One-Eyed Richmond Forum
Football => View from the Outer => Topic started by: one-eyed on March 09, 2014, 04:57:16 AM
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Jon Anderson says the ugly maul around stoppages is killing the game of AFL
Herald-Sun
March 08, 2014 9:00PM
DEFINITION OF BAD: “A rolling maul in rugby can be described as a play in which a mass of players gathers around a ball carrier being tackled and attempts to gain possession of the ball when it is released”.
Ninety seconds into last year’s AFL Grand Final and 28 players are within 40 metres of the ball, deep in Hawthorn’s forward pocket.
Twenty seconds later 24 of them have congregated in a 10m circle just out from the Hawks’ goal.
In rugby it would be known as a rolling maul, a happening of great beauty to those who subscribe to that code being the one of choice in heaven.
In the AFL it’s a cancerous cyst and one that threatens to detract from its aesthetic appeal unless something gives soon.
Those who hoped the “rolling maul” might be a passing aberration would have been sent further into depression over a NAB Challenge series where some of the worst matches in recent history were showcased.
It has reached the stage where a pair of reasoned legends in Leigh Matthews and Kevin Bartlett have expressed their concerns, Matthews suggesting some players being restricted to their respective forward 50ms while Bartlett has regularly called for drastic reductions in interchange rotations.
Some see Matthews and Bartlett as alarmists, lacking the patience for the next stage of the game to evolve. I see them as concerned fans who want our code to remain superior to its rivals.
And to that end those persons selected to the Rules Review Committee this week (Wayne Campbell, Michael Christian, Hayden Kennedy and John Worsfold) accept massive responsibility.
Worsfold is one who has shown a desire for highlighting individual contests whereas Christian believes the current interchange cap of 120 is as low as it should go.
Hopefully Worsfold will take his hip and shoulder to each and every meeting. Maybe he could suggest no interchanges be allowed between the time a goal is kicked and the bounce to restart the game.
That would get rid of eight players charging to the interchange bench for a ninety second rest and force coaches to makes moves during general play.
Who knows we might even end up with a Gary Ablett or Dane Swan taking their rest in the forward line where their goalkicking abilities would add to the spectacle.
Bring on the opening round next Friday between Collingwood and Fremantle and may it showcase the rare qualities of Australian Rules. Sadly I doubt that it will.
http://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/jon-anderson-says-the-ugly-maul-around-stoppages-is-killing-the-game-of-afl/story-fnelctok-1226849094926
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I wish Andy D instead of assisting in turning our sport into netball would have turned his attentions to this issue
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Kb says get rid of interchange
Smart
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get rid of wingmen. play 16 on the field only.
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get rid of the bench
18 v 18
KB "its sport, people are sposed to get tired"
after a while everyone will stick to postions
the sport has been dam ugly for a long time
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less on the field = less congestion = more space = more open free flowing play
if you want an extreme example of how this works, watch a rugby 7s game compared to a rugby game.
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There would be a player strike backed by the AFLPA if player numbers were reduced. Not going to happen.
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less interchange - 15 per quarter
problem solved KB is right
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Just ban pre-season training and all the sport science. The players are fitter. These old geriatrics can strangle the game and the rules as much as they like but coaches and clubs will just find a way to push the players harder to keep playing the game the way it is.
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Ban coaches from using all technology during games. Make them actually coach by their wits for a change.
The less players suggestion can stuff right off. Might as well get rid of centre bounces too and go back to kick-offs. Hell, why don't we just play with a round ball , put a net between the posts, change the scoring and call it International Rules....we could even have a national team and play the Irish.....oh wait....
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that's a strange analogy.
why do you think having 4 less players on the ground would be similar to having a kick off rather than a center bounce, and how would that detriment the open free flowing game we now have.
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that's a strange analogy.
why do you think having 4 less players on the ground would be similar to having a kick off rather than a center bounce, and how would that detriment the open free flowing game we now have.
Wasn't making an analogy between the exact effect of each rule, was making an analogy between the general effect of fundamental rule changes that would contrive to alter the essence of the sport. If you think it's already a free flowing game then why do you want less players?
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:lol
sarcasm detection so not too flash on sundays?
I never heard anyone complain that having only 16 blokes on each team altered the essence of the game in the old VFA.
You could probably put a better argument the increases in the number of interchange players is what has enabled teams to play this rolling defensive zone so effectively, which many are arguing has altered the essence of the game.
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Poor commentary is killing the game.
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There would be a player strike backed by the AFLPA if player numbers were reduced. Not going to happen.
Jobe might organise another sit down protest
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Maybe add zoning for players?
For example each team could be restricted to X-amount of players in each F50 to prevent congestion around goals?
So maybe your forwards could stay in the F50 and maybe another 5 players max (IE wingers and ruck trio).
Just an idea... Everybody else would have to stand around outside the arc...
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Would they wear bibs to distinguish who can go where?
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inb4rugbyunionbreakdownlaws
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less interchange - 15 per quarter
problem solved KB is right
On this I agree with KB. Reduce it to a 2 man bench, cap the interchange.
Fatigue will open the play right up. It's already looking better this season.
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Would they wear bibs to distinguish who can go where?
Can't wait too see "Goal Attack Jack" battle with "GA Joe" for the Coleman....or as it will be renamed - "The Liz Ellis Medal".....
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:lol
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I think I've noticed a trend in this and last weekends games, by the end of the game both teams are out on their feet and for the last quarter almost nothing happens except loaded backline scrum to loaded backline scrum. Its more soccer like, but English soccer like, no skill just bash it forward. I bet more kicks are intercepted in the last quarter than in the rest of the game.
Every now and again a team breaks the backline scrimmage into open space and scores a goal but it's not a skill fest by any means. More VFL than AFL.
This is a tactical problem that coaches are going to have to fix, do they keep players fresh for the last quarter or do they run out their legs in the first 3. I reckon what we will see is 90% of rotations going in the first 3 quarters so they still have legs for the last. Also one position players like Buddy will be a liability as while they may have fresh legs they are no use in the midfield where it matters.
We will see more Billy Duckworths play forward and back and less Locketts.
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In regards to knocking the ball backwards. Changing to the far side where this less defenders and starting the attack again - the game has been like soccer for a long time
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The number of stoppages per game has jumped to a 15-year high.
AFL operations chief Mark Evans has said there is anecdotal evidence there is greater congestion at stoppages this season, after claims the game was resembling rugby’s rolling mauls.
Statistics back this observation, with the number of stoppages leaping to 65.7 per game, up from 62.6 last season. This has risen from 53.6 in 2000 and a dramatic rise from 47.6 in 2006, when the Swans were the benchmark team for slowing play down.
Congestion is not a new issue but the problem continues to frustrate supporters who want to see the best midfielders find space and create at stoppages.
The AFL had been so concerned about congestion in 2011 that league bosses considered trialling 16 players in a team in the NAB Cup. The average number of stoppages per game in 2011 was 64.4. That worry eased in 2012 (63.8 per game) and 2013 (62.6) but has resurfaced this year.
Richmond coach Damien Hardwick said he expects play to open up as the season progresses.
"Defensively every side is strong at the start of the year. They have worked incredibly hard at getting their system right," he said on Channel Seven's Talking Footy.
"We had a patch last year where we were the same. We were 3-3 after six rounds but eventually it winds back, fatigue sets into sides, and the game opens up a bit.
"We are probably seeing it at the moment with the style of game because they are very congested. But we think the game will eventually open up and that's when we will see some better footy, not only from us but from other teams as well."
Concerns over the number of stoppages come as what has been dubbed the hard tag has returned to football, with the likes of Ryan Crowley and Brent Macaffer spending most of the match with the primary focus of shutting down the opposition's best midfielder.
Read more at: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/matches-ugly-as-stoppages-leap-to-15year-high-20140422-zqxvc.html
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Got to tire the players out so 30 players can't follow the ball around wherever it goes like midfielders.
Once upon time there was a ruck man, a ruck rover and a rover and these were the only players who had the fitness to follow the ball so everyone else largely stayed in their position.
With increased professionalism, training techniques and sports science (cough), players now don't tire as they once did when the sport was at an amateur level. The aerobic fitness of the players is what has created this congestion.
Ditch the IC bench and wear them out. Dimma is right, fatigue them.
The game will soon open up alright..
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Simple! 1) Scrap the interchange system altogether & fatigue will stop 36 players from following the ball around! 2) Replace the interchange players with 4 subs. 3) Ban pain killing injections altogether, even during breaks. 4) Extend quarter time & half time breaks by 3 minutes to allow more time for running repairs to minor injuries. 5) Gag Malthouse :shh (or just plain ignore him for a change. It was his campaigning for more & more interchange players that caused the problems we have now)!!
There you go .... :cheers
If a player is injured badly enough to need to leave the ground for treatment then he is out of the game! Full stop! If in doubt anywhere ... see point 5!
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In regards to knocking the ball backwards. Changing to the far side where this less defenders and starting the attack again - the game has been like soccer for a long time
not only soccer, but sports like hockey, water polo, netball use the same technique, but how could we take anything from games that are not even contact sports?
Its actually just as well that you cant take elements of completely different game, or coaches may take defensive ideas and structures from other sports that aim to create congestion and slow down the oppositions attack.
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I do not think it can be denied afl looks a lot like a soccer/rugby hybrid these days - taking the ugly elements from both sport
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McLachlan is going to the coaches - and ask them to play more pretty football LOL
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kb
"melb v collingwood"
"melb play good - but only score 3 goals"
"prove game is ugly as feck"
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KB is correct, they should ditch the bench entirely.
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KB is correct, they should ditch the bench entirely.
As the game was intended
Coaches will always try and figure it out
But over two hours you would see players get tired. And a return of the rover, forward pocket
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KB is correct, they should ditch the bench entirely.
As the game was intended
Coaches will always try and figure it out
But over two hours you would see players get tired. And a return of the rover, forward pocket
Exactly.
The problem for football is as the game has gotten professional and players are fitter than they've ever been, too many players can follow the ball.
Given the number of rests they have with the bench this has only exaserbated things, hence the rolling maul we now see.
Football has completely lost it's shape. Positions are irrelevant. An ugly mess.
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2 goals to 3 at half time. Yuk.
Many times rfc gone 1/2/3 quartets with very few goals.
Exactly.
The problem for football is as the game has gotten professional and players are fitter than they've ever been, too many players can follow the ball.
Given the number of rests they have with the bench this has only exaserbated things, hence the rolling maul we now see.
Football has completely lost it's shape. Positions are irrelevant. An ugly mess.
The kid that won the best player in the under 18s recently, twice. Was not drafted... says it all.
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KB is correct, they should ditch the bench entirely.
As the game was intended
Coaches will always try and figure it out
But over two hours you would see players get tired. And a return of the rover, forward pocket
Exactly.
The problem for football is as the game has gotten professional and players are fitter than they've ever been, too many players can follow the ball.
Given the number of rests they have with the bench this has only exacerbated things, hence the rolling maul we now see.
Football has completely lost it's shape. Positions are irrelevant. An ugly mess.
:bow :clapping :thumbsup :pray :yep :highfive :congrats :cheers
In case anyone didn't get the intent behind my emotishow - I concur with the above. ;D
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ditto