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Seemed like this was a topic that warranted its own thread.
As Rohan Connolly remarked in an article this morning there is an army of under-utilised footy journos and TV-based ex-players (presumably sticking to TV because they are only semi-literate) who have nothing to write about. So they're thinking about what comes after all this. These are dangerous times when these idiots start thinking up ideas to improve the game! "Improving the game" is at times a euphemism for pushing their own agenda, an agenda that is often curiously beneficial to the club they represented in their playing days.
Not all ideas are utterly stupid. Some have merit. But as a footy traditionalist I am worried. I feel that these are times when the opportunists get cracking in the hope they can get up an idea that would never get a look-in during normal times.
Already we've had suggestions that we should have 16 minute quarters forever (34 yo Heath Shaw came out and pumped this one the other day because it would mean he can struggle through games for another year or two). That we need to expand the bench and reintroduce the substitute if we are having a condensed season with sides playing games as often as 4-5 days apart. Or that we should have a best-of-three GF to raise more money to pay off debts (Leigh Matthews). No doubt you've heard others, like shorter playing lists etc.
There's been talk of swingeing changes to the NGA rules in the Jamarra thread. I'm hoping this is just the usual Bulldog paranoia ... but considering our battered history we have good reason to feel paranoid.
Then there are barrows being pushed at a more fundamental level, like fewer clubs (posters on this board have suggested getting rid of GWS, GCS or ... whoever their least favourite team is) or relocating North to Tasmania (Caroline Wilson claimed this was something being discussed behind closed doors in the AFL, but Connolly claims she was just fishing for clicks) or that two clubs from Victoria (not the usual suspects we're told) were in deep trouble.
So here's a thread to post your ideas, your fears, latest rumours and generally have a good self-isolated rant about those iniquitous meddlers in the greatest game on the planet. Or about the die-hard traditionalists, if that's your view.
To kick things off I've summarised how I view those ideas/rumours I've seen so far. As a former member of the consulting community (yes, yes, I apologise) I thought it would be appropriate to chart these on a two dimensional quadrant diagram, as below. The dimensions I've chosen are Probability (scale of 0-100%) and Desirability (scale of +5 to -5, where +5 is something mind-bogglingly brilliant and long overdue and -5 is something hair-tearingly destructive that will ruin our game forever). Needless to say it's a subjective judgement for both scales.
[The chart has been inserted below.]
Just in summary, here are the things I've mentioned so far, in no special order:
As Rohan Connolly remarked in an article this morning there is an army of under-utilised footy journos and TV-based ex-players (presumably sticking to TV because they are only semi-literate) who have nothing to write about. So they're thinking about what comes after all this. These are dangerous times when these idiots start thinking up ideas to improve the game! "Improving the game" is at times a euphemism for pushing their own agenda, an agenda that is often curiously beneficial to the club they represented in their playing days.
Not all ideas are utterly stupid. Some have merit. But as a footy traditionalist I am worried. I feel that these are times when the opportunists get cracking in the hope they can get up an idea that would never get a look-in during normal times.
Already we've had suggestions that we should have 16 minute quarters forever (34 yo Heath Shaw came out and pumped this one the other day because it would mean he can struggle through games for another year or two). That we need to expand the bench and reintroduce the substitute if we are having a condensed season with sides playing games as often as 4-5 days apart. Or that we should have a best-of-three GF to raise more money to pay off debts (Leigh Matthews). No doubt you've heard others, like shorter playing lists etc.
There's been talk of swingeing changes to the NGA rules in the Jamarra thread. I'm hoping this is just the usual Bulldog paranoia ... but considering our battered history we have good reason to feel paranoid.
Then there are barrows being pushed at a more fundamental level, like fewer clubs (posters on this board have suggested getting rid of GWS, GCS or ... whoever their least favourite team is) or relocating North to Tasmania (Caroline Wilson claimed this was something being discussed behind closed doors in the AFL, but Connolly claims she was just fishing for clicks) or that two clubs from Victoria (not the usual suspects we're told) were in deep trouble.
So here's a thread to post your ideas, your fears, latest rumours and generally have a good self-isolated rant about those iniquitous meddlers in the greatest game on the planet. Or about the die-hard traditionalists, if that's your view.
To kick things off I've summarised how I view those ideas/rumours I've seen so far. As a former member of the consulting community (yes, yes, I apologise) I thought it would be appropriate to chart these on a two dimensional quadrant diagram, as below. The dimensions I've chosen are Probability (scale of 0-100%) and Desirability (scale of +5 to -5, where +5 is something mind-bogglingly brilliant and long overdue and -5 is something hair-tearingly destructive that will ruin our game forever). Needless to say it's a subjective judgement for both scales.
[The chart has been inserted below.]
Just in summary, here are the things I've mentioned so far, in no special order:
- Make 16 minute quarters a permanent thing
- Play a best of three GF series
- Expand the bench, reintroduce subs
- Restructure the NGA arrangements now rather than in a year or two (meaning Jamarra is snatched from us)
- Permanently reduce playing lists but increase flexibility of moving up players from state leagues etc
- Reduce the AFL by two clubs (take your pick which ones)
- Relocate North to Tasmania
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