Remember all that time ago (like a week) when every AFL outlet and every AFL-media mouthpiece were screaming plaudits about the wonderful impact of the rule changes on attacking football?
Using JLT scores as an example?
And yet early signs in the season proper are that this is not the case and that players are playing more defensive individual 1 on 1 football.
Not to say that isn't more attractive than the rolling mauls we saw on occasion last year, but scoring is looking like it will suffer. The first 3/4 games Rd 1 the scores are well down (4 goals per team) on past years. What I'm seeing is players are worried about being caught on the wrong side of their opponent that there is less risk taking. Defenders now have the additional advantage of the changes to hands in the back.
Hope that changes as players and coaches settle in.
Once we get a few rounds in it will be interesting to see how the scoring plays out.
Using JLT scores as an example?
And yet early signs in the season proper are that this is not the case and that players are playing more defensive individual 1 on 1 football.
Not to say that isn't more attractive than the rolling mauls we saw on occasion last year, but scoring is looking like it will suffer. The first 3/4 games Rd 1 the scores are well down (4 goals per team) on past years. What I'm seeing is players are worried about being caught on the wrong side of their opponent that there is less risk taking. Defenders now have the additional advantage of the changes to hands in the back.
Hope that changes as players and coaches settle in.
Once we get a few rounds in it will be interesting to see how the scoring plays out.