AFL changes rules on club runners - AFL players might have to think for themselves!!!

Mar 2, 2015
18,940
33,917
AFL Club
Hawthorn
They should f*** the runners off altogether. Clubs have been taking the piss for years.

Pretty good rule change, although like most rule changes, it does my club no favours at all.

It would've been MUCH better for Hawthorn if they'd scaled back the runners' involvement two years ago when we still had Hodge, Mitchell, Lewis and Gibson acting as virtual captain coaches out on the field. What an advantage that would've given us!!! But now those blokes have all left, we're a team in transition with a younger side and reduced on-field experience and leadership, more likely to need the runner out there pointing & telling the kids where they should be standing.

Thanks AFL :rolleyes::thumbsu:

Good rule change for the experienced teams such as Sydney and Geelong who have plenty of older, wiser heads around the stoppages

Nice timing by Gillon and Hocking... :rolleyes:
 

perplexed

Premiership Player
Nov 25, 2015
4,271
6,462
AFL Club
North Melbourne
https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl...w-runner-rules-this-year-20180211-p4yzyf.html

This is a very good move by AFL, needs to be introduced ASAP. No other sport in the world where a coach is allowed to enter the field of play to tell players what they should be doing. They are a blight on the game, trying to explain to someone new to the game (like my 5yo daughter) the purpose of a runner makes you realise how useless they are. They block up space and get in the way... Get rid of them please.
I disagree completely. Coaches are already banned from calling timeouts like they can in proper sports. It's like the AFL are trying to run them out of the game.
Let the coaches coach and the runners run!
 
Aug 11, 2006
33,042
27,534
Perth
AFL Club
Hawthorn
Other Teams
Timberwolves, Crystal Palace
https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl...w-runner-rules-this-year-20180211-p4yzyf.html

This is a very good move by AFL, needs to be introduced ASAP. No other sport in the world where a coach is allowed to enter the field of play to tell players what they should be doing. They are a blight on the game, trying to explain to someone new to the game (like my 5yo daughter) the purpose of a runner makes you realise how useless they are. They block up space and get in the way... Get rid of them please.
every other sport in the world have time outs or are barking distance from players. Absolute s**t move and will build congestion and make our game worse off
 

Colbys Boots

Premium Gold
Oct 3, 2017
2,936
9,985
AFL Club
North Melbourne
This will be excellent for North Melbourne. Brad Scott teams have never been able to arrest momentum or stop an opposition run on and he has not made a tactical move inside a quarter since he began. Some days I think North does not have a runner so this should even things up a bit.
 

NoobPie

Cancelled
Sep 21, 2016
7,356
5,255
AFL Club
Collingwood
every other sport in the world have time outs or are barking distance from players. Absolute s**t move and will build congestion and make our game worse off

Can you elaborate on how, you believe, it will build congestion?
 

Jim Prideaux

Premiership Player
Mar 21, 2016
4,461
4,740
AFL Club
Hawthorn
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ColoradoAvalancheLiverpoolFCGrenobl
I disagree completely. Coaches are already banned from calling timeouts like they can in proper sports. It's like the AFL are trying to run them out of the game.
Let the coaches coach and the runners run!
By proper sports you mean American sports. Association Football, Rugby seem to do fine without runners or timeouts.
 
May 8, 2007
10,578
14,813
vic
AFL Club
Richmond
All it will do is hurt less experienced teams, and removing the runners does nothing to improve the game as no one was getting less enjoyment watching AFL because of the runners.
Oh No! Won't someone think of the children?!?!?!

I have been a strong advocate of removing runners for years. Good to see some progress being made.

The game is played between 18 players on the field (22 inc I/C). The coaches job is to prepare the players during the week for the game. Once the game is underway, it is between the players.
 
They should f*** the runners off altogether. Clubs have been taking the piss for years.

Pretty good rule change, although like most rule changes, it does my club no favours at all.

It would've been MUCH better for Hawthorn if they'd scaled back the runners' involvement two years ago when we still had Hodge, Mitchell, Lewis and Gibson acting as virtual captain coaches out on the field. What an advantage that would've given us!!! But now those blokes have all left, we're a team in transition with a younger side and reduced on-field experience and leadership, more likely to need the runner out there pointing & telling the kids where they should be standing.

Thanks AFL :rolleyes::thumbsu:

Good rule change for the experienced teams such as Sydney and Geelong who have plenty of older, wiser heads around the stoppages

Nice timing by Gillon and Hocking... :rolleyes:
Yeah I'm sure its the AFL trying to keep the hawks down. :rolleyes:
 
every other sport in the world have time outs or are barking distance from players. Absolute s**t move and will build congestion and make our game worse off
The coaches can chose to coach from the bench if its such a big deal...
 

ItsAllAboutMe

Norm Smith Medallist
Dec 22, 2006
9,545
11,314
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Carlton
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I am your opposite. I am usually happy to entertain the changes but this one doesn't enthuse me. I think runners are worth the incident or two per season they cause.

I don't want to see a game determined by a bit of role confusion between players.

Why?? It will mean players have to be more accountable for team structures and leadership on field will become more important..
 

ItsAllAboutMe

Norm Smith Medallist
Dec 22, 2006
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Great move. Coaches will complaint but theyre the ones who abused runners by having them out there for basically the whole game guarding space.

Personally I'm in favour of getting rid of them entirely. Give the teams soccer style boards to call players to the bench

No need for the boards players are coached as to when they need to move to the bench, if its either a time limit or after a goal they run to the bench freely and the coach can give them the instructions then. Runners should only be allowed in under 10s -14s when kids are learning the basics, apart from that let them think for themselves.
 

basashi

Premiership Player
Jun 18, 2010
4,070
5,449
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Fremantle
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FFC Quay Club
Why?? It will mean players have to be more accountable for team structures and leadership on field will become more important..

Why? because presently we got role clarity, strategic agreement and confident execution at the cost of a mere one or two obstruction issues a year by runners. Why incur a more error prone game for such a tiny benefit?
 

ItsAllAboutMe

Norm Smith Medallist
Dec 22, 2006
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All it will do is hurt less experienced teams, and removing the runners does nothing to improve the game as no one was getting less enjoyment watching AFL because of the runners.

i beg to differ.. The oval is congested enough with 36 players & 9 umpires then ad the doctors & waterboys / girls all dressed in different fluorescent colours.. Looking at the footy field was an eyesore.
 

ItsAllAboutMe

Norm Smith Medallist
Dec 22, 2006
9,545
11,314
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I disagree completely. Coaches are already banned from calling timeouts like they can in proper sports. It's like the AFL are trying to run them out of the game.
Let the coaches coach and the runners run!

US sports have timeouts for commercial breaks. this is the only reason they have them.. AFL has enough of them after goals are scored.
 

ItsAllAboutMe

Norm Smith Medallist
Dec 22, 2006
9,545
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Carlton
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Why? because presently we got role clarity, strategic agreement and confident execution at the cost of a mere one or two obstruction issues a year by runners. Why incur a more error prone game for such a tiny benefit?

But what is wrong with mistakes made by players costing them goals or games.. Its not supposed to be perfect, and then better teams will still prevail.
 
Sep 24, 2006
3,983
3,402
Wimmera
AFL Club
Collingwood
Yep. I'm generally a 'leave the bloody game alone' type, but I've always wanted to get rid of the runners. Good move.
Well if only the (then) VFL had 'left the bloody game alone' we would never had had runners in the first place! After 100 years of doing without them, it was only a rule change that saw them introduced in 1964 (though limited to delivering messages to captains and vice-captains only).

With players now full time professionals and with each club having a collection of line coaches, their role is now redundant - all they do is add to the on-field clutter. Time to get rid of this rule change and revert it to what it was - no runners.
 
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