Next Seasons 'Fremantle' rule

[Tazmania]

We all know that the AFL loves to tinker with the rules to 'combat' things it doesn't find attractive instead of letting the game tactics and counter tactics evolve by itself. Invariably Fremantle flies foul of whatever new interpretation early on in the season and we get stung by it confusing all and sundry. Think Nat Fyfe this year.

Well heads up, I reckon this is one of those things that we will be targeted with next year. http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-ne...ckdown-on-illegal-blocks-20141124-11svf1.html

Whilst Carey says look at forwards too, this implies that the AFL is only looking at defenders and Fremantle is probably the best team at screening marking contests in defence. It's why our backplane gets so many uncontested marks... one or two defenders will screen the full forward out of the contest leaving a nice clean grab for another defender eg Johnson to run off with it. Lyon implemented it I believe and we've been doing it well.

Friend of mine is a scout for an east coast team here in WA and he comments on it to me after every Freo game he attends which brought it to my attention. He's been saying all year he reckons the umpires will be told to crack down on it as it is so effective for Fremantle.

 

[Pusswah]

I'm glad with how frustrating it is watching a footy game these days and the way rules are interpreted by the umpires that they're choosing to focus on this.

Finally.

 

[basashi]

There is a rule preventing shepherding more than 5m from the ball. It is high time they policed it. The game would be much better.

 

[basashi]

15.4.2 shepherd
A Shepherd is using the body or arm to push, bump or block:
(a) a Player who does not have possession of the football
and who is no further than 5 metres away from the
football at the time when the push, bump or block
occurs

 

[Taylor]

If a rule is brought in to prevent a defender standing between the forward and the drop zone then I foresee a season of inept forwards running under the ball, realising this and trying to stop and backtrack only to be met by the body of their defender and the umpire pays them a free kick.

 

[Bicco]

This could also be called 'the rule that is excessively monitored and penalised for the first three rounds before drifting off to how the interpretation is right now' rule. Same thing happens every year, usually involving a marking interpretation rule.

 

[gaskin]

How about looking at blocking the man on the mark instead.

 

[Seppo]

How about looking at blocking the man on the mark instead.

This one annoys me a bit, Collingwood did it a heap back in 2012-3 from memory.

 

[gaskin]

It's becoming more and more frequent although the worst offenders are Hawthorn.

 

[Tazmania]

15.4.2 shepherd
A Shepherd is using the body or arm to push, bump or block:
(a) a Player who does not have possession of the football
and who is no further than 5 metres away from the
football at the time when the push, bump or block
occurs

It's more of a passive thing with our defenders though. They just stand in front eyes on the ball as if they're about to run to the drop zone and contest a mark from 2-3 away. The forward is about to do the same thing.... but when they should all be moving forward to try to mark our guys don't make any move and Johnson invariably comes in from the side to do it. They're very clever at it and don't seem to be breaking the rules.

It's a thing of beauty to watch really. It's why Hawkins is useless against us. He's not nimble enough to get around our defenders and he's their prime target so it's easy to set up the play.

I'd say opposition coaches have been in the AFL's ear about it.

 

[JamFrank]

It's definitely something I noticed we started doing very well when Ross came in as coach. However, we're quite subtle about it, and it would be impossible to police. The blocking defender's eyes are always on the footy, they never stick their arms out, they just put their body in the way and protect the drop for the loose man, usually Ibbotson or Johnson. Unless a player is physically holding a player off the ball, or moves in to them, I don't see how you can stop players from just standing there.

 

[Stronzo]

If you'd have any sympathy for umpires at all it would be the constant flux of the rules and their interpretation.

 

[Fred Ziffel]

If you'd have any sympathy for umpires at all it would be the constant flux of the rules and their interpretation.

Dean Margetts would love something like this.

 

[Righteo]

Starting next season, small portable ladders will allow opposition players to literally climb up Sandi when he's at FF in order to spoil him.

How about looking at blocking the man on the mark instead.

Should be an instant free kick reversal, we always seem to leak goals from around 50 out due to opposition players having essentially a free run at the goals.

 

[UFO Tatsu]

nice to see they brought in the "fyfe" rule