Clarkson thinks 16 v 16 will improve scoring. A North Melbourne great has a simple solutionMarch 12, 2020
Josh Gabelich
FOX SPORTSForget changing 150 years of tradition, North Melbourne great David King has a simple solution to improve scoring.
The dual All-Australian believes the AFL should consider enforcing a soccer-style last touch rule, just like in AFLW and the SANFL, after the average team score in 2019 was the lowest since 1967 at just 80.4 points per game.
Coaching mastermind Alastair Clarkson wants the league to trial 16 v 16 games to help ease congestion and create greater opportunities to score.
But King doesn’t agree with the man who has led Hawthorn to four premierships since 2008.
“I don’t think our problem is player numbers on the field; I think our problem is the way teams are deciding to move the football,” King told foxsports.com.au on Thursday morning.
“Have we got any evidence that 16 v 16 is the answer? Have we got any evidence that it’s wingmen that we’ve got to lose instead of one half-forward and one half back?
“There is no evidence. We haven’t trialled anything, we are guessing that 16 v 16 is going to bring a result. It won’t change ball movement and it won’t change the strategy that coaches have adopted over the last two years. And that’s to play wide and slow and defend with the football in hand via uncontested marks. That’s it in a nutshell.
“What we need to do is enforce a last touch rule. If you take that away you will force teams to play 30 metres in from the boundary line on the logos, then you will solve the problem.”
King thinks introducing a last touch rule will prevent teams playing as wide as they have in recent years by eliminating the safety net of the boundary line.
“The reason why scoring has fallen so dramatically is strategy. Let’s not tinker with the numbers in the game, 16, 18, no wings or whatever the solution is there. Let’s fix the strategy. Let’s take away the rewards for playing slow and wide,” he said.
Coaching greats Clarkson and Lyon suffocate the game defensively and now want to change 150 years of tradition - play 16 a side- to correct what they helped do to the game. Funny world
— Mark Robinson (@Robbo_heraldsun) March 11, 2020
The two-time premiership wingman believes Clarkson is part of the reason why scoring has dried up in the past decade.
“I find it interesting that we ask coaches their thoughts now on the solutions to fixing the game when they’ve brought us to this point,” he said.
https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/north-melbourne-great-david-king-says-the-afl-should-enforce-a-last-touch-rule-to-help-improve-scoring/news-story/6307e041ed00ffcdc9384dc4e2d33b82
