AFL trial and error: Footy legends slam chiefs over rule changes
THE AFL has left the door open for a radical late-season trial of new rules, as greats of the game lined up to savage the move saying it would compromise the integrity of the national game. But what would they looks like?
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THE AFL has left the door open for a radical late-season trial of new rules, as greats of the game lined up to savage the move.
Leigh Matthews, Matthew Lloyd, Cameron Ling and Matthew Richardson said league bosses were compromising the integrity of the national game.
Four-time premiership coach Matthews said: “It seems demeaning to me, a bit like it’s demeaning the game.”
AFL chief Gillon McLachlan shocked fans early on Wednesday by floating the prospect of premiership matches being played in the coming weeks using experimental rules.
Proposals to reduce congestion include starting positions for all players after goals and cuts to interchange rotations.
AFL football boss Steve Hocking described the changes as “game adjustments” rather than rule changes, but confirmed “guinea pig” games were a possibility. “It’s certainly something Gillon has foreshadowed,” he said.
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Hocking said: “There is strong agreement as far as the next level (state leagues) … whether it finds its way into AFL matches is clearly a discussion for the commission. I’m not going to put a full stop on that at this stage.
“It’s something that we will remain open to.”
But he conceded the enforcement of rules for selected matches could compromise the draft, Brownlow voting and the Coleman Medal race.
“They are the things that we need to work through,” he said.
Matthews, speaking on Macquarie Sports radio, added: “I kind of thought, when I played myself and coached my players, every game was like a Grand Final. That was my philosophy to competing.”
Ling said that if the trial occurred, Melbourne should be refunded its $500,000 fine over the 2009 tanking fiasco. “Every game matters for fans, draft picks and integrity. Every game’s integrity mattered then. Why not now?” Ling said.
Lloyd, a three-time Coleman Medallist, told 3AW: “This is the same Gillon McLachlan who introduced a bye after Round 23 because he was so disappointed teams were resting players before finals … yet he’s happy to toy with the rules and the integrity of the game himself.”
The AFL could experiment with three matches from Rounds 21-23 involving teams out of the finals.
Brisbane chief executive Greg Swann said his club had no qualms about playing a Round 22 clash against Gold Coast as a starting points trial.
That would join a Round 21 Dockers-Blues, a Round 22 Blues-Bulldogs, and a Round 23 Saints-Roos clash as potential contests for experimentation with a six-six-six format.
“Our game against Gold Coast is probably the one they could do. If everyone is happy about that, it wouldn’t bother us too much,” Swann said.
“No one is playing for a draft pick. Both sides would be going out to win. We would support it, philosophically.”
As recently as May, the AFL said it would never again make rule changes mid-season.
Pies premiership midfielder Mick McGuane said the proposal was “policy on the run”.
“Trialling new rules during an AFL season surely compromises its integrity. Staggering thoughts. Policy on the run. Stop jumping at shadows,” McGuane tweeted.
McLachlan said: “I know enough to know that there’s fixtures that are available where we could do it.
“We’re certainly discussing it, whether that’s appropriate. The emerging view is that it is,” he said.
Tigers great Richardson said the AFL should hold back on rule changes for 12 months.
“I don’t know what the absolute rush is,” he told 3AW.
“Is the game going to fall over in 12 months?
“I don’t think so. So maybe go and trial it in a VFL or SANFL competition, get that data over 22 rounds, and if the scoring goes up 20 per cent, then look at implementing something in the AFL.”
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