Collingwood great Mick McGuane says AFL should follow NRL and change rules for good of game
Collingwood legend Mick McGuane says the AFL game is going backwards and wonders if too many clubs have diluted the competition’s talent pool. Here is how he thinks our game can be fixed.
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The AFL competition is struggling as a spectacle and the game can learn from the conviction shown by NRL boss Peter V’landys to change rules mid-season.
I strongly believe the AFL’s problems are fixable and as a traditionalist, I am very much against drastic moves to lessen the number of players on the field from 18 to 15 or 16.
But there is one big question I think the game needs to ask itself which hasn’t been mentioned in this week’s debate, and that is, do we have too many teams?
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We have geared everything towards this national competition, which is always healthy, but the more you expand your competition, the fact is, you really test your talent pool.
Maybe that’s a reason as to why we’re seeing scoring being challenged against very good defensive structures.
Is this a reason why our game is going backwards, because we are trying to cater for too many teams?
In Australia right now, is the pool strong enough to produce the depth in skill level to actually execute an attacking brand of footy against team defences that are the best they’ve ever been?
Perhaps it’s a part of the argument we haven’t entered into, but otherwise I believe some simple adjustments can improve the aesthetics of the game for fans, and in turn for broadcasters, who are vital to the commercial future of the sport.
Some might call it policy on the run, but I haven’t got an issue with the AFL trying rule changes mid-season. I think now is the time to do it.
In essence, if the AFL believe subtle tweaks can have a positive impact on the look of the game, they should do it, because a huge part of it is to try and satisfy fans.
I liked what V’landys did just making a snap decision to change the rules during the COVID-19 break because it said to me, ‘there is a guy who is prepared to have a conviction with his ideals and what he thinks the game should look like.’
And I think he would have been a big enough boy to put his hand up if it didn’t work out.
Gil McLachlan at the AFL has a very different personality, which is understandable, but the common theme is you’ve got to be resilient from a leadership perspective, because a huge part of running the code is about vision.
Where is the game going to be in six weeks? And where is it going to be in six years?
There are always going to be bad games. But the commercial reality for broadcasters is every time there’s a goal scored, there’s a chance to throw to an advertisement.
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The advertising dollar is aligned to your footy and without goals you can’t throw to an ad.
In turn, you would think less goals would impact on your commercial deal going forward. It has to be easy on the eye for the viewer at home as well.
As a couple of simple suggestions, what about at stoppages, umpires just throw the ball up instead of stuffing around asking each team who your ruck is?
Also, what about limiting the amount of time you give a player to kick the ball after a mark?
Keep the game moving.
I agree in principle with what Alastair Clarkson said about holding the ball – I don’t think we pay the tackler enough free kicks and that in turn could spread the players and dilute congestion.
But at the same time, I’ve always felt the ball carrier must be protected as much as you possibly can because that in essence is what our game is about. You can’t go too far the other way because there’s no courage in having a game where we reward the bloke sweating on the ball carrier.
Others have suggested ruling play on for marks from backwards kicks, or reducing the number of interchange to bring about more fatigue. I get it, but on both counts I worry it would just bring flooding tactics back into the game, which we spent 10 years trying to get away from.
Reducing the number of teams without question would be a knee-jerk reaction on the back of some negative commentary last week.
I haven’t heard anyone talk about the Gold Coast or Port Adelaide games being boring this year, because you can’t possibly say that’s the case.
It’s about subtle change, not about drastic measures.
TIME FOR ‘VANILLA BOMBERS’ TO RELEASE SHACKLES
The ‘Vanilla Bombers’ … too boring, too reactionary, too predictable.
That’s the way they are looking at the moment.
On the basis of their three games so far this season, I’m just not sure where Essendon stands right now.
What’s its point of difference? What’s its 1-wood? What happened to its attacking run-and-gun slingshot footy?
The Bombers’ brand last week morphed into a predictable, stop-start model, which played right in Carlton’s hands.
It’s far from panic stations at 2-1, with narrow wins over Fremantle and Sydney, but if they continue to play the style they did when losing to Carlton last Saturday night, they will be hard to watch.
Unless it changes, they face being also-rans again as they have been for almost 15 years.
Their clash with Collingwood at the MCG presents a challenge – and an opportunity.
Weakened by the loss of Steele Sidebottom (suspended) and Jeremy Howe (knee), the Magpies could be vulnerable.
If I was John Worsfold and Ben Rutten, I’d release the shackles and make sure the players have a greater ownership of this.
Essendon hasn’t beaten Collingwood in their past four meetings.
Unless it’s prepared to be more daring and attacking, it will be five by the end of Friday night.
Playing a slow, build from the back half kicking game will only play into Collingwood’s strong defensive structure.
BRING BACK THE SLINGSHOT
Essendon’s ability to get speed on the game and transition out of the back half used to be intoxicating.
But where was that dare and flair last week?
The Bombers failed to go at speed and paid the price.
Only 34 Inside 50s won’t cut it.
Worsfold said this week the players took the coaches’ advice in one particular area of the game last week, but other areas fell apart.
Was that immaturity or a lack of leadership? Or both? Defensively, the Bombers have improved.
But in trying to get a better balance between attack and defence, they may have overcorrected.
They have lost their ability to hit the scoreboard (only 29 goals from three games).
It’s time to reintroduce breakneck, slingshot footy.
HOWE TO PUT PRESSURE ON THE PIES
With no Howe to dominate the air, it’s time for Worsfold to cast aside conservatism and become a risk-taker.
If the time presents, roll the dice and push Michael Hurley forward!
Essendon has emerging defenders in Jordan Ridley and Mason Redman, and both will relish the extra responsibility of taking on Jordan De Goey or Jaidyn Stephenson.
Cale Hooker can go forward, but his height means he is required to play on Mason Cox.
Plus, he has lost some of his speed which impacts on being a mobile/agile forward, whereas Hurley can add an extra dimension.
Essendon’s forward 50 targets – Jake Stringer, Shaun McKernan, Jacob Townsend and Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti – do not have great numbers in retention of the ball in attack.
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This is why Jayden Laverde has been included into the team as an extra goalkicker to strengthen their attack.
Stringer has been the main target, but his retention rate is only one in three.
Tom Hawkins’ rate, by comparison, is 61 per cent.
Townsend is going at 30 per cent, while Tippa’s retention as a small forward is around 10 per cent (Swan Tom Papley’s rate is 50 per cent).
As you can see, Essendon is desperately missing Joe Daniher.
The Bombers need him back as soon as possible to be that much-needed target who can win his own ball at a higher percentage.
Essendon’s defence has been solid, conceding 26 goals in three games.
But Friday is the night to try and exploit the Magpies aerially in Howe’s absence – and Hurley can do that.
A risk might result in a big reward.
AT BALL PRESSURE
Winning the ball is one thing, but putting pressure on the opposition through tackling and harassing is just as important.
Essendon MUST pressure better for longer.
That will improve its forward-half intercept game, but also enhance its ability to score on the back of those intercepts.
Right now, the Bombers’ pressure from their small/hybrid forwards is rated average, below average or poor.
There’s no Dan Butler, Callum Brown or Luke Breust – the AFL’s top three general forwards who apply pressure.
This comes back to attitude and intent.
Butler is doing precisely that at St Kilda. Why? Because he knows what works, having come from a Richmond model that won premierships.
Essendon has the personnel with leg speed to do this, but who’s prepared to make it happen?
By being more manic with its pressure, it will help fix its forward-half turnover game.
In turn, Essendon fans will see more scores from those turnovers – something the Bombers are efficient in doing.
SHIEL MUST SCORE MORE
Dylan Shiel has played 160 games, but has kicked only 73 goals.
That figure shocked me, and it’s not good enough for an experienced midfielder.
He hasn’t kicked a goal this year. To put that into context, first-year Sun Matt Rowell has kicked six.
Great teams have midfielders who kick goals. Essendon doesn’t.
Devon Smith has kicked three this year, Merrett (who is suspended this week) has one, while David Zaharakis and Andrew McGrath haven’t kicked any.
Darcy Parish has spent time forward this year, kicking two of his three goals last week.
This is a RFI for Essendon, particularly with its forward line failing to function the way it should be.
That starts with Shiel, who can set the tone by hitting the scoreboard.
Originally published as Collingwood great Mick McGuane says AFL should follow NRL and change rules for good of game
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