Jack Ziebell and Leigh Matthews join criticism of AFL House over new women’s edict

AS stars voice their angst with a league edict designed to reduce congestion in the AFLW, North Melbourne’s AFL skipper Jack Ziebell has joined in the criticism of the decision.

NORTH Melbourne captain Jack Ziebell believes the AFL has no place telling coaches how to lead their teams during the course of a season, saying the best brand of football is winning.

Ziebell was responding to questions about the AFL’s extraordinary step of directing AFLW clubs to restrict numbers around stoppages this week after concerns about the overly defensive nature of the opening Carlton-Collingwood game.

“I don’t agree (with the edict),” Ziebell said on the Kangaroos’ new Powershop Players podcast.

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“As a football team, whether you are a male or female team, you are out there to win a game of football.

“If you can do that by winning ugly, (you do it). We have all been a part of a team that has won ugly and that is as enjoying as it is winning sexy, I suppose.

“You look at Carlton. They won the game, they got the four points out of it, and the AFL has come out and said ‘you need to play a better brand of footy’. I would argue there isn’t a better brand of footy than winning.

Kangaroos captain Jack Ziebell Pic: Getty Images

“I don’t think you need to change anything. I just think you let footy be footy. People love the game the way it is ... just let them play.”

Sam Wright shared his captain’s concerns, saying on the podcast that the AFL shouldn’t be trying to change the goalposts of a competition after it had started.

“I don’t think you can be changing rules mid-season,” Wright said. “You can’t tell a team how to coach or how to win games just to make it look good.

“If you want to change things, change it at the end of the year.”

But Jamie Macmillan took a contrary view, saying the AFL had every right to try and make the game as attractive as possible because they were paying the bills.

“The AFL can do what they want because they are the ones stumping up the money for the game,” Macmillan said. “It is a commercial decision ... I reckon they can do whatever they want.”

THE goodwill of AFLW players and coaches will be tested on Friday night as umpires attempt to enforce new 15m exclusion zones when GWS hosts Carlton at Drummoyne Oval.

With no penalties on the line after the AFL baulked at introducing new rules and instead directed that changes be followed under a “spirit of the game” philosophy, players can theoretically ignore the orders on the ground.

Giants forward Phoebe McWilliams criticised the timing of the intervention and was backed by playing and coaching legend Leigh Matthews.

McWilliams did not agree with the league’s decision to bring in changes in-season.

“We heard about it at training on Monday,” McWilliams said.

Phoebe McWilliams kicked three goals against Melbourne.

“For us, thankfully it doesn’t really change what we are trying to do.

“We have a particular set-up and it does involve a forward being up reasonably close to the stoppage, so just that person on the ground will have to be aware of that rule.

“It’s not ideal that they change it in the middle of the season and I feel sorry for clubs that it’s actually really going to affect because they’re going to have to change everything in a week.

“If we just keep tweaking things we’ll just have to keep changing how we play, which is quite difficult when we’ve been playing the game for so long.

“I’m sure there’s a theory behind it and if it means people are more interested and want to watch us play and get more involved, then I suppose it’s a good thing.”

In addition to the 15m protected zone teams will be forced to start with five players in attack, six in the centre zone and five in defence; a mechanism aimed at stamping out the “one-back” game style.

Leigh Matthews said the AFL. Picture: Colleen Petch

Matthews said coaches were not concerned with aesthetics of the game, and nor should they.

“In the coaching box where the team performance buck stops with the coach the look of the game is irrelevant, how to win dominates,” he tweeted.

“AFL are the sport’s carers and must implement rules not requests.”

AFL head of women’ football Nicole Livingstone conceded the timing of the intervention was not ideal.

“It’s not the best-case scenario to be doing this during a season, but we also have to put in perspective that the AFLW season is seven rounds,” she said.

“It’s not the same as the AFL season, so we couldn’t wait until the end of round seven or after a grand final.”

AFL must realise coaches only care about the spectacle at coach conferences ! In the coaching box where the team performance buck stops with the coach the look of the game is irrelevant , how to win dominates , AFL are the sports carers and must implement rules not requests

— Leigh Matthews (@LeighRMatthews) February 8, 2018

McWilliams said she expected the changes to slow the game down.

“At each stoppage I think from what I believe (the umpires) will call players back, push them back away from the stoppage and they won’t throw it up until they’re 15m from the ball up,” McWilliams said.

“Apparently there’s no penalty, so you won’t get a free kick against you if you’re in that area.

“I think they will have to hold up (play) and remind people to push back because we played last week with different rules.

“It’s not overly drastic, but it’s just another thing to have in the back of your mind.”