AFL Introduces Wild Card Round

[doppleganger]

Some changes have been very, very good for the game. For instance:.

• Out of bounds rule. Back in the day, it was like soccer - last team to touch the ball, free kick to the other team. Having a boundary throw-in was a sensible adjustment. And you still had a free kick for kicking it out on the full. Common sense.

The in play rule has changed many times, it is all about trying to encourage players to keep the ball in play...after coaches encourage players to use it as a defensive safety tactic

1925
Free awarded against player who kicked or forced the ball out of bounds was introduced.
1939
Reintroduction of general boundary throw-in. Frees were no longer awarded when the ball was kicked out of bounds.
1969
Introduction of the free against player kicking ball out of bounds on the full.
2018
A player will be penalised with a free kick if they kick or handball the ball over the boundary line without it being touched by an opposition player (Last Disposal Out of Bounds Rule)

All good rules changes, you want players to keep the ball live not go defensive and "hit the boundary" if in trouble.

• Interchange bench. Once upon a time it was a 19th or 20th man, and they were like substitutes in soccer. Once you were on that was it. Changing this to a true interchange was a very good idea. You can argue about how many should be on the bench (I think 4-5 is absolutely enough), but it was an excellent tweak.

Disagree again.

VFL was originally designed as a game of attrition - 18 v 18 (VFA was 16 v 16).

Sure injury meant it was unfair to expect 16 or 17 men to be able to play against 18, so introduction of a substitute made sense.

The interchange and massive use, completely changes the game - it is now effectively 23 v 23, and coaches are again now complaining if they get an injury as it is effectively 23 v 22 or 21 and teams can't rotate as they want.

All rotation has done is enable more complex full ground defense zones to be established.

Going back to picking your best 18 (or even just 16 if we want more space) and having substitutes would be a big improvement IMHO.

But those sensible, careful, tweaks are miles away from dramatically changing the entire fabric of the game, and how teams are rewarded at the end of year.

The interchange tweaks have dramatically changed the game.

Going from 8 finalists to 10 will have zero impact on the game itself.

 

[Seeds]

The answer is NO!
He knows it matters not what they implement or change the fans will keep watching it. There is nothing at all the AFL can do to get the fans to stand up to them. Even changing it to a round ball the fans will flock to watch it.
The Fans don't give a crap about the sport and that has been crystal clear the last 25 years. There is no way in hell a league could of changed all these rules and got away with it back 40 years ago, the fans loved the sport then. Now AFL is simply a cool place to attend.

Rules have alway been changing all the time. 15 to 50 metre penalty. 50 metre line, end of flick pass, out of bounds on the full, deliberate out of bounds rule, no bouncing when tackled rule, move to draft from zones, Move from final 5 to final 6, Move from final 6 to final 8, Move from stupid mcintosh finals system to the current version. The last 3 regarding finals make up were all done in a space of a decade between 25-35 years a part.

The league did change the rules all the time back 25 years ago and today we celebrate most of those rule changes. Back then people were much more supportive of change.

 

[Seeds]

EFA

2011 wants its commentary back. And 2016 and 2021.

 

[Lemma]

Gee am I the only one who likes this idea? Is it just the name 'wildcard' that people don't like?

It fills an empty weekend, gives more hope to teams 10-13th late in the season, and balances out inequities in the fixture. Win-win for mine

Also when Tassie (and potential 20th team) comes in, 10 teams is still pretty much the top half

 

[theprospector]

Maybe the AFL could give out Bob Murphy Medals to the players from the clubs that win the 2 wildcard games?

Or the players that missed out.

 

[thejester]

Every. Other. Single. Major competition in the world does not pull sh!t like this.

Your highly selective memory of fan reactions does not account for the fact that only the AFL fanbase have to put up with nonsensical fixtures, drafts compromised every which-way, home games that are away games at stadiums a third of the competition share, a finals system that is constantly tinkered with and seems to undermine the very purpose of having finals itself.

Forget the name "wildcard". Think of it in terms of a system which, on the basis of one week, grants a 10th placed team equal opportunity to a 5th. Or even allows a team that finished in the bottom half of the competition to win the whole thing by getting on a five week run.

Name one sporting competition other than ours that does this shit.

Off the top of my head: all four big American leagues, UEFA, various European soccer leagues, etc.

 

[Seeds]

Gee am I the only one who likes this idea? Is it just the name 'wildcard' that people don't like?

It fills an empty weekend, gives more hope to teams 10-13th late in the season, and balances out inequities in the fixture. Win-win for mine

Also when Tassie (and potential 20th team) comes in, 10 teams is still pretty much the top half

Nope not the only one. its a good change. Only a minor improvement. But an improvement nonetheless. Improves both hope for middle road sides and improves finals integrity at the same time.

My impression of andrew dillon has just gone up from as bad as a qantas ceo to something slightly better then a qantas ceo. Does he have the balls to stick with it despite the bad press from the populist media and the unthinking supporters that repeat everything dribbled to them. I doubt it. But we will see.

 

[dumb]

usually when your team finishes 10th you just want the year to be over because you know your poopy team can't mix it with the big boys. now though, the afl is giving supporters the chance to want the year to be over for an extra week.

 

[dumb]

for the record, i'm neutral. couldn't care less and not just because my team may not even make a wildcard/final 10. this is just applying make-up to the corpse.

 

[Bostonian]

This reads like a "back in my day" old person rant.

Or people who are able to compare everything having actually experienced it.

Rather than someone who is still wet behind the ears who have experienced very little.

 

[hr_23]

Maybe the AFL could give out Bob Murphy Medals to the players from the clubs that win the 2 wildcard games?

Bob Murphy medals for the Wildcard games in the AFLM competition

 

[CharacterFirst]

Good.

More games, and fill in the bye hole.

 

[Johnny Bananas]

Or people who are able to compare everything having actually experienced it.

Rather than someone who is still wet behind the ears who have experienced very little.

There's also this thing called "nostalgia", where people fondly remember the positives and have blocked out their memories of the negatives.

 

[delta_magpie]

to help WA teams the AFL will go to a conference style arrangement. 2 teams from each conference will progress to the finals.
2 from WA, 2 from SA, 2 from VIC and 2 from QLD/NSW

 

[GroggSquad]

Gee am I the only one who likes this idea? Is it just the name 'wildcard' that people don't like?

It fills an empty weekend, gives more hope to teams 10-13th late in the season, and balances out inequities in the fixture. Win-win for mine

Also when Tassie (and potential 20th team) comes in, 10 teams is still pretty much the top half

What about the poor buggers that finish 7th & 8th next season? That feels like an obvious loss.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

There's been plenty of peep. There hasn't been any action, and there won't be this time.

If you want the product to change, stop consuming the product.

Thats exactly my point. Stop consuming it if you have an issue.

 

[The Punter]

Thats exactly my point. Stop consuming it if you have an issue.

I don't have an issue. I'm about to get more football.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

Rules have alway been changing all the time. 15 to 50 metre penalty. 50 metre line, end of flick pass, out of bounds on the full, deliberate out of bounds rule, no bouncing when tackled rule, move to draft from zones, Move from final 5 to final 6, Move from final 6 to final 8, Move from stupid mcintosh finals system to the current version. The last 3 regarding finals make up were all done in a space of a decade between 25-35 years a part.

The league did change the rules all the time back 25 years ago and today we celebrate most of those rule changes. Back then people were much more supportive of change.

Yes they changed a rule and let it sit for 10 years and then another rule was looked at, they didn't do multiple changes yearly. Now it's on the run, in season and countless changes yearly. None of which have improved the game. You just named half a dozen done over a 20 year period.
There is no need for these constant changes. The game is not any better is it?

 

[greatwhiteshark]

I don't have an issue. I'm about to get more football.

I don't either, I watch less football than ever in my life now. I was just pointing out to the people who hate it that unless you are going to actually stand up against it then it's all just hot air.

 

[longjohnsilver]

A final-10 is a good idea. It was 8 teams making it in a 16 team league. We have added three teams yet not increased the finalists, so it makes sense to have 10 making it in a (soon to be) 19 team league.

But it's not a "wild card" They are just elimination finals in a 5-week final-10

It's like saying that the current final-8 is really just a final 6 with a "wild card of "5v8 and 6v7"

They are just elimination finals, so call them that.

It's the wrong final-10 through. Should be the knockout final-10 that I've been promoting for years.

There’s not enough good teams for a final 10, teams 7 and 8 are just making up the numbers already.

 

[hr_23]

There’s not enough good teams for a final 10, teams 7 and 8 are just making up the numbers already.

Hawks finished 8th and made a Prelim & beat the minor Premier on the way
Hardly making up the numbers

 

[Geelong_Sicko]

Because the club I follow is mandated by the Australian Constitution to always finish top 4 (how we actually play is (sometimes unfortunately) up to us) I'm not bothered by this news whatsoever. In fact it kind of looks 'sexy'!

SOURCE:www.afl.com.au/news/1451972/biggest-finals-shake-up-in-25-years-as-wildcard-round-introduced

 

[Ed_Gein]

Hawks finished 8th and made a Prelim & beat the minor Premier on the way
Hardly making up the numbers

One swallow does not a summer make

 

[Pistol Night]

One swallow does not a summer make

Makes a pretty good day though

 

[Pistol Night]

Because the club I follow is mandated by the Australian Constitution to always finish top 4 (how we actually play is (sometimes unfortunately) up to us) I'm not bothered by this news whatsoever. In fact it kind of looks 'sexy'!

SOURCE:www.afl.com.au/news/1451972/biggest-finals-shake-up-in-25-years-as-wildcard-round-introduced

Pretty accurate. Apart from once in a blue moon all this will mean **** all to the premiership race in the end