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Should the clock at games count down instead of up?

Should the clock at games count down instead of up?

  • Yes

  • No


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All I can say is it's a part of the game. People who blast players for time wasting, it's part of the game in every sport but you think that AFL players should be exempt from it? In basketball if there is under 24 seconds left in the game, players will try and attempt to dribble out the shot clock. In rugby, if a team has a set of 6 with a minute left, they will get up slowly and take their time, in NFL they do the same. In soccer if they're late into stoppage time they'll take the ball to the corner flag and hold it there until someone comes to take it off them. No fans of those sports complain about the tactics, why? Because the defending team has the chance to try and stop them, and it's no different in the AFL. If you don't want them to take time off the clock, man up. If you don't want them using the 30 seconds they have to have a shot at goal and then pass it, man up.
in basketball if there is 35 seconds to go the team only has 24 seconds to use the ball before forced to make a shot and likely turn the ball over (if close game, they'll get fouled and go to the line, giving the other team a likely possession)

In rugby, they may get up slowly, but thy are then forced to make a play that may cause a spill and turnover, even if the siren goes the match is alive until the ball is dead.

Soccer, they may hold it in the corner but still have a good chance of turning it over, also tie runs up and they don't know when the ref will call the match.

why is it so important to watch a clock run down? what does it bring to the game?
 
If it is for the fans at the ground, they can listen to the radio and get updates that way.

I'm not wearing ****ing earphones at the game and even I did radio commentators for god knows what season only mention the time if it's close in the 4th quarter.
 
in basketball if there is 35 seconds to go the team only has 24 seconds to use the ball before forced to make a shot and likely turn the ball over (if close game, they'll get fouled and go to the line, giving the other team a likely possession)

In rugby, they may get up slowly, but thy are then forced to make a play that may cause a spill and turnover, even if the siren goes the match is alive until the ball is dead.

Soccer, they may hold it in the corner but still have a good chance of turning it over, also tie runs up and they don't know when the ref will call the match.

why is it so important to watch a clock run down? what does it bring to the game?
How can you say in Rugby the ball is still alive and there's a chance for a turnover but think adding a countdown clock in AFL would eliminate this?
 
We literally have a guy who runs on the oval to tell them!!!

No other sport does that. The only people who don't know are the fans who don't have a radio. It should be clear for everyone.
They're trying to minimise the use of runners though I believe? Also it's obviously not an instantaneous way for players to know how long is left.
 

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How can you say in Rugby the ball is still alive and there's a chance for a turnover but think adding a countdown clock in AFL would eliminate this?
In Rugby, if you turn the ball over with 3 seconds left, the opposition may play on for as long as the like assuming they don’t turn it over. In AFL, 3 seconds later the game is over. It’s a rather large difference.
 
How can you say in Rugby the ball is still alive and there's a chance for a turnover but think adding a countdown clock in AFL would eliminate this?
Never said it would eliminate it, I just enjoy the atmosphere of a crowd of 80k plus not knowing when the siren will go.

That one last burst down the wing, hoping there is still enough seconds on the clock for a mark or goal. I personally enjoy that, as do others. Those that complain about not knowing can easily find out with their phones these days, why take it from those that do enjoy it?
 
The excitement of many a close game has been diminished due to knowing the exact time remaining. I can’t think of too many where it’s been enhanced by it.

IMO.
I'm a little baffled with fans on this topic using excitement as the key point in this discussion, neglecting the integrity of the game, but on other issues lambasting the AFL for choosing alternative options over the integrity of the game.
 
Never said it would eliminate it, I just enjoy the atmosphere of a crowd of 80k plus not knowing when the siren will go.

That one last burst down the wing, hoping there is still enough seconds on the clock for a mark or goal. I personally enjoy that, as do others. Those that complain about not knowing can easily find out with their phones these days, why take it from those that do enjoy it?
I'm more looking at it as an integrity issue rather than an issue of enjoying the game from a fan perspective. I for one do enjoy the excitement of not knowing how long is left, but then I compare our sport with other sports and see an issue in terms of integrity.
 
Not sure how it is an integrity issue. Both sides are in the same position and even if one sides runner is more aware it isn't as if he is whispering to his teams players.

As above, I think the tension and excitement the unknown brings is why it should stay as is. It is one thing to watch your team quickly try to move the ball from end to end counting down the seconds, it is another to watch it happen with the prospect of time running out at any moment.

I don't think it would hugely change how players play the last few minutes, they already show the appropriate urgency and fight and i can't imagine having a clock saying the exact time left would increase that as the op is arguing.

For me it comes down to creating moments. Under the count down model If your team kicks a goal to take the lead with 3 seconds left you celebrate that goal like you've won the game and when the siren goes at the bounce it is just a formality. With the current system if your team kicks that goal you celebrate like you think you've won the game but you are nervous as hell until the sweet relief of the siren goes after the bounce.

I can barely think of a single scenario that is enhanced by knowing how long is left, but can think of many moments I have loved which would have been slightly lessened (not ruined, obviously, but not the same degree of magical) by knowing exactly how long was left.
 
The excitement of many a close game has been diminished due to knowing the exact time remaining. I can’t think of too many where it’s been enhanced by it.

IMO.
The 2010 Grand final draw? It was fun to see the "race against the clock" to score.

But goals after the siren situations are always better not knowing the time left.
 

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Put the score and the clock counting up on those board on the LED advertising boards, and the clock counting down on the monitor.

Every close game I'm at, someone in the crowd always yells it out anyway. If the counting up people can somehow shut out anybody yelling it out and resist looking at the monitor everyone wins.

As quarter baked an idea as you could think of but if any organisation is looking for such an idea it's the AFL.
 
I'm more looking at it as an integrity issue rather than an issue of enjoying the game from a fan perspective. I for one do enjoy the excitement of not knowing how long is left, but then I compare our sport with other sports and see an issue in terms of integrity.
100% it's an integrity issue. It's about a player being in full receipt of the facts and making an informed decision.

At the moment, players don't know exactly how long is left. They may kick hurriedly when the better option is to take their time, and vice-versa.

There was a Swans Essendon game (2012?) where someone took a mark 50m out with seconds left and less than a goal the margin. Instead of going back and having a crack, The player either dished off or ran off his mark and the siren blew. Game over. I'm of the belief that that situation should not be allowed to occur, in the interests of the game's integrity.
 
i get there's a unique nature about the way our game ends which is different from anyone else. I prefer the clock to count down like a normal sport but i get that Aussie rules does things a little differently and it's unique quirk i'm okay with.

But if the clock in the stadium doesn't show how long is left, then no one should know. we shouldn't have runners going out to have to tell the players that there's 8 seconds left. courtney dempsay playing on after the siren when eveyone else in australia knew he shouldn't was just an embarrassing look. the coaches, players, fans at home should all know or all don't. it's ridiculous that the only ones who don't know exactly how long left in the game are the ones playing.
 

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i get there's a unique nature about the way our game ends which is different from anyone else. I prefer the clock to count down like a normal sport but i get that Aussie rules does things a little differently and it's unique quirk i'm okay with.

But if the clock in the stadium doesn't show how long is left, then no one should know. we shouldn't have runners going out to have to tell the players that there's 8 seconds left. courtney dempsay playing on after the siren when eveyone else in australia knew he shouldn't was just an embarrassing look. the coaches, players, fans at home should all know or all don't. it's ridiculous that the only ones who don't know exactly how long left in the game are the ones playing.
This is why I'd be on board with it. Seems silly to me that Joe Bloggs in the lounge room watching Fox or 7 can know how long's left, but people in the stands without a radio or worse still players don't. You can say oh there's a monitor on the bench or there's runners to tell them, but getting that message to 18 blokes in a short space of time is not a practical thing to do.
 
The 2010 Grand final draw? It was fun to see the "race against the clock" to score.

But goals after the siren situations are always better not knowing the time left.
Would’ve been so much more tense not knowing, so no.
 
Off the top of my head I can't really think of any sport that is timed where players can't accurately see or know how long is left. I also can't think of a sport where the viewers at home have a completely different clock to those at the ground.
Pretty much every sport in the world the players know how long is left.

The biggest sport in the world counts up and the players/fans only have a rough knowledge of how long is left.
 
This is why we need it



Hypothetically, if there is a count down timer at the ground, it's not going to be nearly as visible as the clocks in say, basketball, given the smaller court size, and the countdown clock being directly above the scoring target (the basket).

But let's say the player can see it easily enough. What would happen if that Essendon player marked the ball a bit further out (i.e. outside their range)? When would they be checking the clock, instead of looking forward to pass the ball?
The AFL ground is so much larger than most grounds, and with multi-directional movement, it would be very hard to continually look up at the timer, then down around the ground for your teammates.
Would the forwards be looking over the shoulder to check how long was left?

Think of the suspense for the people at the game though ! :rolleyes::rolleyes::drunk:

Edit: I dont think anyone can say that would have been less exciting or lacked suspense if people at the game and players knew how long was left.

And yet that would be one particular example of this argument.

On the other hand, there would be dozens of games each season, decided by less than one goal, where the final minutes are played in great suspense, no one knowing how long is left, how quickly the team has to move the ball forward. There would be many more examples of games that would fizzle in the last minute because they would know how long is left, and the players could chip the ball around and game over.
 
The players no how much time is left. Or have very close knowledge. And that's all that really matters. If the players were clueless or just guessing at how long was left I would say yes there should be a countdown timer(s) in the stadium.

That Dempsey example above was brutal, but how often does that happen? I can't remember it happening a second time (not with the game on the line)...

The call would've gone out that there was less than 30 seconds remaining at the throw in. Dempsey may or may not have heard that but it is every players responsibility to know the game situation.

If your down by a kick with less than a minute to go and take a mark within range but play on.... Well you're taking a huge risk.

As samFFC said above - Say there is a countdown clock and he takes the mark and has a player free just over the top for an easy 20 meter chip kick. But he's worried about the time so has a look at the clock. It says 11 seconds so he pulls the trigger on the chip kick but that second or two looking at the clock and processing the situation was enough for a Swans player to cover his team mate and effect a spoil....
 

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Should the clock at games count down instead of up?


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