AFL to introduce a new score review ‘bunker’ for the 2019 finals series

The AFL’s score review system has been under the spotlight this season, but there’ll be new eyes on the game for this year’s finals. Rebecca Williams breaks down how the system will work.

What the AFL bunker could potentially look like. Picture: Christopher Chan

The AFL is confident its new score review bunker will be “ready and firing” for this year’s finals series, but has conceded it is on a tight timeline.

AFL general manager of football operation Steve Hocking confirmed on Wednesday the league would be introducing a new centralised review centre to look after score reviews by September.

Although there is just six weeks before the finals series, Hocking said the AFL was already well advanced in its planning for the new video review centre.

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The league is still finalising where the review centre will be based.

The move to a centralised review system comes after a series of score review clangers this season that have shone a spotlight on the current system.

Hocking said the league hoped to “ghost” the new bunker set-up in Round 23 before going online for the finals.

“Clearly we are on a tight timeline through to the finals series, (but) we are well advanced though,” Hocking said.

“I have been fortunate to visit the NRL bunker and also the A-League bunker and we have done some global research as well on it.

The AFL wants to have its bunker system up and running for finals. Picture: Christopher Chan

“It’s really where we land and how we build it for our finals series and then into 2020 as well. We are well advanced on it.

“Ideally, we would like to have it up and running certainly by Round 23 and then ghost it in over that round and from there have it ready and firing for finals.”

Hocking said it also planned to use the bunker for MRO reviews as well as providing vision for medical support for teams during games and umpire coaching.

“What we’ve done throughout this season — and last (season) — there has been the opportunity for clubs to receive information as to players’ incidents post a Thursday night and Friday night,’’ Hocking said.

“During the finals, we will look to do that straight after finals matches have been completed.

“There will also be a medical element to it where vision of incidents at games would be sent through to doctors on the bench, no interference from the AFL other than another set of eyes from the review centre and also umpire coaching as well would be part of it.”

Hocking admitted the move to a centralised review system conceded there were problems with the current system, but said the AFL was focused more on the wider use of the new bunker.

“There is no doubt that will be part of it, but if you have a look at the broader scope that it actually brings to the game that’s what we are excited about,’’ Hocking said.

“Being able to turn around MRO incidents quicker, umpire performance assessments quicker and just medical support to clubs and safety for players and so forth, I think they are the things that we are excited about.