What's wrong with the AFL ?

[telsor]

The AFLs problems largely come down to one issue.

They run a league, and the 'run the game', and all too often the two come into conflict.

What's best for the competition isn't always best for the game, and vice-versa and when they come into conflict they have to make a choice that will, inevitably, upset people.



They need to break the two up and stop pretending they have more than a passing relationship with each other.

 

[coniglio_number1]

The AFL has always had different rules for different players/clubs - the MRP says hi. The brand of the AFL gets a little bit more 'on the nose' every year:

- MRP and umpiring are in shambles
- Laws of the game change every year, with many changes considered totally unnecessary and reactionary
- The rules of the administration of the game re salary cap, drugs, integrity etc are made up as they go along and changed to suit whatever the AFL feels like doing. Penalties determined by how much the suits at AFL House personally like a club.
- The creation of GWS and Gold Coast has been criticised for diluting the talent pool and the concessions handed to those sides
- Absolutely piss weak handling of the Essendon doping saga
- Perception that the game is becoming too commercialised, with ticket/membership prices rising much faster than fans' wages, that 'year of the fan' which was a crock of shit, the jumpy deliberately-distracting LED signs, and now more games being siphoned off to Foxtel.

Five years ago, I didn't hate the AFL administration. Now I do.

The talent pool diluted? We just had one of the deepest drafts ever.

Also the record number of kids coming from expansion states says that the talent pool is actually increasing

 

["The Roar Is Back"]

Absolute garbage ...



More garbage



hahaha .... more garbage



Coming from an Essendon supporter the irony is this post is laughable. You are either blind or ignorant ....

On the whole I do not agree with OP ... at present we dont have serious problems at AFL HQ and Commission level ... real problems are elsewhere inside the structure ... it will take time to weed them out.

real problems are elsewhere inside the structure ... it will take time to weed them out

I guess these would be anyone who seeks accountability ???

 

[Kwality]

The talent pool diluted? We just had one of the deepest drafts ever.

Also the record number of kids coming from expansion states says that the talent pool is actually increasing

Come back in 3 years, being drafted is auto over rating for too many kids. You fair dinkum judge the draft as deep, based on what?

 

[Dr Whoooooooo]

The AFLs problems largely come down to one issue.
They run a league, and the 'run the game', and all too often the two come into conflict.
What's best for the competition isn't always best for the game, and vice-versa and when they come into conflict they have to make a choice that will, inevitably, upset people.They need to break the two up and stop pretending they have more than a passing relationship with each other.

With all due respect this community' is a "fan site" so overtly supportive of the clubs.

The AFL's main problems sit inside the clubs ... hence why inevitably people will get upset.

The AFL is doing an outstanding job at managing the game the competitions health or lack of health resides at club level ...

 

[Dr Whoooooooo]

real problems are elsewhere inside the structure ... it will take time to weed them out

I guess these would be anyone who seeks accountability ???

Accountability .... hahaha ... most AFL clubs would have no idea what you are talking about.

Im not having a go at Tigers ... but who holds your board accountable , they have made some absolute mind boggling decisions in the last few years????

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Absolute garbage ...



More garbage



hahaha .... more garbage



Coming from an Essendon supporter the irony is this post is laughable. You are either blind or ignorant ....

On the whole I do not agree with OP ... at present we dont have serious problems at AFL HQ and Commission level ... real problems are elsewhere inside the structure ... it will take time to weed them out.

Coming from a GWS "supporter" your post is laughable.

You clearly wouldn't know the first thing about footy, let alone what's wrong with it.




Ahhh... that was easy.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

The AFLs problems largely come down to one issue.

They run a league, and the 'run the game', and all too often the two come into conflict.

What's best for the competition isn't always best for the game, and vice-versa and when they come into conflict they have to make a choice that will, inevitably, upset people.



They need to break the two up and stop pretending they have more than a passing relationship with each other.

How would you propose Telsor something like that could be set up?
I think a national trust or body to handle running the game could work but it would be pointless unless the AFL are prepared to do what they are told and also that they don't infiltrate such a body with their own puppets.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

The talent pool diluted? We just had one of the deepest drafts ever.

Also the record number of kids coming from expansion states says that the talent pool is actually increasing

How do you know how deep the draft is? None of them have played a game yet and the stats show only a very small percentage of them will become regular AFL players.

 

[Run n Spread]

For all the good things the AFL has done the biggest problem is that they have taken the game away from the people.
The fans used to run the game and now we are just financial sponsors of the game. The fans thoughts are not relevant to the AFL. They do surveys to their fans but do not include the questions the fans want to answer, just questions that will give them the answer they want to hear.
The fans could not be further away from the game or its clubs that they are now.
I am a 27 year member of the Eagles and I would have to make an appointment to walk into my clubs facilities.
The AFL know they can do as they please because we the sheep will just keep turning up and watching, they don't care how many people ring up talk back radio, or post on forums such as these with their issues in the game because next week they know you will be back.
There has not been another sport in its history that has changed the laws of the game as the modern AFL has.
The media cannot tell it as it is as they will not be allowed to broadcast the game so they only tell us the AFL view and shoot anyone down who does Not comply.
Big business is what is wrong with the AFL, they have become like a political party. Rules for some, different rules for others. No two penalties are the same for the same offence pending who you play for and what time of year it is. Money is everything to the AFL. The fans are not important even if they say that you are.

This. Also it is a sport. They run a sporting competition. Nothing more nothing less.

The fans love a sporting competition because it is a distraction from their "grey" complex un black and white lives.

Sport is simply a set of rules and the smartest, best and most talented make it to the top. Make it about anything else people may as well do overtime. Sure raise awareness/support those in need/collect for charity etc but don't be a vehicle to propagandanise people. People want to come together to support an event not be needlessly divided further.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

With all due respect this community' is a "fan site" so overtly supportive of the clubs.

The AFL's main problems sit inside the clubs ... hence why inevitably people will get upset.

The AFL is doing an outstanding job at managing the game the competitions health or lack of health resides at club level ...

The AFL only look after their own league, they do pretty much nothing for the game itself.

 

[Kwality]

With all due respect this community' is a "fan site" so overtly supportive of the clubs.

The AFL's main problems sit inside the clubs ... hence why inevitably people will get upset.

The AFL is doing an outstanding job at managing the game the competitions health or lack of health resides at club level ...

Now that is a motherhood statement ....

 

[Bokonon_]

Coming from a GWS "supporter" your post is laughable.

You clearly wouldn't know the first thing about footy, let alone what's wrong with it.




Ahhh... that was easy.

1. He not a GWS supporter
2. It's exactly the same as saying your opinion doesn't matter if your a Bombers supporter, what do you hope to gain from it?

 

["The Roar Is Back"]

Accountability .... hahaha ... most AFL clubs would have no idea what you are talking about.

Im not having a go at Tigers ... but who holds your board accountable , they have made some absolute mind boggling decisions in the last few years????

If your not having a go at a club why in the next sentence try and pot them ?
Please stick the topic and that is the ongoing allegations of mistreating by the AFL of its members which has generally included "bullying".

 

[telsor]

How would you propose Telsor something like that could be set up?
I think a national trust or body to handle running the game could work but it would be pointless unless the AFL are prepared to do what they are told and also that they don't infiltrate such a body with their own puppets.

Obviously that would need to be looked at, but I think the WAFC would be a starting point. (yes, I know it has it's flaws as well, thus 'starting point').

Separate the competition from the 'rest' to as great a degree as possible...The only reason to have them as the same organisation at all would be to ensure funds transfer.

 

[telsor]

The AFL only look after their own league, they do pretty much nothing for the game itself.

The pour a lot of money into lower competitions (WAFC gets several million a year from memory)...not to mention paying a lot of money for football in NSW/QLD.

 

[Thetrader15]

The issue is they keep changing the rules, making policy on the fly and forgetting what the fans want. We want to see footy that we know, not a hybrid game we don't recognize.

Get rid of the 'below the knees rule'. Holding the ball is when a guys runs down the wing, has a bounce, gets tackled and drops it. It's not HTB when a guy is on the ground, picks up the ball and is pushed in the back by 3 players who the jump on him.

 

[Seeds]

Recently we have seen champions of the game , Hird and Cousins, who were alleged to have wrongly used drugs , banned from the game put under immense scrutiny and subsequently there lives have spiraled out of control.
On the flip side we have seen players caught red handed , banned and rightfully welcomed back with open arms.
There are many conspiracy theories as to the steps that occured involving the AFL during both the Hird and Cousin cases , with many close to those people very critical of the AFL.
Let's not forget that in both cases it has come to light that plenty others at the respective clubs were using.
For every Hird , Cousin and even Goodes story there are similar claims of miss treatment by relatively unknowns who have a involvement at grass roots level.
It would appear the brand is starting to get on the nose , primarily due to it's ongoing miss handling of big football personal issues and alleged creating of a scapegoats .
Thoughts.

Cousins was welcomed back. You would think a tigers supporter would know that.

Although the reason he was suspended in the first place was very hypocritical and solely to do with public image.

What hird did is not deserving of being welcomed back for a long time. To be honest there should of been criminal punishment.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

The pour a lot of money into lower competitions (WAFC gets several million a year from memory)...not to mention paying a lot of money for football in NSW/QLD.

The WAFC get nothing from the AFL as far as I know. The Eagles and Dockers pay a dividend to the WAFC who own them which is the only money I know that comes out of the AFL system of sorts.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

The AFL don't have to explain themselves to anyone. They are unaccountable, and therein lies the problem.

 

[Toump Ass]

That tanking reference really got a reaction out if you didn't it. As if I was pointing my finger at you because you are a melbourne suporter, and you know, if you support a club, you are responsible for everything they do. You dirty tanker you!

**** your spelling and grammar is atrocious.

Anyway- plenty of clubs tanked, yours included, so no need to whinge about another club.

 

[Fire]

Barry Hall GF 2005 was when I realised the farce.

Exact same moment for me too; actually this came to mind as well, I'm heartened to see someone else bring it up.

The problem with the AFL is simply corruption. Not nessesary in the traditional grab money and run scence; it's more insidious. It's a giant boys club which will compromise everything to protect its own (see Essendon drug scandal and their failed attempts to make it go away). They clearely meddled with the MRP when they let Hall play after blatantly striking someone, so I don't even have no confidence they don't interfere via the umpires either. They control their own media and have undue political influence in the country to back them up.

I stopped watching the AFL a while ago now; I only loosely follow it these days and frequent these boards mainly for SRP chat. The AFL has a WWE vibe to me, with none of the self awareness.

 

[Milanista28]

Players safe, Staff gone, It's all about optics.

 

[FredLeDeux]

Obviously that would need to be looked at, but I think the WAFC would be a starting point. (yes, I know it has it's flaws as well, thus 'starting point').

Separate the competition from the 'rest' to as great a degree as possible...The only reason to have them as the same organisation at all would be to ensure funds transfer.

There would be some tax difficulties, you would think.
The AFL gets away with classification as a "non-profit" non-taxable body only because of its larger role in running the sport as a whole.
This would be much more difficult to maintain for a body solely dedicated to running a professional sporting competition.

 

[HaroLad]

People do drugs in all walks of life