http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-06-12/exclusive-hawks-afl-in-trial-of-onfield-zones
WITH the look and feel of the game now the hot-button topic in the game, the AFL has enlisted its most successful coach to help chart a course for the future.
Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson used the bye week to stage a training session on Saturday morning and it was moved to Etihad Stadium after a request from the AFL to "try a few things".
AFL umpires officiated at Saturday morning's session and was filmed by the League for further analysis. Among those in attendance were AFL general manager of football operations Steve Hocking, head of coaching David Rath, umpires boss Grant Williams, game analyst Brett Munro and football operations manager Pat Clifton.
Rath joined the League at the start of the year as head of coaching after 13 years as a senior assistant at Hawthorn, where he worked under Alastair Clarkson as he led the Hawks to four premierships.
Rath is working closely with Hocking, looking at different ways the game might be played, with changes set to be implemented as early as next season. Any changes would need to come through the new Competition Committee and signed off by the AFL Commission.
It is believed the Hawks were always planning a major training session ahead of their round 13 clash with Adelaide and once the AFL learned of this, they contacted the Hawks to see whether they could trial some ideas.
Having the session behind closed doors at Etihad Stadium allowed the club and the AFL to conduct the trials away from the public, which would have been impossible at the club's Waverley Park base.
Those coffees really paying off aye.