At the game with the misses its sweet!
simmo41’s foolproof plan to fix “”“congestion”"" that can be implemented before the weekend
- Actually pay incorrect disposal. Once the tackler’s arms are locked on, anything other than a handball or kick is a free. “Knocked out in the tackle” is a load of sht and is just trying to keep the game moving.
- Make the decision to ball up about 2 seconds quicker than it currently gets done.
- DON’T FK AROUND WITH THE BALL UP. Get ball, throw it up, done. Same deal with boundary throw ins - have the boundary umps carry a spare ball with them. If they are done quickly, players will stop seeing them as a viable opportunity to stop the game to rest/reset and will lessen their efforts to make them happen.
- Ball needs to be immediately given to the ump when a free kick is paid, and then they give it to the player who gets the free (similar to basketball). This stops the dumb charade of “excuse me umpire who do I return the ball to?” that holds up play.
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They better not bring in zones, I really hate that idea and it would just further erode the game from what it was.
No other sport in the world would change rules as much as AFL does, if even at all.
Just pay the free kicks as they are meant to be paid. Exactly as Clarkson has actually said.
Every change is seemingly done with the spectacle in mind, which really is purely about executive bonuses and is a joke.
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Get rid of the interchange cap.
18 on field plus 2 on the interchange bench and 2 subs that coach can use any time.
See how that goes.
When a player is subbed out they are out of game for good.
If that doesnt break game open enough then move to 1 on bench and 2 subs…
Then try just 18 & 3 subs sort of like soccer.
But I would like to try 2 interchange and 2 subs first
I dont think we should have zones, other than whats already setup, Worsfold should be able to play a 9 man defence if he wants to.
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14 teams, play every team home and away each year. 26 rounds with 2 byes.
Solves the inequities and the increased talent on the list will solve a lot of the spectacle issues.
All problems solved.
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Just thinking out loud, here, but…
Wonder how much difference it’d make, if no one other than wingmen outside the square were allowed to enter after bounces, until the ball had come out of the square?? 
Not too hard to police,… not a huge effect on the game other than reducing congestion at the centre ball ups?
If they just did that, and maybe disallow any FWD/Back 12 to enter the opposite 50 m arc during kick outs, or ball in’s … it might solve the problem a fair bit??
This is the main point. Umpires have a mandate to “keep the game moving”. Unfortunately they have read that as “give the players every possible chance to move the ball along.” It should be read as “the ball should be stationary for as little time as possible, please see to it that this happens.”
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Also here’s my other hot take for the day.
If the AFL were to want permanent Thurs or Mon fixtures (which they don’t as per Gil on SEN today), then there needs to be a 10th game each week to accommodate it (ergo a 19th and 20th team). It shouldn’t come at the sacrifice of a Saturday or Sunday timeslot.
just lose 6 teams, sunday games SUCK.
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I do agree with this kind of philosophy.
Starting points after goals, behinds and boundary throw ins is the only thing that will eradicate congestion in my view. Once the ball is ‘live’ and in play, players can run anywhere. There is 15 seconds of empty time after a boundary throw in, about 45 after a goal and i would say about 10 after a behind, its not difficult for players to spread the field during these times.
Having watched such area rules be randomly applied (actually, mostly not applied) in the VFLW this year, they suck.
And that’s despite the VFLW being much more traditional in form (mostly six forward, six back, woman on woman). It would be hugely more intrusive in the AFL.
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High performance specialist Darren Burgess says decreasing the rotations in the AFL will lower congestion in the game.
The Director of High Performance at Arsenal Football Club comes from an AFL background, formerly working in the field for Port Adelaide, and he believes a lack of rest for players will naturally lower the numbers around stoppages.
“The high half-forwards and the wingers who can now get up and down the ground really quickly and effectively just wouldn’t be able to do it,” Burgess said on Sportsday.
“That would be, in my opinion, a fairly simple way of getting rid of some of the congestion.
“It probably won’t fix all of it, but in terms of numbers around the stoppages, players just will not have the fitness or ability to do that.
“There’s no doubt those half-forwards … are being asked to get up, in and around the stoppage then sprint back towards goal, and they just would not have the physical capacity to do that.”
Burgess doesn’t believe implementing zones is necessary, as lowering the interchange cap would have the same effect.
“I think if you dropped the rotations first, then players would just by their nature have to stay in their area,” he said.
“The ballistic nature would stay and I don’t think it would slow down matches either.
“Players would be forced to stay in their zones.
“That’s what I think would happen, but there would probably be a settling in period.”
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I don’t agree with the above btw, just posting it as it does come back to the congestion solutions being floated. The afl did reduce rotations already and claimed it a success and now we have worse congestion than ever (apparently). Clubs adjust to the fewer rotations by training and recruiting differently the problem doesn’t go away and skills lower from more tired blokes running around.
No marks for kicks backwards won’t stop congestion either, sides that are kicking sideways/backwards are doing it because it’s already congested ahead. No backwards marks encourages congestion because ut increases the chance of pressuring a turnover.
Simmos suggestions have much more merit
I think the AFL should stop f**king with the game and just pay the free kicks as they are written, get rid of all this interpretation nonsense.
Instead of constantly tinkering with rules to get the game looking the way they want it to look, they should leave it alone and let natural innovation counter “ugly” tactics. Whenever they tinker, they make it worse.
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Who is going to watch for it though? Surely not the field umpires, they would miss a free kick if they constantly had to look around for who’s in the square, 50 metre arc.
Well it’s the boundary Umps that watch for incursions before the Bounce, so they’d just have to watch the one line, (CHF/CHB line each) for a tad longer, … until the ball leaves the square.
That’s the easy one, … Keeping the FWD/Back 12’s out of the oppo 50 is the hard part, …
I kinda liked the centre square rule (only)… until I actually thought about it. Imagine a ball spilling towards the corner of the square, players converging like seagulls to the lines, the ump unable to move from their corner viewing spot…
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…Hmmm, … get the 4 B/Umps to occupy all 4 cnr’s maybe??
Actually thought they did, (did they used to??) … but just checked. and it’s the other centrals virtually on the other cnr’s, … so perhaps those 2 could take their place instead, … less players in there likely means only 1 Central is really needed (like we used to have) ?
Hird on the recent podcast said he’d scrap the interchange bench and just have substitutions.
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The problem with further reduced interchanges / subs is the player welfare
They are already being asked to run faster and further for longer. As such the risk of injuries gets higher and higher.
All these rules to keep the game flowing (for the spectacle - $$) just continue to have that effect.
Trying to fatigue the players more isn’t/shouldn’t be the answer IMO
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