AFL Queensland considers penalties for teams winning junior footy matches by too many points
AFL Queensland is considering a series of rules next season which could encourage junior footy teams to tank for fear of being penalised for winning by too much and a former AFL player has slammed it as “garbage”.
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Junior footy teams would be penalised for winning by too many points, under an AFL Queensland plan that has officials fuming.
The Courier-Mail can reveal South East Queensland Clubs have been briefed on a rule change that would see junior clubs lose premiership ladder points for every game they won by 90 points or more.
The plan has been slammed as encouraging young guns to stop trying midgame, but the AFL insists it will stamp out bad game day behaviour by players, coaches and parents.
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Under the Reward “E-Point” system put to South East Queensland Clubs, between one and three “E-Points” would be deducted from the winning team for every margin blowout of 90 points or more.
Teams who smash the opposition by 150 points or more would be slugged three “E-Points”.
“If your team is winning by 80 points at three quarter time, which does happen, what is a coach to tell his players? Stop trying,’’ said one furious junior volunteer.
Hawthorn premiership player and former Gold Coast Sun Campbell Brown has savaged the rule as “garbage”.
“Absolutely pathetic rule by AFL QLD. Who comes up with this garbage? Deduct premiership pts (sic) for winning by to much. What terrible lessons it teaches juniors,” he tweeted.
Absolutely pathetic rule by AFL QLD. Who comes up with this garbage? Deduct premiership pts for winning by to much. What terrible lessons it teaches juniors. pic.twitter.com/8R7NIju5Oo
— Campbell brown (@Browndogg_30x) December 12, 2019
The E-point system, based on similar systems in Western Australia and NSW, awards bonus points on top of premiership points.
Four points would be awarded to each team at the start of a game, but they could then incur deductions as a penalty for various breaches, including poor player behaviour, and breaches by officials or parents.
A team which won a match and incurred no deductions would be awarded eight premiership points.
The E-Point system also deducts points from teams which display inappropriate behaviour or who have a player yellow or red carded.
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But it is the proposed rules penalising teams for winning by 90 points plus which has raised concerns.
A spokesman for the AFL Queensland said the purpose of the Reward E-Point system was to “weight game day behaviour with the same importance as winning a match and reward teams for displaying positive game day behaviour’’.
“The system deters players, coaches and parents from engaging in negative game day behaviour prior to it taking place,” the spokesman said.
He said the E-Point system would be released as part of SEQ’s junior rules and regulations in 2020.
Originally published as AFL Queensland considers penalties for teams winning junior footy matches by too many points