Is the game too long?

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Apparently, Craig McRae and the AFLPA seem to think so.

The concerns about injuries are valid, I admit. I do worry that the AFL attempting to fatigue players has backfired. But I think what people forget was just how bad the game looked in 2020. Admittedly COVID and crowd restrictions didn't help but I felt like the average footy game back then was really hard to watch, it was just all a boring scrapfest. Going back to 16 minute quarters like the AFLPA wanted would be a horrible move and would go a long way to killing off the game as the #1 sport in much of Australia.

If they want to stop the recent spate of injuries then the best option would be to get rid of the interchange cap, or reduce the amount of 5/6 day breaks. Hell I'd even take a shorter season before cutting gametime.
 

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Slightly too long imo. 18-minute quarters with full time on, and half-time cut to 12 minutes, would take a typical game from about 156 minutes down to 135.

That would be my preference in combination with a number of changes to timeslots enabled by shorter matches.
 
Craig Mcrae is a spud who is having a whinge because he has a few injuries now that affects him, same as literally everything the Scott brothers dribble.
Its 100% fine as it is, certain clubs are getting injuries now after having very good runs over recent years. Nobody gave a shit when it was West Coast, they blamed poor management, unfit players, holding onto older guys too long, and whatever else they could think of to not give them a break.

Why cant it just be poor management and unfit players at the Pies? They came off a grand final win and a shorter preseason than most.
Why cant it be poor management at Carlton?
Why cant it be poor management and some poor luck at the Tigers?

Coaches are free to slow down their game plans too, dont just blame the AFL rules when you have things in your own control that you can do.

If anything the only fix should be lifting interchange limit from 75 to 80-85. As I said though nothing is needed at this stage.

The best fix would be removing 4 Vic clubs, and expanding list sizes by 10 so players can be rested more easily during the season but that wont happen
 

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As I get older, it feels a bit long to me, covid 16 minute quarters definitely felt too brief though. I wouldn’t mind 18 plus time on.

I agree the 2020 daily footyfest games were humdrum
 
Slightly too long imo. 18-minute quarters with full time on, and half-time cut to 12 minutes, would take a typical game from about 156 minutes down to 135.

That would be my preference in combination with a number of changes to timeslots enabled by shorter matches.

Would attendances remain as strong as they are if the entertainment (the game itself) was shortened?

As somebody who has to travel a fair distance to watch games live, I'd probably make the effort a lot less if the overall product was shrunk.
 
Slightly too long imo. 18-minute quarters with full time on, and half-time cut to 12 minutes, would take a typical game from about 156 minutes down to 135.

That would be my preference in combination with a number of changes to timeslots enabled by shorter matches.
I agree on shortening half time but that's all.
 
Would attendances remain as strong as they are if the entertainment (the game itself) was shortened?

As somebody who has to travel a fair distance to watch games live, I'd probably make the effort a lot less if the overall product was shrunk.
I can't think of an example where that's proven to be true.

Changes to tennis (serve clock, shortening the 5th set) hasn't hurt AO attendance. Likewise the pitch clocks for major league baseball. And I don't believe anybody would avoid a movie on the basis of a 135-minute runtime being too short.

Then there's T20 cricket, which itself seemingly isn't hurt by being shortened, as seen in the case of England's 100-ball competition... all it has done is make people more inclined to hang around and/or turn up early for the women's match.
 

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