With the AFL in financial jeopardy, it's time for 16 aside or maybe even 15!

[St Plugger]

Iv'e said it before and I'll say it again...........!

[Even more so now with the Covid 19 shutdown and the AFL in financial strife and a changed world upon us.]

Go to 16 ASIDE or perhaps even 15 ASIDE!

It'll save MONEY................!

Less players..........->smaller lists..............->lower overall player payments.

Less players on the field.............-> less congestion.

Less players = less congestion = less injuries = less interchange players needed = less payments.

Less players= less coaches = less administration = less of everything a club "needs" from drink bottles to bandaids to A4 paper. Even less players and staff to keep healthy. Footballs equivalent to neo-liberalism to balance the books and get back into surplus..

Teams:-
16 in a 6 - 4 - 6 plus 2 interchanges [or go back to having 2 reserves] or
15 in a 5 - 5 - 5 plus 2 interchanges [or 2 reserves]

In a starting 6 - 4 - 6 model, the on ballers = 1 ruck + 3 mids, no wings, no centre square required.
With the 5 - 5 - 5 model, 1 ruck + 2 mids in the centre square at the bounce plus 2 wings outside the square, no forward/back pockets.

Having the best players in a 15 or 16 aside team would have the benefit of raising the standard of the competition. All teams would be more competitive because even now the lower rung teams in the comp have reasonably strong core groups, but where they fall behind is with their last few "role" players in their 22. 15 or 16 a side would increase scoring and would bring back forwards kicking 100+ goals again. It would lead to players having to be more responsible to cover each other 1:1 as once the ball becomes free, the game would really speed up. Long kicking teams with good marking players would have a real advantage!

NOW is the time to make this change while the game is in recess!

 

[Kwality]

Certainly addresses the weakness of the bottom 20% of the player pool.

At the moment it doesnt address the financial reality going forward .... should be one of the considerations in a root & branch review of the game in the 21st century. Time to move on from last century.

 

[ShanDog]

Just as an aside, you mean to say we should play 16 a side. Two words.







Carry on.

 

[BigPond101]

I agree wood like to see this change

But they need to keep some kind of zoning requirment like the 6-6-6 otherwise teams just play with 16 midfielders and nothing much will change

 

[Kwality]

Just as an aside, you mean to say we should play 16 a side. Two words.







Carry on.

I think 16 a side is one measure, the number of teams will involve viability, whether that means loans not special distributions is something I've not seen reported.
Interest on loans will be payable.

 

[RUNVS]

I wonder how 16 a side would change how the game is played. Would we even notice a difference?

 

[St Plugger]

I wonder how 16 a side would change how the game is played. Would we even notice a difference?

I would hope so!
Notionally, with 2 or 3 less players on the field and with only 2 or perhaps 0 interchange, [by having 2 reserve replacement players instead], the game should open up.
My recollections of when the VFA played 16 aside, watching it on channel 0 with Phil Gibbs, it was a fast, open game with plenty of scoring. That was at the same time the VFL introduced the centre diamond, to become the centre square, which was the first attempt to overcome congestion. The 16 aside worked, the centre square as we know over time, not so well. You probably wouldn't notice the lack of wings at all. In todays game, frequently the wingers role is played by the "High" half forward anyway. The AFLW is 16 aside, if that helps give you some comparison!
I would think watching 15 aside, you'd probably only briefly notice the absence of the couple of players in the centre square as they lined up for the bounce. The forward/back pockets not being there, maybe not at all.

 

[St Plugger]

At the moment it doesn't address the financial reality going forward.

With the average player's salary at $363,000, with less 3 average player payments alone, it would save each club $1,089,000.00 in a season.

 

[BF Tiger]

It’s worth trialling.

 

[RUNVS]

I would hope so!
Notionally, with 2 or 3 less players on the field and with only 2 or perhaps 0 interchange, [by having 2 reserve replacement players instead], the game should open up.
My recollections of when the VFA played 16 aside, watching it on channel 0 with Phil Gibbs, it was a fast, open game with plenty of scoring. That was at the same time the VFL introduced the centre diamond, to become the centre square, which was the first attempt to overcome congestion. The 16 aside worked, the centre square as we know over time, not so well. You probably wouldn't notice the lack of wings at all. In todays game, frequently the wingers role is played by the "High" half forward anyway. The AFLW is 16 aside, if that helps give you some comparison!
I would think watching 15 aside, you'd probably only briefly notice the absence of the couple of players in the centre square as they lined up for the bounce. The forward/back pockets not being there, maybe not at all.

I'm sceptical. I think AFL coaches are good enough that they would still be able to create an effective zoned defence with 16 players on the ground instead of 18.

 

[Upgrayedd]

What's everyones fetish about gutting our comp?

 

[_jrtp09_]

I simply wouldn’t allow one of our longest standing traditions in our game to succumb to a virus that started in China.

Now is not the time to be reactive.

 

[St Plugger]

I'm sceptical. I think AFL coaches are good enough that they would still be able to create an effective zoned defence with 16 players on the ground instead of 18.

That maybe true, but the main intent is the financial benefit of having less payer payments overall, plus the other general savings coming from this move.
The game should open up with the fewer interchange players available and the extra territory that each player has to cover as the grounds aren't any smaller!

 

[dylan93]

Yeah nah. Stop changing the friggen game.

 

[St Plugger]

Yeah nah. Stop changing the friggen game.

Aussie rules football has always been changing.
Just the number of different finals systems alone shows that. I think the final 4 system lasted the longest.
Then look at the evolution over the years. Once they used place kicks for goal, like in rugby. More recently drop kicks were common, as was the flat punt and the stab pass. In fact the drop punt was a rarity initially. There was the flick pass as well as the punched handball. Huddles and Zones evolved, defensive forwards, interchange players, teams of 22. I can go on....!

16 aside has also been used in various comps, even at State level and in the AFLW, it's just yet to be used in the VFL/AFL. 15 aside is being played in junior leagues, and works well there, opening up the play and developing skills.

 

[dylan93]

Aussie rules football has always been changing.
Just the number of different finals systems alone shows that. I think the final 4 system lasted the longest.
Then look at the evolution over the years. Once they used place kicks for goal, like in rugby. More recently drop kicks were common, as was the flat punt and the stab pass. Iln fact the drop punt was a rarity initially. There was the flick pass as well as the punched handball. Huddles and Zones evolved, defensive forwards, interchange players, teams of 22. I can go on....!

16 aside has also been used in various comps, even at State level and in the AFLW, it's just yet to be used in the VFL/AFL. 15 aside has been played in junior leagues, and works well there in opening up the play and developing skills.

It's nowhere near as good as it was in the 90s and even the early 00s. It's heading in a boring and worrying direction.

 

[mightymouse75]

Definitely 16 sides is the only way to go

 

[Kappa]

Iv'e said it before and I'll say it again...........!

[Even more so now with the Covid 19 shutdown and the AFL in financial strife and a changed world upon us.]

Go to 16 ASIDE or perhaps even 15 ASIDE!

It'll save MONEY................!

Less players..........->smaller lists..............->lower overall player payments.

Less players on the field.............-> less congestion.

Less players = less congestion = less injuries = less interchange players needed = less payments.

Less players= less coaches = less administration = less of everything a club "needs" from drink bottles to bandaids to A4 paper. Even less players and staff to keep healthy. Footballs equivalent to neo-liberalism to balance the books and get back into surplus..

Teams:-
16 in a 6 - 4 - 6 plus 2 interchanges [or go back to having 2 reserves] or
15 in a 5 - 5 - 5 plus 2 interchanges [or 2 reserves]

In a starting 6 - 4 - 6 model, the on ballers = 1 ruck + 3 mids, no wings, no centre square required.
With the 5 - 5 - 5 model, 1 ruck + 2 mids in the centre square at the bounce plus 2 wings outside the square, no forward/back pockets.

Having the best players in a 15 or 16 aside team would have the benefit of raising the standard of the competition. All teams would be more competitive because even now the lower rung teams in the comp have reasonably strong core groups, but where they fall behind is with their last few "role" players in their 22. 15 or 16 a side would increase scoring and would bring back forwards kicking 100+ goals again. It would lead to players having to be more responsible to cover each other 1:1 as once the ball becomes free, the game would really speed up. Long kicking teams with good marking players would have a real advantage!

NOW is the time to make this change while the game is in recess!

You have no idea how the game would look with 16 a side. Literally none.

 

[HTT]

Aussie rules football has always been changing.
Just the number of different finals systems alone shows that. I think the final 4 system lasted the longest.
Then look at the evolution over the years. Once they used place kicks for goal, like in rugby. More recently drop kicks were common, as was the flat punt and the stab pass. In fact the drop punt was a rarity initially. There was the flick pass as well as the punched handball. Huddles and Zones evolved, defensive forwards, interchange players, teams of 22. I can go on....!

16 aside has also been used in various comps, even at State level and in the AFLW, it's just yet to be used in the VFL/AFL. 15 aside is being played in junior leagues, and works well there, opening up the play and developing skills.

Ahh yes an apt example. 16 a side in the old VFA. How’s that competition looking?

 

[St Plugger]

Ahh yes an apt example. 16 a side in the old VFA. How’s that competition looking?

The VFA is still going. It has just changed names to the VFL. Exactly the same scenario as the VFL changing names to the AFL.
Oh and by the way, it was the VFA that first introduced 18 aside, down from 20, with the then VFL following 2 years later.

 

[HTT]

The VFA is still going. It has just changed names to the VFL. Exactly the same scenario as the VFL changing names to the AFL.
Oh and by the way, it was the VFA that first introduced 18 aside, down from 20, with the then VFL following 2 years later.

Still going as a de facto AFL reserves competition. If there was no league affiliations interest would be restricted just to original club supporters and no one else.

 

[footyfan1978]

Stupid idea.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

Aussie rules football has always been changing.
Just the number of different finals systems alone shows that. I think the final 4 system lasted the longest.
Then look at the evolution over the years. Once they used place kicks for goal, like in rugby. More recently drop kicks were common, as was the flat punt and the stab pass. In fact the drop punt was a rarity initially. There was the flick pass as well as the punched handball. Huddles and Zones evolved, defensive forwards, interchange players, teams of 22. I can go on....!

16 aside has also been used in various comps, even at State level and in the AFLW, it's just yet to be used in the VFL/AFL. 15 aside is being played in junior leagues, and works well there, opening up the play and developing skills.

Most of the things you mentioned happened through natural evolution which is how it should be, all evolution if that’s what you wish to call it in the last 30 years has been through rule changes.
Let the players evolve the game naturally and stop changing the actual sport itself, the players will work it out.

And again I ask BF why is it important to you what the game looks like? Don’t you just want your team to win?

 

[Cotchins Hair Piece]

How can people continue to post these suggestions without knowing the financials of the AFL? Let’s leave it up to them.

 

[Engimal v3]

Aussie rules football has always been changing.
Just the number of different finals systems alone shows that. I think the final 4 system lasted the longest.
Then look at the evolution over the years. Once they used place kicks for goal, like in rugby. More recently drop kicks were common, as was the flat punt and the stab pass. In fact the drop punt was a rarity initially. There was the flick pass as well as the punched handball. Huddles and Zones evolved, defensive forwards, interchange players, teams of 22. I can go on....!

16 aside has also been used in various comps, even at State level and in the AFLW, it's just yet to be used in the VFL/AFL. 15 aside is being played in junior leagues, and works well there, opening up the play and developing skills.

Change is good when it's natural, or necessary. I don't think this is.