Why did the game devolve into the current dog's breakfast?

[Sttew]

Hear me out!

In 2018 our game has degenerated into a "defensive scrum" a la rugby league. The average number of tackles in a game has doubled over the past 20-30 years. And how often is the ball at one end and not one player is in the other half? As a spectacle the game has deteriorated. Proof? We are all talking about it and the AFL has convened a special committee to deal with the problem.

So why did the game devolve this way, and why has the AFL seen fit to set up the committee? I don't profess to have the answers and look to posters to pin point the when and why.

On 3AW last night Leigh Matthews made an interesting comment - he reckons the game has never looked more like rugby league than now.

Do we have the AFL to blame for "engineering" this look? In its unashamed desire to see AFL gain traction in the heartland rugby league states did the AFL engineer or turn a blind eye to the way the game has devolved? What better a way for the game to appeal to Sydneysiders and Queenslanders than for AFL to look and feel like RL.....except that the monster is now out of control.

 

[raymond35]

It happened when the players became full time and developed the ability to run all day with 18 on ballers per team.
Combined with the leagues determination to eliminate physical contact and coaches baffling refusal to play stay at home key forwards and unlimited interchange we have the current version of the game.

 

[windyhill]

Harsh on rugby league. More rugby union. Completely unwatchable at times.

 

[Richo83]

As I said in another thread, coaching is to blame.

 

[Snake_Baker]

Long answer: Coaching tactics and political correctness.
Short answer: Money.

 

[Isaac Cumming No 1]

Hear me out!

In 2018 our game has degenerated into a "defensive scrum" a la rugby league. The average number of tackles in a game has doubled over the past 20-30 years. And how often is the ball at one end and not one player is in the other half? As a spectacle the game has deteriorated. Proof? We are all talking about it and the AFL has convened a special committee to deal with the problem.

So why did the game devolve this way, and why has the AFL seen fit to set up the committee? I don't profess to have the answers and look to posters to pin point the when and why.

On 3AW last night Leigh Matthews made an interesting comment - he reckons the game has never looked more like rugby league than now.

Do we have the AFL to blame for "engineering" this look? In its unashamed desire to see AFL gain traction in the heartland rugby league states did the AFL engineer or turn a blind eye to the way the game has devolved? What better a way for the game to appeal to Sydneysiders and Queenslanders than for AFL to look and feel like RL.....except that the monster is now out of control.

Yep
The AFL would do that to improve the NSW audience. No doubt cunningly planned by a person on a grassy knoll.

 

[HTT]

Because no one is willing to embrace changing tactics so we'd rather make rule changes that inhibit that style from truly flourishing.

If you want to experience the 80s/90s again, I'd place an order from Name a Game before they finish up.

 

[guruisatiger]

The game is excellent
Nothing wrong just leave it alone

 

[Snake_Baker]

Because no one is willing to embrace changing tactics so we'd rather make rule changes that inhibit that style from truly flourishing.

Huh? You have got that arse about.

The absolute eyesore coaching tactics are the thing that brought rule change as a means of correction.

The decline began with Paul Roos/Ross Lyon Sydney & chip kick Wallace at Richmond in the early to mid 2000's, and with the odd exception it has spiraled downward ever since.

 

[Damon_3388]

The game was tactically primitive and dumb, especially defensively, for an extremely long time. If anything, this logical evolution of the game was long overdue.

I love watching the game in its current format, and enjoy seeing teams excute the defensive side of the game well, and bully their opposition cleanly and within the rules.

 

[HTT]

Huh? You have got that arse about.

The absolute eyesore coaching tactics are the thing that brought rule change as a means of correction.

The decline began with Paul Roos/Ross Lyon Sydney & chip kick Wallace at Richmond in the early to mid 2000's, and with the odd exception it has spiraled downward ever since.

If we'd left the game alone those tactics would've flourished and then been figured out by now. The game evolves, it has done forever and will forever. By slowing evolution, and trying to go backwards, you are just delaying the next time the game will become palatable to you.

 

[yeahmate]

Not the only reason, but I think one key factor has been changed umpiring so now the rules more likely reward the tackler rather than the player going the ball.

It used to be if the game got too congested the umps would pluck out a free kick for the player putting their head over the ball, whether too high or in the back, especially where the guy on the ground got piled on top of my multiple opposition players.

But the AFL in its wisdom changed the rules to try to speed the game up and started penalising players diving on the ball, and made holding the ball the "go to" decision to encourage ball players to get rid of it quickly rather than try and bust through or get clear possession in a pack. They also stopped paying in the back when players got taken to ground in tackles, presumably to again discourage players from hanging on to the ball and going to ground.

Problem is now the balance is too far in favour of tackling so we have a situation where it makes much more sense to load up on numbers around the ball and sweat on the guys who go in and get it hence the game looking more and more like rugby.

Another factor is the coaches being heavily influenced by soccer and the possession game. So again where in the old version of AFL you were encouraged to keep the ball going forward at all costs ("just bang it on the boot") now coaches prefer players to hold the ball and risk getting a free against in preference to the blind kick forward to a one on one contest, and players are instructed accordingly.

 

[Falchoon]

There's an underlying assumption that the game used to be great back in the eighties

When 1 game was televised per week, all games were played during the day, the average crowd was 20k.

The game simply wasn't judged on 9 games per week.

P.S Slippery slidey night games are shyte, which are the ones the majority now watch.

 

[NOBBYS]

The game is excellent
Nothing wrong just leave it alone

As John McEnroe Said
YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS

 

[Snake_Baker]

If we'd left the game alone those tactics would've flourished and then been figured out by now. The game evolves, it has done forever and will forever. By slowing evolution, and trying to go backwards, you are just delaying the next time the game will become palatable to you.

Sydney would still be lying on top of the ball now.

 

[Richo83]

Not the only reason, but I think one key factor has been changed umpiring so now the rules more likely reward the tackler rather than the player going the ball.

It used to be if the game got too congested the umps would pluck out a free kick for the player putting their head over the ball, whether too high or in the back, especially where the guy on the ground got piled on top of my multiple opposition players.

But the AFL in its wisdom changed the rules to try to speed the game up and started penalising players diving on the ball, and made holding the ball the "go to" decision to encourage ball players to get rid of it quickly rather than try and bust through or get clear possession in a pack. They also stopped paying in the back when players got taken to ground in tackles, presumably to again discourage players from hanging on to the ball and going to ground.

Problem is now the balance is too far in favour of tackling so we have a situation where it makes much more sense to load up on numbers around the ball and sweat on the guys who go in and get it hence the game looking more and more like rugby.

Another factor is the coaches being heavily influenced by soccer and the possession game. So again where in the old version of AFL you were encouraged to keep the ball going forward at all costs ("just bang it on the boot") now coaches prefer players to hold the ball and risk getting a free against in preference to the blind kick forward to a one on one contest, and players are instructed accordingly.

Yeah you can see a lot of aspects of soccer in modern football. Possession for possession's sake, floating defenders, zones, triangular positioning, positional flexibility, flooding (soccer calls it parking the bus). As Damon says, this was inevitable as footy in the 80s and prior was fairly primitive tactics wise. The more tactics are involved in sport, the less scoring there generally is.

 

[Milanista28]

Tactics became important.

 

[citizen-erased]

People say that, but between 2007 and 2014 we saw a number of great teams.

Clarksons hawks were a mix of skill, physical football and class footballers in Buddy, Mitchell, Hodge, Roughead and Burgoyne
The Cats were an efficient and ruthless team of modern stars. GAJ, Bartel, Corey, Kelly, Scarlett, Chapman, Enright.
Collingwood put an impressive display on too during these times, and the Dogs and Saints had challenger teams that were every bit as good.

Prior to that was the Lions 3peat side, who i rate as the best amongst the lot of these teams, and the Dons near perfect 2000 season.

Dogs and Tigers tapped into a formula that negates attacking footy. And they won flags using. Good on them.
2017 was pretty good with a largely even-ish comp and the 8 not being settled until the last game of the year.

2018 (and i admit, ive missed a good chunk of it being overseas) seems to be a season hit with inconsistency and injury.

Rather than seeing a tight competition with the Eagles and Roos staying afloat and Melbourne seriously improving, a number of teams have dropped away.
Crows and Giants look nothing like their top 4 2017 sides.
Dons and Dogs have failed to live up to hopes they would be quick, attacking sides putting pressure on the top 4 (lol, top 4....Kingy you idiot).
Blues and Lions have been joined by Saints and Suns sides most would have hoped were on the up
Hawks are pretty much where they were last year.
Geelong is much of the same. Taking advantage where they can, but the star midfield of Ablett, Selwood and Danger has been underwhelming.

Injuries have been rubbish this year too.

 

[Dr Tigris]

The current dog's breakfast is no worse than for most of history. there was a period in the 1990s when you had Ablett, Dunstall and Plugger in a no holds barred gun it out period. That was great. But watching those games now I get upset because the pressure sucks.

As others have said what happened was money, followed by professionalism. Increased skills and fitness, and discipline by the players. The coaching is now so much more sophisticated. Coaches have learnt how to open up the attacking options (Pagan's paddock and successors) and how to shut the opposition down (Flood to the Tigers total pressure now). What this has led to is a much more pressured (like rugby league where you get up run into a man, get up and run into a man), but much more contested and structured game.

I love the best stuff nowadays because of the contests. If you don't like tackling, bumping and ball movement through taps and little gives then it's a poor time. On the other hand I hated AFLX because there was no pressure or contests. I couldn't even watch my beloved Tigers . The OP sounds like they don't like the contests and they want to watch clean ball movement to hard leading forwards. That's nice, but IMHO shows that the defending team isn't trying.

 

[Benny78]

Congestion and players born after 1990 can't kick goals for s**t

 

[HairyO]

Umpires not enforcing the rules and the AFL fiddling the rules. All because coaches dont like to play by the rules.

If we want a return to skills, then we need to reward skills and punish athletes.

 

[skipper kelly]

One of the great things about footy was pack marking. Fans lose their s**t now when players kick to a pack.

 

[And_ROOS]

This all started in the mid 2000s when the AFL brought in rules to speed the game up. As a result it became a rolling scrum and it has gone from there. Its devolved into what u10s football was. Everyone chasing the ball.

 

[skipper kelly]

Umpires not enforcing the rules and the AFL fiddling the rules. All because coaches dont like to play by the rules.

If we want a return to skills, then we need to reward skills and punish athletes.

Yep. The rules are there but not enforced.

 

[Clint Bizkit]

I first noticed the change in 2007, that's when forwards started pushing up the ground more.