Ugly maul around stoppages is killing the game of AFL (Herald-Sun)

[one-eyed]

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

[Chuck17]

I wish Andy D instead of assisting in turning our sport into netball would have turned his attentions to this issue

[Judge Roughneck]

Kb says get rid of interchange

 Smart

[Penelope]

get rid of wingmen. play 16 on the field only.

[Judge Roughneck]

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

[Penelope]

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.

[gerkin greg]

There would be a player strike backed by the AFLPA if player numbers were reduced. Not going to happen.

[tony_montana]

less interchange - 15 per quarter 

problem solved KB is right

[dwaino]

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.

[Diocletian]

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....

[Penelope]

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.

[Diocletian]

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?

[Penelope]

 
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.

[(•))(©™]

Poor commentary is killing the game.

[Judge Roughneck]

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