Half-court press?
5:20:07 PM Tue 6 December, 2005
Paul Gough
Sportal for afl.com.au
Richmond coach Terry Wallace says the new kick-in rule could turn football into basketball and backfire on the AFL in their attempt to improve the look of the game.
From next year the full-back will not have to wait for the goal umpire to finish waving his flags before bringing the ball back into play and instead will be able to do so as soon as the score has been signalled.
Extra footballs will be even placed behind the goals to enable play to be started much quicker after a behind has been scored.
The AFL is hoping the new rule will end the defensive zoning that in recent seasons has resulted more and more in frustrated full-backs having to chip the ball to a nearby teammate in the back pocket just to get the ball back into play.
However Wallace said on Tuesday the new rule could have a detrimental affect on the game by forcing the coaches to come up with even more defensive tactics as the ball comes back into play at lightning speed - as happens in basketball.
"Personally I think it may have a detrimental affect on the game aesthetically because I reckon you will get more (defensive) zoning."
But echoing Kangaroos' coach Dean Laidley's comments last week, Wallace said such tactics might now be employed in the defensive half of the ground of the team that is defending the kick-in rather than across the attacking 50 metre line as the opposition prepares to kick-in.
This tactic is commonly used in basketball where the team that has just scored runs back to their half of the court and allows the opposition to come to halfway before attempting to win back the ball.
"We will train at running back halfway as soon as a fast point is scored so we will give them (the team kicking-in) the first half of the ground and make sure we have got them manned up at the halfway point," Wallace said.
This could led to the strange sight of players running away from their goal to get back to the defensive end of the ground so they can't be caught by a fast break from the kick-in by the other team.
"On a slow behind like when someone takes a mark or has a free-kick, you will have time for your blokes to be able pick up their man or do your (defensive) zoning (in the attacking 50 as is the case now)," Wallace said.
"But on a fast point (like when the ball has gone down the ground quickly) we won’t be able to do that so what we would do is play a half court press and get everyone back to the middle of the ground and try to pick them up from there because if you try and pick them up from down back they are going to get away from you."
"And if even one bloke is not picked up it can have a carry-on effect all the way down the ground and you get a goal kicked on you."
Wallace said while it was up to the AFL to make rule changes, the coaches should have been consulted first.
"Was there enough thought given to this?" he asked of the implications of the new kick-in rule which Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy has already stated will make the game so quick it will end the careers of some of the game's less athletic players.
"Whose judgement call was it that it will make the game better? It might make the game better but I can see some problems."
http://afl.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=239737