Kevin Bartlett was right all along on need to restrict interchanges which has opened up the game, writes Mark Robinson
AFL legend Kevin Bartlett deserves an apology after fighting to restrict the amount of interchange rotations and taking hit after hit for his opinion, writes Mark Robinson.
AFL legend Kevin Bartlett deserves an apology.
The face of the rules of the game committee fought a five-year campaign to restrict the amount of interchange rotations and took hit after hit for his opinion.
On his daily program on SEN Radio, Bartlett, a footy purist with a love of the game virtually unrivalled, argued relentlessly the game was being hijacked by the coaches and sports science gurus and the AFL allowed to happen.
The AFL’s delayed stance or inactivity to address the issue put Bartlett in an unenviable position.
Bartlett was accused of being a dinosaur, of living in the past and of not embracing progression, which was a stinging insult to one of the all-time greats.
Yet, still he argued.
Back in 2012, he believed the AFL would adopt the rules of the game committee’s recommendation that interchange rotations be reduced to 80.
In Round 10 that year, the Gold Coast Suns had 176 rotations in one game and, KB said, change was urgently needed.
“I can tell you, there were some people on the AFL Commission who I had spoken to at the time who said to me, surely we can let it down lower than that,’’ Bartlett said.
“So, there were people on the Commission who agreed with us that the game was in serious trouble, but when the 80 got put up to the Commission, it got knocked back.
“It was very disappointing, extremely disappointing.
“When that got knocked back, it was a black day for football, it was one of the biggest mistakes the Commission has ever made in doing justice to the game.
“Adrian Anderson (former AFL football operations manager) did a fantastic job. I didn’t always agree with everything, but he was always only thinking what was good for the game.
“As footy operations manager and also chairman of the laws of the game committee, the AFL commission did an enormous injustice to Adrian Anderson. I don’t why he resigned (December, 2012), but you know what, you could probably work it out yourself.’’
KB resigned from the laws committee in 2014 and while he says it wasn’t a protest over the interchange issue, he admits it was an easier decision when you felt you weren’t being listened to.
“I was happy to resign,’’ he said.
He’s far happier now.
The reduction of interchange rotations from 120 last year, plus extras at the breaks, to 90 this year has been a God-send, he said.
He’s not too arrogant to believe the reduction alone has produced three sparkling rounds of football.
It’s a combination of strict deliberate out of bounds interpretations, the 10m rule, changing philosophies of coaches to attack to beat defence and, of course, Hawthorn.
Interchange hijacked the game, interchange became a cancer to the game.
Kevin Bartlett
The three-peaters kick goals and this game is about following the leader.
The interchange explosion, however, was the dinner-table discussion at the Bartlett household for many years.
In 2010, rotations averaged 117.
In 2011, it was 118.
In 2012, it was 131.
In 2013, it was 133.
In 2014, it was 117.
In 2015, it was 118.
This year it’s 95, which includes changes implemented at the breaks.
Arguably, through 2012 and 2013, the high rotations allowed teams to defend better and for longer and it allowed the players to avoid fatigue.
Bartlett’s theory was it was killing the game.
“The first three rounds have been fantastic,’’ Bartlett said.
“Interchange hijacked the game, interchange became a cancer to the game.
“Interchange originally in the minds of people was to cover you for injuries. As it increased, the last thing you wanted was an injury. All interchange was, was an extra four players which would enable you to be kamikaze and run players on and off the bench.
“It lost its way and in doing so it started to destroy the fabric of what is Australian rules football.
“Fatigue was an integral part of the game.
“The most important part of the game was to perform as the game went on for 100 minutes and as you got tired, you had to take a deep breath and go again.
“I have no doubt whatsoever, the game is better because of the reduced rotations and if they have the courage to bring it down further, it will be even greater.
“This sport game wasn’t meant to be 80m shuttle runs and unfortunately that’s what the game had become, 80m shuttle runs.’’
The season has produced watchable games.
There is also a healthy mix of different games. We have high scoring games, we are seeing high contested ball and high stoppages numbers but still high scoring. We have low stoppage numbers and high scores. And even the low-scoring games are not boring.
The North Melbourne v Melbourne clash in Hobart was the highest contested game of the season, yet it supplied 41 goals.
Coaches will hate it, but players are fatigued and turning the ball over, which adds excitement to contests.
Clearly, there’s more sense of anticipation for fans when that happens instead of watching the ball bounce around stoppages or in a rugby-type maul.
This year has seen an increase his scores and a drastic drop in stoppages and throw-ins and secondary stoppages.
The gut feel also says the game has partly returned to yesteryear.
Bartlett has never blamed coaches because he understands their focus is winning, but has always argued the AFL shouldn’t accept everything they said was gospel.
He said coaches come and go and have different view points, mostly biased towards their own teams
“I don’t know what turned the Commission away four years ago, I don’t know if it came from the coaches,’’ he said.
So, do you deserve an apology Kev?
“I don’t need an apology,’’ he said.
“I just feel happy for the game, feel happy for the supporters who ring up and say how much they’ve enjoyed the games, I’m happy when I hear players say they love staying on the ground.
“Let’s hope 90 is just a start.’’
