Mick Malthouse reveals what he wants to happen in the AFL next season
Victorian clubs have seen success in recent years but there are a trio who are lagging behind the rest. And premiership coach Mick Malthouse believes its not just their work on-field that needs to be fixed.
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I can’t believe it’s almost Christmas and that another football season will be upon us in no time. If I could have 12 football wishes granted by Santa, this is what they would be:
On the first day of Christmas the AFL would give to me ...
A sponsor not involved with gambling or alcohol. Our code is so big that social responsibility has to come with it. Does a multi-million dollar competition really need to align itself with a multi-million dollar sponsor, which does more harm than good in society? Our players have strict rules surrounding gambling (and alcohol and drug use) and yet we have in-your-face advertising at every footy match, “normalising” gambling and drinking for all, including children. It’s not on.
I would like to see the AFL think less about the bottom line and more about the impact it can have on a footy-mad society. There are plenty of other sponsors who would like to be involved with our great game.
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On the second day of Christmas the AFL would give to me ...
A game completed in less than two hours. Twenty-minute quarters extend beyond 30 minutes more often than not. This can be easily reduced with less calling of time-on, particularly through kick-ins and boundary throw-ins, and less time wasted waiting for a ball to come back from the crowd when there is a bucket of perfectly good footballs ready for use at either end of the field. The reduction of halftime to 15 minutes is a good start, but 10 minutes is perfectly sufficient.
On the third day of Christmas the AFL would give to me ...
More genuine taggers. After seeing the dominance of Matt De Boer for most of this past season I only hope the tagging role will come back into fashion. It’s all well and good to defend as a team, but a genuine, hardworking, tough-as-nails, sticks-like-glue tagger will always have a greater impact on the influence of the opposition’s best player. Mark Hutchings and Jack Steele were deployed to great affect as taggers throughout 2019, but I’d like to see more players trained to take on the role at other clubs next year.
On the fourth day of Christmas the AFL would give to me ...
A fairer and consistent Match Review Panel. It frustrates the life out of people (me especially) when a player is reported but you can’t forecast the penalty because it’s so unpredictable. Instead of being based purely on the incident and whether the player is guilty of breaching the rules, or not guilty, it seems to be based on the name of the player, which club he plays for and what game is coming up. This system is badly broken and needs a Christmas miracle to fix it.
On the fifth day of Christmas the AFL would give to me ...
A Gold Coast team that makes progress. The AFL has invested so much money into the Suns, but it needs to do more to stop rival clubs scavenging their talent. Finals, for the first time in the club’s history, need to be reached soon.
On the sixth day of Christmas the AFL would give to me ...
A far more competitive St Kilda, Carlton and Melbourne. Every Victorian team plays by the same rules, yet it’s Richmond, Collingwood, Hawthorn and Geelong which consistently make the most of them. It starts with the board, then the football administration, then the coach and then the playing group, not the other way around. There hasn’t been a premiership won by a poor board or administration, and it would do these three clubs well to think about that.
On the seventh day of Christmas the AFL would give to me ...
Fewer rule changes that are introduced to promote “more goals”. Why is there an obsession with big scores anyway? Have a look at the past two Grand Finals. In terms of the game as a spectacle I preferred watching the 2018 Grand Final — decided by less than a goal — than this year’s thumping Richmond win.
It is futile to continue creating rules to increase scoring because any coach will find a way for their team to score, and a way to reduce the opposition’s scoring power by manipulating whatever rules are in place. Supporters generally love a close game, so give it to them.
On the eighth day of Christmas the AFL would give to me ...
Rules that are rules, not interpretations. Rules shouldn’t need interpretation. Yet the rules of football seem to change willy-nilly from weekend to weekend depending on the current directive from the AFL and its football operations department. Reinventing rules by bowing to pressure from club presidents, coaches and the media only results in confusion and bias. Put it in black and white print and leave it at that.
On the ninth day of Christmas the AFL would give to me ...
A better process in place for assessing and dealing with mental health issues at every club. Let’s not confuse mental health with drug and gambling problems, they need to be addressed and dealt with in an entirely different manner. But let’s offer earlier intervention, guidance and support for players and administrators dealing with a genuine problem.
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On the 10th day of Christmas the AFL would give to me ...
The banning of stats during a game. I am a great believer in “coaching by gut instinct”. If there are no stats in the coaches’ box then it forces those in charge to get a better “feel” for which players are having an impact on the field and where changes need to be made.
On top of that, it may eliminate the Brownlow Medal becoming the midfielders’ award. Umpires would not have access to stats. That might encourage them to reward backmen for shutting down a power forward, or a forward for getting as many assists as he does goals, or a ruckman for being the driving force in the centre. Stats are for Monday, not during a game.
On the 11th day of Christmas the AFL would give to me ...
A fairer fixture. Next season’s draw only makes sense because the lower teams are pitted against each other early to give them a head start and a chance to progress. But in reality, there are 18 teams in the NATIONAL competition.
In terms of equality they should each play every club once per season – which makes up 17 games – and for the remaining five home-and-away games they should play every club a second time, on a rotating basis, throughout the next three and a bit seasons.
Forget manipulating the fixture for extra derbies, showdowns and blockbusters. Imagine how highly anticipated those games would be under a less-is-best approach!
On the 12th day of Christmas the AFL would give to me ...
The greatest players going head to head every week. I love nothing more than watching the best battle against the best. In today’s game, with rotating forwards, we are often denied watching the best full-back take on the best full-forward, but ruckmen are used at 90 per cent ground time so these rivalries are getting better by the season.
It’s mouth-watering to see a fit Nic Naitanui take on a Brodie Grundy for a large portion of a game. Or a Max Gawn against a Shane Mumford. Or Ben McEvoy against Rowan Marshall. Or Toby Nankervis against a Sam Jacobs or Jarrod Witts. Give us more spectacular battles more often!
I wish everyone a happy and safe Christmas.
Originally published as Mick Malthouse reveals what he wants to happen in the AFL next season
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