AFL Daily: AFL open to easing runner restrictions next season
The AFL's senior coaches will lobby the league to ease it's hard-line stance on the use of runners when they gather for their annual dinner with Gillon McLachlan next week. RECAP THE DAY'S NEWS
The AFL could make a significant backflip on the use of runners next year after widespread protest from the coaching fraternity.
AFL football boss Steve Hocking is open to a reversal of the AFL’s hard-line decision to only allow runners onto the ground for a short time after goals.
The AFL's senior coaches will gather at league CEO Gillon McLachlan’s house on Monday night for their annual dinner.The runner issue is sure to be high on the agenda.
The league has made clear it loves the impact of the new rules — regardless of a lack of high scoring — with the 6-6-6 rule playing a major factor in the last minutes of close games.
The league will not alter its rules again next year but has a more open mind on runners.
Sydney coach John Longmire recently wondered aloud whether Lance Franklin’s latest hamstring strain occurred because he could not force a rotation and get back on to the ground.
Franklin was trapped on the sidelines for several minutes and appeared to strain his hamstring when he eventually burst on to the ground and sprinted forward.
Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge has lobbied strongly for more access to the runners.
AFL coaches boss Mark Brayshaw said the league genuinely seemed prepared to listen over several issues troubling the coaches.
“There was a competition committee meeting a while back and at that time they still had a high level of discussion. The AFL will be very keen to hear their feedback on what has happened in the first two thirds of the season,” he said.
“With the environment Gill has created it’s a very informal chat about what’s working and what is not, so I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Steve was able to say what do you reckon?”
“He will be saying this is what we thought, this is what has happened, what do you reckon?
“It’s a meeting without an agenda at the boss’s house with a glass of red.”
Longmire said he hoped the league would look at the rule after Franklin’s injury.
“I’d like to think they would (look at the rule), but I don’t know whether they will,” he said.
“You’d like to think that we would be able to get the runner out there occasionally a bit more than what we are, we’re not out to ruin the game.“Often it’s about rotating players and getting them on and off the ground, and protecting them at times, rather than trying to choke up the game and do it that way.”
“I don’t know if that contributed (to the injury) or not and nobody will ever know.”
Originally published as AFL Daily: AFL open to easing runner restrictions next season