If you picked up a thesaurus and wanted to find a word that was different to “adjust” or “adapt to changes”, the AFL has probably used and exhausted all the words available and are looking to invent a few more synonyms of their own.
As the game continues amid the backdrop of the global pandemic and cases in Victoria skyrocketing and getting out of control, the AFL is continuing to try to run a fair and equitable competition.
Right now, we have teams in hubs. Teams can’t even train together properly. In a matter of days, teams will be forced into quarantine if they travel to play a game.
State governments are doing whatever they can to keep pesky Victorians away from their little patch to avoid the carnage that has ensued happening in their state or territory. The year could not be more compromised, and the year could not be more challenging for the entire AFL industry.
It’s three weeks since the resumption and the league has been thrown curve ball after curve ball. The rise of the Gold Coast and the plight on the Eagles and the Tigers – the pre-season premiership picks – have been strong talking points.
The state-of-the-game debate has made its yearly appearance, and even Carlton not being hopelessly terrible has surprised the vast majority of AFL fans.
But we arrive at this critical juncture when we knew that Gillon McLachlan and Travis Auld would need to continue to make changes on the fly.
(Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)
Not only do they have to keep the competition running because they can’t afford to stop it again, but they also have the task of keeping all 18 clubs and all of their players “happy and content”. Those words are in quotation marks because some clubs are telling us this is how they are through gritted teeth and big, ivory smiles.
While the AFL can’t really guarantee anything this year in terms of certainty of a fixture, where clubs will be based and what they are and are not allowed to do in their non-contact hours at the club, one thing is for sure: this year, more than ever, the mantra of mind over matter could not be more appropriate in the quest for the premiership this season.
It looks like a certainty that all Victorian teams will be told that they have to relocate and enter hubs away from their homes. The hubs are apart from families and away from any semblance of normality, which has all but gone out the window in the past six months.
The season is hanging on by the skin of its teeth. As things change by the day, we all adapt. As Gillon McLachlan has repeated time and time again, AFL will continue to find a way.
The psychology from different clubs has been and will continue to be a case study as this wild season goes on. Teams are entitled to ask questions such as end dates and what support mechanisms will be in place for those players and staff who need it.
From the evidence we have seen up in Queensland thus far, the different mindsets of the various teams that have relocated there have some correlations to where they currently sit on the ladder. So coaching plays a massive role in the remainder of the year.
It might be fewer skills, game-plan training and by-the-book AFL coaching but more of mind coaching and management of young people, who are making significant sacrifices just to keep their jobs and the industry afloat.
It’s a season that is being put together on the fly, and by the looks of it, it will remain that way for the foreseeable future. The sacrifices are big, and the impact is being felt everywhere.
But there is a season to be played and the game will keep on plugging away and for the team that does end up winning the premiership at the end of it all, whenever that is, it will be built on their strong mind and strong will to dig in.
RT
Roar Rookie
Richmond did in fact look at Woolongong.
DTM
Guest
The way I see it there's 2 different things. One, the overall season. It is unusual and throwing up some upsets, lots of challenges and uncertainty. Most of this makes the season more interesting. Secondly, the individual games. You are right, there have been very few genuinely good games and this comes down to a number of factors - reduced game time, negative/defensive coaching, poor umpiring etc. It's a shame some of the AFL clubs haven't said to their coaches "to hell with the results, let's play some kids, entertain the fans for 2020 and worry about results in 2021". A couple more losses and WCE and Richmond will be getting close to writing off the season.
sven
Roar Rookie
'a fair and even comp next year' ... um, u do realize the draw every year is far from fair & even ?
The Brazilian
Roar Rookie
Maybe. Yet how many genuinely good games have their been? Even most of the close games have been yawnfests.
DTM
Guest
I'm with you. A normal season can actually get quite boring in the middle (and towards the end as some teams are out of contention). This season has thrown some curve balls at everyone and so far, really only Port has stood up. My team is languishing near the bottom but I am really interested in how the season turns out. One thing Simon hasn't considered is the positive mental effect football has on the general population (especially Victorians). We endured 8 weeks with no footy and that was the toughest part of the year for many. Footy is now back and more adjustments will need to be made. Some teams will not recover from their poor starts, others will fire up and some teams will fall away. As a spectator, it is more interesting than a normal season where you can usually lock in a top 4 after a few rounds. At the end of the day, football is an entertainment business. If you don't want to be entertained turn off the tv. Me, I'm planning on going to watch Geelong and Collingwood at Optus Stadium on 17th July. If there are more games in Perth not featuring my team, I'll get to whichever ones I can (and of course all of the games with my team). The AFL, the clubs, the players, the broadcasters, the umpires, the support staff, catering staff, bar staff, security staff etc etc need the fans to be engaged in the season. If Simon (or anyone else) wants the season to end they can just turn off the tv and leave it to those of us who care.
Maxy
Roar Rookie
Im actually intrigued by what comes next.Who hubs where and with who,how are they going to do this and that,who pulls out who goes,who is up for the fight who is not...its fascinating
The Brazilian
Roar Rookie
Every state has 'em, WCE. Making all this a state v state issue really sucks. Parochialism is evil at the best of times.
Shaun
Guest
The game seems to be a bit on the nose at the moment....
RT
Roar Rookie
SS, fairness really doesn't matter. You can't get a 100% fair competition at the best of times. We had a 4 team competition once where the bottom team took out the Premiership! As long as the footy keeps going, the AFL can bring in money and pay players and staff. If it is compromised or too hard for a Victorian team to win, then tough.
RT
Roar Rookie
Don't assume anything based on the opinion of one simple Simon.
Marty
Roar Rookie
I’m not sure where you’ve been for the last 20 years but I’ve got news for you, the AFL does employ a significant number of people, and like any other employer it has responsibilities to their employees. What it boils down to is if I had to choose between people being able to pay the mortgage and look after their family, and people such as your good self having their noses put out of joint because the season looks a bit different this year, I know which one I’d be choosing. How about you?
Marty
Roar Rookie
If we followed your advice then we would have more people going from employment at the AFL onto Centrelink benefits. Interesting approach in this time of economic stress, you obviously really know your stuff.
SimplySimon
Guest
Sorry, I hadn't realized that the AFL was a division of Centrelink.
WCE
Roar Rookie
couldn't have said it better Ripley! the complete arrogance of some victorians is appalling
Marty
Roar Rookie
So your solution, in this time of economic difficulty, is to put even more people out of work to maintain the ‘integrity of the game’ which involves nothing more then teams being asked to do what others have already done? How about if it was your job on the line?
SimplySimon
Guest
Lots of people have lost jobs because of Covid. Some entire businesses have gone to the wall where as the AFL will come back next year. What we are doing at the moment undermines the very integrity of our game.
Simply Simon
Guest
Whether people lose their jobs or not is an AFL decision besides, the last time I looked the purpose of the AFL was to regulate a footy competition not as a job creation scheme. What we have to consider is the absolute shambles this comp has become, the unfairness of it, the organization of it and the way in which we are having to change things on a day to day basis. Then we have to consider all the potential health risks that continuing playing creates. It would be better and fairer all round if we just abandoned the season right now. Next year we can come back and restore the pride of the comp knowing that we haven't compromised our ideals in order to make a fast buck.
Gyfox
Roar Rookie
So far Port Adelaide seems to be the only club that has handled the hub concept well. Time for Victoria to learn from them!
Marty
Roar Rookie
Are you going to break the news to the people who will be out of a job that they are no longer employed because you have deemed the completion to be ‘unfair’?
Marty
Roar Rookie
So it’s better outcome for people to lose their jobs and the competition to remain ‘fair’ than for them to keep their jobs in and ‘unfair’ competition?