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Gillon McLachlan should have implemented AFLW zones from day one

GILLON McLachlan could have saved us all the drama a year back. He should have launched AFLW with rules that would fix the issues we all saw coming, writes ELIZA SEWELL.

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GILLON McLachlan could have saved us all the drama a year back.

Sure, he was bold when he brought forward his grand vision and launched AFL Women’s three years ahead of schedule, but he wasn’t bold enough.

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McLachlan should have launched a 16-a-side competition featuring rules that would alleviate the exact issues we all knew were coming. I’m talking about zones. Fancy name: the high density rule.

Take the example of the elite under-18s TAC Cup and national under-18 championships. They have positional zones, with two forwards and two defenders required to start in the forward 50m at each stoppage and kick-in.

It should have been a part of the AFL Women’s competition from day one.

The AFL wants to create a more open game to allow AFLW stars like Bulldog Katie Brennan to shine.
The AFL wants to create a more open game to allow AFLW stars like Bulldog Katie Brennan to shine.

The memo sent by Steve Hocking on Wednesday in effect is introducing a soft zone system. Essentially, forwards are told to stay in the forward line and stop following the ball.

Hocking spelled out the unattractive consequences of “pushing half-forward players up to stoppages” and “positioning extra players or defensive zones behind the ball”.

“We feel that is impacting the game in the following way,” Hocking wrote.

“Players not being able to clear the ball effectively due to crowding at stoppages ... creating a repeat pattern of kicks going back and forth up the line to a situation whereby the defence clearly outnumbers the opposition, making any form of attack very difficult.”

All this is to be applied under a “spirit of the game” philosophy that the clubs have supposedly accepted.

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McLachlan calling the shots on how clubs should play doesn’t sit well.

I thought I was covering a serious football competition? I feel a bit confused now.

The chief had the chance to dictate the rules before the season started, even before the start of last season.

He brought in the last possession out of bounds free kick which, I’m sorry, may have caused more issues than it solved.

It appears to be creating more congestion in the middle of the ground and Champion Data statistics show just that. Clubs don’t want to go wide near the boundary which has resulted in fewer throw-ins but nine more ball-ups on average per game.

McLachlan chose not to introduce zones. Clubs have been training all pre-season, learning game plans according to the rules they were given.

Now McLachlan has moved the goalposts.

Some players, including Brisbane’s Jessica Wuetschner, aren’t happy:

“This is my view only, but are they bloody serious? We are out here to win, whatever it takes,” she tweeted. “If you ask me I saw some pretty exciting stuff on the weekend and I think this is ridiculous. How many rule changes do you want? Is it even AFL any more?”

Others will be happy. Some AFLW coaches don’t play defensive football and won’t have to change much.

Call them the big-picture people. They want the women to get paid more and understand to make that happen they have to play an attractive game the TV audience will tune into.

Melbourne captain Daisy Pearce tries to fight her way through the GWS defence.
Melbourne captain Daisy Pearce tries to fight her way through the GWS defence.

TV bosses will be watching closely and of course would have made their views known after the relatively shocking Round 1 ratings became apparent.

Channel 7’s ratings were down 60 per cent on Friday night. The Big Bash semi-final was on, but that’s still a bad result.

Fox Footy’s Friday night audience was down 57 per cent on the corresponding 2017 clash, at 55,000.

Fox’s Round 1 average game audience was 44,000, down 61 per cent. Numbers dropped across the weekend with Sunday’s Bulldogs-Dockers clash pulling just 33,000, down a whopping 72 per cent.

Let’s treat AFLW like the men’s competition; make the rules and let them play.

How do you think Nathan Buckley would respond to getting told how to manoeuvre the magnets in “the spirit of the game”?

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Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/aflw/gillon-mclachlan-should-have-implemented-aflw-zones-from-day-one/news-story/5630fac516214e53ba39d192a9101318