Analysis How the state of the game has evolved, is the increased rate of injuries a result of of the evolution

[*PAF]

Stop penalising players going for the ball and red hats for players that continuously lift their arms when tackled around the waist so that umps know who to look out for.

 

[HTT]

Ok lets say that the AFL does get rid of interchange for next year and beyond.

Would you be in favour of delisting Dusty since he isn't and never will be fit enough to play the current gameplan without interchange ? because thats what you are saying would be the best course of action.

Or would you prefer adjusting the gameplan so he can stay on the list ?

There's probably a balance point between skill and fitness - Dusty is so overwhelmingly skilled and still reasonably fit, so he'd probably still have a place. I'd also back him to gain the fitness required within 2 years - that's how driven he is to the goal of being an AFL player. But I'll leave the exact balance to coaches and others that know far more about the game than you and I.

What I do know is that coaches aren't going to ditch pressure and the numbers game. It works so effectively for all teams.
EXAMPLE - my under 17 football team. We were shit, a good half the team had never played before. We were taught a zone and were able to lock the ball in against far superior opposition - got a few wins and almost made finals. We probably had 5 or 6 players that could hardly kick, but the zone was so effective it dragged us back into games.
If current players aren't fit enough (or smart enough) to carry this out, they'll be out on their arse in no time, and replaced with athletes.

 

[Topkent]

So many stupid posts in here that I can't be bothered answering one at a time.

The OP isn't about the skills of the game being poor, it's about the actual games. Outside of a half a dozen players you could put blank faces on players and you wouldn't know which teams are playing. It's all the exact same boring as **** over crowded style. Every game looks the same, it's not won by the best football it's won by slowly breaking down soiling team with defense. It's won with 36 players in one half of the ground with a foot race on turnover.

All the flogs in here saying games were shit in the 80s, show me a game in the 80s when Tony Lockett spent all game on Centre wing when his side was losing and then took a mark and had no one to kick too.


The fabric of the game has slowly been eaten away, not by the tigers but by coaches over the last decade.

The 2005/06 GFs were a million times better footy too watch than this crap

 

[Hawkie_McHawkHawk]

The game is an utter mess. What professional sport do the rules change so often and so hard to adjudicate? In what other professional sport does the way the game is played change so much from decade to decade?
I’m loyal to Hawthorn but not the sport.
The sport is evolving into an over policed mess where new rules penalise a player for winning the ball, something that goes against the very spirit of the game, the physical one on one strength contest long gone now in favour of who can gut run harder. AFL has jumped the shark. It just hasn’t evolved well at all

 

[damochandler]

The umpires take up to 15 seconds from the stoppage occurring and actually throwing the ball up and getting the game going. That’s why we have congestion

 

[NoobPie]

So many stupid posts in here that I can't be bothered answering one at a time.

The OP isn't about the skills of the game being poor, it's about the actual games. Outside of a half a dozen players you could put blank faces on players and you wouldn't know which teams are playing. It's all the exact same boring as **** over crowded style. Every game looks the same, it's not won by the best football it's won by slowly breaking down soiling team with defense. It's won with 36 players in one half of the ground with a foot race on turnover.

All the flogs in here saying games were shit in the 80s, show me a game in the 80s when Tony Lockett spent all game on Centre wing when his side was losing and then took a mark and had no one to kick too.


The fabric of the game has slowly been eaten away, not by the tigers but by coaches over the last decade.

The 2005/06 GFs were a million times better footy too watch than this crap

Hello....Helllloooww.....HEEELLOOOO....hello logic? Are you there?

 

[NoobPie]

The umpires take up to 15 seconds from the stoppage occurring and actually throwing the ball up and getting the game going. That’s why we have congestion

This is the key. Free kick or ball it up as soon as the play breaks down (rather than after there have been 7 no prior opportunity tackles and / or the ball is dead under a pack or held to someone).

 

[Ron The Bear]

That's not much to be excited about.

It's also totally irrelevant to the debate.

As is your constant bashing of Richmond.

Is the game as good to watch as it was 20 years ago, generally speaking? No. But pin the blame elsewhere.

 

[Benaly28]

Give me the 80’s any day.

 

[Priddis Is Done]

which could very well lead to turnover after turnover as players dispose of the ball at all costs amongst heavy congestion. Hot potato anyone?

There are so many permuations that could occur

What if the repercussion is that no one takes posession of the ball until its well clear of the congestion. What if everyone is tapping, hitting the loose ball so no one can he pinged for holding the ball.

No one has a solution....everyone is over reacting at the moment.

But these muppets in the media want to make change for changes sake. Be damn sure before making any changes because we are already scewing the game due to the constant tinkering.

 

[And_ROOS]

... no shit?

Yeah no shit. Which means results aren't so ****ing unpredictable are they?

Dunno how you lot are going in your footy tipping but its close in the ones I am in, because the favourites keep winning. Which goes against his call of unpredictable results.

Would have thought I wouldn't have to explain this one, but then again, Collingwood supporters eh?

 

[mxett]

There are so many permuations that could occur

What if the repercussion is that no one takes posession of the ball until its well clear of the congestion. What if everyone is tapping, hitting the loose ball so no one can he pinged for holding the ball.

No one has a solution....everyone is over reacting at the moment.

But these muppets in the media want to make change for changes sake. Be damn sure before making any changes because we are already scewing the game due to the constant tinkering.

returning to fewer on the bench and fewer interchanges isnt really tinkering, it's getting back to the basic configuration when congestion wasnt an issue

 

[Tarkyn_24]

Yeah no shit. Which means results aren't so ******* unpredictable are they?

Dunno how you lot are going in your footy tipping but its close in the ones I am in, because the favourites keep winning. Which goes against his call of unpredictable results.

Would have thought I wouldn't have to explain this one, but then again, Collingwood supporters eh?

There’s varying degrees of unpredictability.

But your statement was that the favourite wins more often than not. I doubt you’ll be able to find any season in which the underdog wins more often than not because as a more complete view of information becomes available markets move. An underdog that starts winning regularly doesn’t remain an underdog very long. See Port Adelaide 2014.

So in summary, the favourite wins more often than not. No ****ing shit. Geelong supporters eh?

 

[Dixie Normous]

The North/St Kilda Good Friday match

 

[TheWhiteRhino]

1. Don't introduce anymore bullshit reactionary rules.

2. Prioritise the player trying to win the ball over the one trying to tackle him. That means:
- scrap the below the knees rule
- stop calling holding the ball frees against players that have no legitimate chance of disposing of it

3. Call play on every time a player ducks his head, shrugs his shoulder or drops the knees.

4. Crack down on legitimate disposal. Throw after throw creates more packs is just plain unattractive.

5. Get rid of the score review system. If we can't be sure we have a system to get it right all the time, there's no point and it just slows down the game.

The rest will sort itself out.

 

[Bojangles17]

The best ideas I have heard are to get rid of prior oppo and reward the tackler, that should be easy for the u,lire to interpret , clears the area with a free rather than another would also help.

I hate the idea of zones . If they wanted to review more extreme options then I personally would consider 16 a side. Let’s face it , 18 ea , that is 36 players in the ground is quite unbelievable, no way would you would design that way if the game was invented today

 

[Priddis Is Done]

returning to fewer on the bench and fewer interchanges isnt really tinkering, it's getting back to the basic configuration when congestion wasnt an issue

I wasn't have a go by the way. Just this uproar is upsetting.

I really don't know if that will fix things. Will we recruit even more elite runners to keep up, therefore relegating real footballers even more.

My fear... a player like natinui is lost to the game.

 

[Goggin Our Best]

The Richmond fans are swept up in the now/current situation - which is understandable. They are excited because their team has won a flag - and are currently going great guns - on top of the ladder etc - so alls good . All supporters of all clubs would be rapt with that

However say in this little era - Richmond win 2-3 or 4 flags - so all the Richmond supporters or most of them will be very content with the flags won - then a couple more years click by - and their watching AFL accross the board as a neutral - and they will say to themselves - AFL isnt that attractive/exciting to watch .

 

[ThaiTiger]

The Richmond fans are swept up in the now/current situation - which is understandable. They are excited because their team has won a flag - and are currently going great guns - on top of the ladder etc - so alls good . All supporters of all clubs would be rapt with that

However say in this little era - Richmond win 2-3 or 4 flags - so all the Richmond supporters or most of them will be very content with the flags won - then a couple more years click by - and their watching AFL accross the board as a neutral - and they will say to themselves - AFL isnt that attractive/exciting to watch .

After winning 2-4 flags in the near future AFL will always be a thing of beauty for me. You'll never hear the end of it. 'Memories like the corners of my mind'. Thanks for your generosity. I'll take that to the grave. Cheers!

 

[Benaly28]

LEAVE.IT.ALONE. It will evolve.No more rule changes.

 

[Ron The Bear]

So many stupid posts in here that I can't be bothered answering one at a time.

The OP isn't about the skills of the game being poor, it's about the actual games. Outside of a half a dozen players you could put blank faces on players and you wouldn't know which teams are playing. It's all the exact same boring as **** over crowded style. Every game looks the same, it's not won by the best football it's won by slowly breaking down soiling team with defense. It's won with 36 players in one half of the ground with a foot race on turnover.

All the flogs in here saying games were shit in the 80s, show me a game in the 80s when Tony Lockett spent all game on Centre wing when his side was losing and then took a mark and had no one to kick too.


The fabric of the game has slowly been eaten away, not by the tigers but by coaches over the last decade.

The 2005/06 GFs were a million times better footy too watch than this crap

Agree with all but the last bit. Those games were intense because they were GF's, but traces of Sydney's stoppage-based rolling maul are evident today.

"Stop wrecking the game, Sydney" has been my standard greeting to a Swans-supporting mate for the last decade.

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

Been going to the footy since 1975, and I don't 'prefer' any era. Old school footy in the 70s and 80s was great, and so is the 2018 version. Things weren't 'better in the good old days', and they're not better now, they're just different.

What a breath of fresh air your post is.

 

[SBD Gonzalez]

Does it annoy anyone else that those cups are out of year order?

 

[Deathray]

Umpires need to keep the game moving. Pay free kicks that are clearly there. Like holding the ball. Throw the ball up as soon as it’s given back to you. Who cares who the ruckman just get the game going

It really is that simple, quick whistle throw it up and get out of the way. Dont wait and hope it eventually spills out and allow greater congestion to develop. Also pay anything that’s not a clear correct handball every time.

 

[sregit]

This may be a little radical but I think a viable proposal.

Pay holding the ball instead of a stoppage against both the tackled player in possession or Alternatively the tackler, if his intent is to hold the ball in.

A player who is tackled must dispose of the ball by foot or handball correctly given prior opportunity. Failure to do so results in a free against him.

NOW! .....

The tackler must not have intent to hold the ball in. If he does so deliberately a free should be paid against the tackler. A ball up should only occur when the tackle, usually front on, has caused the ball to be trapped. The ruck nomination rule should be scrapped and a free paid against a team when two or more of its players contest the ruck.Throw the ball up immediately before players can congregate.

Zones are not necessary. Just lessen stoppages. Players are drawn to stoppages. Congestion will be less.