Earls Smother
Club Legend
- Oct 4, 2019
- 1,332
- 4,371
- AFL Club
- Carlton
I’d like hear your reasons as to why it will make a “huge” difference.
The game was basically 18 defenders versus 17 attackers when a player was forced to be stationary after taking after a mark /free kick (but the man on the mark effectively was not). This evens it up to 17 versus 17, until play-on is called. Or even tilts the balance in favour of the attacking team having closer to 18 v 17, as the player with the ball initiates the next play.
It will all come down to the discipline of the players on the mark to accept they are out of play (other than to stop the player with the ball running in a straight line towards goal) and staying still. The clubs that better prepare for it will be advantaged in terms of not giving away 50m penalties - as they should be. I read that Brisbane were doing a session recently solely to practice this, and a club would be negligent to not do so.
There is no doubt it will be benefit the clubs with elite ball users who will be able to run and receive more easily. It will also benefit the sides with strong marking forwards, as delivery should be of a higher standard more often. This should see more goals kicked. These are aspects of the game we want to see being benefitted IMO.
Thankfully from our point of view, it should suit us more than a defensive side like say Sydney.
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