Future of Footy: When should AFL bring in new rules?

SPECIAL INVESTIGATION: Senior football figures are divided on whether the AFL should bring in radical new rules next year with several fearing “unintended consequences” will emerge. Join the debate.

SENIOR football figures are divided on whether the AFL should bring in radical new rules next year before they have been properly tested.

The Herald Sun conducted a rules summit this week with several feared “unintended consequences” emerging from the changes AFL football boss Steve Hocking has spruiked.

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“We need a bigger sample size,” Port Adelaide list manager Jason Cripps said.

“Just to say in October, ‘Here are the changes’ that has a significant impact on our roles. We don’t want to be bringing in players that don’t fit with the impact the changes are going to have.”

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Port Adelaide list manager Jason Cripps has strong views on the AFL’s plan for new rules.

Cripps and leading analyst David King want the AFL to either test “significant” rule changes next pre-season, stage a summer competition using state players or run exhibition games using AFL players in the pre-finals bye.

Officials from four other clubs polled by the Herald Sun backed the roundtable’s key finding that 2019 was too soon to bring in starting positions or to slash interchange rotations.

But departing St Kilda recruiter Tony Elshaug and a rival chief recruiter were comfortable with immediate action.

“It’s time (for recruiters) to get creative. This is for the good of the game, let the good players shine instead of being tackle bags,” the recruiter said.

Some clubs were hesitant to comment publicly because of ties to the AFL’s Competition Committee.

But club powerbrokers anticipate a combination of new rules — including starting positions — will be in play from Round 1 next year.

Cripps and Eade told the Herald Sun the AFL should settle for subtle tweaks in 2019, such as umpires throwing the ball up quicker, scrapping the ruck nomination rule and boundary umpires coming in 5m.

Premiership coach Luke Beveridge recently said the AFL should only consider “cosmetic changes” such as these.

The Recruiter Port Adelaide's Jason Cripps, The Analyst Champion Data’s Daniel Hoyne, The Coach Rodney Eade and The Journalist Sam Landsberger at the Future of Footy Rules Summit. Picture: Tony Gough

The rules panel found:

BIGGER goalsquares could see players instructed to avoid taking low percentage shots for goal and encourage flooding tactics.

SLASHING rotations could kill off players like Cyril Rioli who are prone to soft tissue injury under fatigue.

MULTIPLE new rules could see a “compound effect” of unintended consequences.

JUNIOR development faces problems with a “really small pool” of draftees rated elite kicks.

SUCCESS of starting positions in under-18s was incomparable to the AFL because players are underdeveloped and do not manipulate tactics.

Hocking was invited to contribute to the Herald Sun roundtable debate but declined.

Cripps said last week’s AFL invitation to trial the new rules in-house was “unrealistic” for some clubs.

“We’ve had our bye. I don’t think Ken (Hinkley) is going to use a Wednesday main training session, when we’re trying to win games for finals, to trial new rules,” Cripps said.

The AFL staged 20-minute trials with Hawthorn, Brisbane and Fremantle but refused to release any footage.

Film will be shown to officials from 11 clubs at the July 26 Competition Committee meeting in Melbourne.

Essendon, Carlton, Western Bulldogs, St Kilda, Melbourne, Fremantle and GWS are not represented on the committee and therefore will not view the footage.

Would a bigger goalsquare change the game for the better?

RULES SUMMIT SNEAK PEAK

HOW ABOUT A BIGGER GOALSQUARE?

LEGEND Malcolm Blight has been campaigning for this idea.

The AFL hopes blowing the goalsquare out from 9m to either 18m or 25m will prove congestion-busting because kick-out specialists could launch the ball over defensive zones and open up the game.

Former coach Rodney Eade, a renowned tactician, and Port Adelaide list manager Jason Cripps weren’t so sure.

“There’ll be unintended consequences,” Eade told the Herald Sun.

“Do you bring a designated kicker in — a Trent McKenzie — off the bench, make an interchange and he kicks a barrel?

“It goes inside your 50m. Is that too big a reward for the opposition missing?”

On Grand Final day, a 65m roost from a 25m goalsquare would only need to roll 20m to reach the opposing arc.

Imagine shaving the post — or, worse, copping a dud video review — and the kick-out finds your defensive 50m?

“You talk about risk, and if I’m the coach we can’t kick a point,” Eade said.

“We’d prefer to get a boundary throw-in and we’re going to have a shot from in front. Coaches have a defensive mindset and we can’t afford to kick a point.

“So we won’t take as many shots at goal, because we want to minimise our risk and we’re prepared to play in our forward (line) until we’re going to have a shot.

“If you kick 9.15 there’s 15 barrels that Lewis Jetta can kick and it puts it inside their 50m.

“Whoah, I don’t want that so you’re actually changing the game that way.”

In 2018, one in 10 kick-outs lead to an inside 50m, while one in 20 leads to a goal. Yet clubs kick goals from one in five centre clearances.

That’s 5 per cent from fullback, 20 per cent from a centre clearance.

Cripps said coaches would manipulate a defensive method to combat a larger goalsquare.

“What’s to stop more players just going behind centre and effectively bringing back the flood?” Cripps said.

“If there’s no restrictions around the zone, knowing Trent McKenzie’s kicking in, is one of the coaching methods going to be to put all 18 players behind centre?”

Former Essendon kick-out whiz Dustin Fletcher said a larger goalsquare would open up options.

“You would feel like you are out in the actual playing field, rather than back with the cheer squad,” Fletcher said.

From 1859-1876 footy had an 18-metre goalsquare, but when the sport was brought onto cricket pitches in 1877 it was shortened to 10 yards (9m).