposition to risk losing the clearance under the weight of numbers or match the Hawks at the contest.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
They might while they get a win or two. Just like Bolts they’ll be back in their shells when the losses come. Back to my question Macca. Would 8 a side be a more open game?
Macca
Roar Rookie
It already is happening Pete. Coaches like Ratten, Teague & Dew are starting to see the best way to beat these defence heavy sides is to take the game on, move the ball fast and aggressively and slice through the zone and get out the back before they can get their numbers back. Stopping you opponent from scoring ins't the only way to win, racking up a score works even better.
Peter the Scribe
Roar Guru
Sorry Macca but that will not happen. Coaches want to win to earn their money. They may try it for a week or two but when they get outscrummed they’ll be straight back. Take it out of their hands. As I asked Spruce in another thread, do you think 8 players per side would be a more open game Macca? If your answer is yes, we are just looking for the right number.
not an afl fan
Guest
I think proper interpretation of the rules would help. Ever since the AFL gave credence to the "Tackler must be rewarded" rather than defending the man going for the ball ( 18 of the 21 rules of football cover this), the game has deteriorated. People go to see the great mark, the great kick, goal, or you name it. People don't go to see tackles ( they go to rugby for that) Player sweat on the ball getters getting the ball and they pounce. It's simple the good players get the ball, those less gifted wait to tackle. If the TACKLER WANTS AS REWARD, go get the ball AND YOUR REWARD IS A KICK. How can it not be a free kick if a player is on the ground and someone jumps all over him? PROTECT THE PLAYER GOING FOR THE BALL. I wont even get into hands in the back while going for a mark. The AFL worry about speed of the ball nothing else, their interpretations have lowered the game.
Nick
Roar Guru
Bingo.