Sam Landsberger looks at the options for easing congestion in the AFL
THE AFL is in the entertainment business. And at the moment, it is not very entertaining. SAM LANDSBERGER and JON RALPH look at the options for fixing the game, from zones to cutting list sizes.
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THE AFL is in the entertainment business.
If supporters aren’t entertained by matches then why would they watch? Even four-time premiership coach David Parkin has had enough.
“I’ve seen some ordinary football this season,” Parkin said.
“I’ve seen so many handling errors. I sit at home and watch the ball go sideways all the time and I have to turn it off.”
GAME LOOK: WHY THE COACHES AREN’T TO BLAME
THE TACKLE: WE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH OUR GAME
INJURY LIST: WHO IS HURT AT YOUR CLUB?
Turnovers are up and creativity is down. Scoring is dramatically down, although scores from turnovers have never been higher.
Many positions seem to have become redundant with all 36 players often sharing the same patch of grass.
Even Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin conceded the first half of his team’s win against Essendon was ugly from both sides.
Congestion has failed to evolve and resolve over the past 10 years.
Here are some ideas to make football great again.
ZONES
HOW IT WOULD WORK:
Both teams must deploy a certain number of players — likely 2-4 — in each 50m arc for every stop in play (ball-ups, throw-ins, kick-outs and centre bounces). Players would be free to roam the field once the ball is back in play. Similar anti-density rules will be trialled in the 2018 VFLW season and are set to be introduced in next year’s AFLW. Will the AFL trial them in the JLT Community series?
PROS: Players would be pulled away from the initial contest, helping ease ugly congestion patches where all 36 players are confined to one quadrant of the ground.
CONS: Enforcing starting positions is a dramatic reform that would be hard to sell; could lead to more scoreboard blowouts.
CENTRE SQUARE LOCK
HOW IT WOULD WORK:
Only on-ballers and ruckmen can fight for the centre clearance. Other players can’t enter the centre square until the ball is cleared. Geelong champion Sam Newman is a strong advocate.
PROS: Stops immediate congestion where players from the wings and halfback lines sprint towards the centre circle as soon as the ball is bounced.
CONS: Hard to imagine in practice. What if the ball rolls towards the edge of the square? Would players lean over, unable to reach the Sherrin?
LOWER INTERCHANGE CAP
HOW IT WOULD WORK:
Dramatically slashing interchange rotations below the 90 currently permitted. Richmond legend Kevin Bartlett has long campaigned to abolish interchange completely.
PROS: Fewer rests would heighten fatigue, restricting players’ ability to congest all parts of the ground. Could also reduce the amount of collision injuries and lower the speed of impact.
CONS: Could increase the amount of soft-tissue injuries and lead to recruiters favouring athletes over natural footballers at the draft, although players with high footy IQ will run smarter. AFLPA likely to strongly oppose this.
MORE FREE KICKS
HOW IT WOULD WORK: Umpires blow the whistle more when large numbers circle the ball. High on Alastair Clarkson’s wish list.
PROS: Reduces repeat stoppages by freeing up the play. Allows for more creative ball movement.
CONS: Supporter frustration would be heightened; possibility of more umpire errors.
WHAT THE COACHES SAY
“What we’ve got to do is try to reduce the congestion, and I’ve been on this for a long period of time. Reward the tackler more … there are just so many incorrect disposals in the game of AFL footy” — ALASTAIR CLARKSON
“I’ve always been an advocate for (paying) incorrect disposal. It’s either a kick, mark or handball or it’s a free kick” — DAMIEN HARDWICK
CUT LIST SIZES
Create an ultra-professional environment by dramatically reducing list sizes and then allowing clubs to sign top-up players from state leagues when required.
PROS: Delivers more refined training and better resources for the best players, which should help improve the skill level and craft.
CONS: Job losses for as many as 200 AFL players.
“You probably need a core of 30 with the ability to top up and I’d like to see those 30 get significant pay increases. We spread our resources across 45 players, when really at the elite level we should be focusing on the top 30” — BRAD SCOTT
WOULD 40 INTERCHANGES SOLVE THE PROBLEM?
JON RALPH
THE AFL’s foremost congestion expert says reducing interchange to 40 would open up the game without players suffering more injuries.
University of South Australia professor of exercise science Kevin Norton says he struggles to watch a full game of footy given it has become “ugly” and “boring”.
For 14 years he consulted with the AFL on player density around contests, with his researching integral to the AFL’s decision to cut interchange to 90 rotations.
Norton’s studies on density measured the amount of players around contests and while the cap of 80 helped, its benefits have been counteracted.
This is 14 seconds into the second quarter. All 36 players inside the red ink. Time to look at zones? pic.twitter.com/RksQl0r5Wq
— Sam Landsberger 🗯 (@SamLandsberger) April 29, 2018
He told the Herald Sun fatiguing players would not only open up the game, it would reduce the soft-tissue injuries created by repeated sprints at top pace.
He said players are so fit they can stop the attacking switch play that once opened up the ground, forcing the ball down the line and into repeat stoppages.
“I am finding that the density means the style of play is quite boring to watch. Density was going down when they made the drop to 90 rotations,” he said.
“But now it’s started to creep back up. In the past I have recommended a cut to 40 or 50 and I wouldn’t deviate too much from that.
“You would find the game would open up more. You would get players more fatigued and overall the tempo would drop.
The “we had crap footy games 20 years ago too†argument is irrelevant. The only question is whether we can make footy better now. And clearly we need to try given what is often served up
— Jon Ralph (@RalphyHeraldSun) April 29, 2018
“It only takes half a metre or a slipped tackle or someone deciding to zone rather than pressure and the game opens up and you get a more free-flowing game.
“Now the defensive action is so good you can’t switch play. Defences are too good. So you go down the line and you get another stoppage.”
Sydney coach John Longmire says reducing rotation would increase player injuries but Norton believes they might even reduce slightly.
“It might in actual fact be better for bodies. It will certainly be better for player longevity, there will be less shoulder problems from less tackling.
“Tackling is through the roof. People are suggesting there will be more hamstring injuries but they don’t have that evidence.
26 players within 50m. Wonder why we have low scores pic.twitter.com/M2ZgwLcupf
— Jon Ralph (@RalphyHeraldSun) April 29, 2018
“If you do experiments you look at the duration and speed of sprints in football. Hamstring injuries are associated with high speed and fatigue.
“If you take one of them out and elevate another, overall I don’t think you will get more injuries.
“If you get to high speed quickly that acceleration (can be the cause). It won’t be significant but you might even get a few less.”
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Originally published as Sam Landsberger looks at the options for easing congestion in the AFL