AFL to rule on bounce’s future before national draft

THE AFL Commission will consider the future of the bounce with a decision on whether it stays or goes expected just days before this month’s national draft.

The AFL is set to soon decide the future of the bounce. Picture: AAP

THE AFL Commission will consider the future of the bounce just days before this month’s national draft.

The league will holds its November commission meeting early in the week leading into the national draft on Friday November 24.

A decision to scrap the bounce entirely would allow clubs enough time to adjust their recruiting priorities given it would favour towering ruckmen.

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The AFL is set to soon decide the future of the bounce. Picture: AAP

Clubs like Fremantle (Aaron Sandilands) and Melbourne (Max Gawn) would be favoured by a throw-up in the centre square, effectively a tip-off for the football.

Smaller ruckman can still thrive with the variable bounce because they require timing and judgment, but high-leaping rucks like Patrick Ryder would rejoice if the bounce was banned.

The league has a range of options with its bounce after umpires voiced their strong objection to ending more than a century of tradition.

They believe it is inevitable the AFL will eventually scrap it given so few junior umpires are trained to bounce the ball.

The league could ignore their concerns and retain the bounce.

Or it could allow some umpires to throw the ball up, have specialist bouncing umpires or have a symbolic bounce to start the game or quarters.

AFL umpires’ association boss Peter Howe said last month 25 of the 33 senior umpires had suffered a back, shoulder or stress-related injury through bouncing in recent seasons.

Acting AFL football boss Andrew Dillon will consider a position statement from the Laws of the Game committee before making his recommendation to the commission.

The league has in recent years met with its senior coaches in the days before the draft to consider current issues and the future of the game.

New football boss Steve Hocking is expected to consider ways to promote a higher-scoring game after four years of historically low scores.

The AFL can only put into effect so many new rules without buy-in from senior coaches about a commitment to more attractive play.

AFL Coaches’ Association boss Mark Brayshaw said yesterday senior coaches understood the importance of attractive play.

But he said it was a fine balance for men who were coaching for the futures every year.

“I think it’s better off for the AFL to talk to the coaches (about it). It can’t hurt to collaborate with them,” he said.

“The coaches welcome that. Eventually they are trying to win and the AFL and Steve Hocking would understand that but every one of them has a deep-seated interest in the wellbeing of the game.

“And they don’t take much convincing they have to have regard for the growth of the game as they try to win.

“There have been times when the AFL has put forward very cogent arguments for rule changes and they put aside their own objectives and are keen to help the best interests of the game.”