Author Topic: Clubs queue to criticise consultation  (Read 1214 times)

Offline one-eyed

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Clubs queue to criticise consultation
« on: February 09, 2006, 04:17:58 AM »
Clubs queue to criticise consultation
By Lyall Johnson, Michael Gleeson
The Age
February 9, 2006

GEELONG, Hawthorn, Richmond and Essendon have added their voices to concerns that the AFL has introduced a radical rule change to this year's VFL competition without wider consultation among coaches.

A surprised Cats coach Mark Thompson learned only yesterday of the change to the rule - where a mark will not be paid should a player kick backwards to a teammate outside the 50-metre arc - when told by journalists while the Hawks' general manager of football operations Mark Evans said the club was dismayed to hear about the change via their affiliated VFL club Box Hill and not the AFL or VFL.

"The only way Hawthorn knew of it was because we were told by Box Hill. I don't think that is good enough," he said.

While Thompson and Essendon's Kevin Sheedy said they were not opposed to the rule itself, they called on the AFL to consult more widely with coaches about changes.

Thompson said the kicking backwards rule would make very little difference to the way the game was played, but he felt creating a distinction between the two competitions was a "silly" situation.

"It is strange because we have actually got players playing in both competitions so we have got a player playing in the VFL who has got a different set of rules when he plays in the AFL, which is a bit disturbing really. We're playing the same game aren't we?" he said.

"If it is a rule now and it is in one competition and not in the other that our players play in it makes it a bit difficult. A bit silly."

Evans agreed: "You will have the ludicrous situation where a player can be on the list for three years playing in a state competition with a significantly different rule. It slows down their development.

"Then you have the situation where a player moves on a week-to-week basis between competitions."

Sheedy also lent his support to the change saying yesterday "let's just do it and see how we go".

"I don't mind the kicking backwards play-on rule, I reckon that's fair enough," Sheedy said. "We want to make the game exciting; I don't have a problem with that."

But Sheedy remained critical of the AFL for its lack of consultation and particularly the timing of the 10 changes to AFL rules and interpretations announced last November, the day before the national draft.

"I think the AFL in some cases let the recruiting staff and the head coaches down, and probably could have informed all the club presidents and boards earlier than the day before the draft," he said.

Richmond coach Terry Wallace was also unfazed by the play-on rule but disappointed by the lack of consultation, as he had been when the rules for the coming season were announced.

He said he was more worried about the VFL rule determining only 12 senior-listed players can play for their AFL-aligned clubs when up against a stand alone team.

"That impacts on us a fair bit," he said. "We've always had a good relationship with our VFL affiliate, Coburg, where we pick on merit.

"All of a sudden that takes away our ability to pick on merit, where a guy plays well enough to play senior footy but because of a rule, he doesn't get that opportunity. I think that's disappointing."


The capping rule does not affect Geelong, which fields its own VFL team, and Thompson said he believed the rule was an attempt to make the VFL competition more even.

With ROHAN CONNOLLY, EMMA QUAYLE

http://www.realfooty.theage.com.au/realfooty/articles/2006/02/08/1139379569960.html

Offline mightytiges

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Re: Clubs queue to criticise consultation
« Reply #1 on: February 09, 2006, 04:30:25 AM »
He (Wallace) said he was more worried about the VFL rule determining only 12 senior-listed players can play for their AFL-aligned clubs when up against a stand alone team.

"That impacts on us a fair bit," he said. "We've always had a good relationship with our VFL affiliate, Coburg, where we pick on merit.

"All of a sudden that takes away our ability to pick on merit, where a guy plays well enough to play senior footy but because of a rule, he doesn't get that opportunity. I think that's disappointing."

I thought we were already using that rule at Coburg  ???.
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Offline Tiger Spirit

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Re: Clubs queue to criticise consultation
« Reply #2 on: February 09, 2006, 09:59:38 PM »
It may not be a big deal, now or ever, but it’s still surprising that the rule change was allowed.  If there weren’t players going from one league to the other, like it used to be, then it wouldn’t be an issue.  But because players do switch from the VFL to the AFL, from one week to the next, the whole thing seems a little bit bizarre.
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Online WilliamPowell

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Re: Clubs queue to criticise consultation
« Reply #3 on: February 09, 2006, 10:39:44 PM »
Ken Gannon was on Sport 927 yesterday morning and he said the 12-10 rule would only apply in games where affiliated teams (eg Coburg) are playing stand alone VFL teams (eg Port Melbourne & Frankston).

When Coburg play say Werribee then the 12-10 rule doesn't apply - well that's what he said yesterday

I thought we were already using that rule at Coburg ???.

No - former Coburg President Dean Mighell was in favour of it and had put a submission to the VFL that it should be across the board not just applicable to finals.

I think what they've come up with for 2006 is some sort of compromise
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Offline mightytiges

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Re: Clubs queue to criticise consultation
« Reply #4 on: February 10, 2006, 02:38:50 AM »
I thought we were already using that rule at Coburg ???.

No - former Coburg President Dean Mighell was in favour of it and had put a submission to the VFL that it should be across the board not just applicable to finals.

I think what they've come up with for 2006 is some sort of compromise

Cheers WP. Dopey me forgot it only applied to the VFL finals  :P.
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