Luke Hodge says new rules could blow up in AFL’s face as Mick Malthouse tells coaches to get over it

Luke Hodge says the AFL’s attempts to improve the look of the game by restricting access to runners could blow up in its face while Mick Malthouse believes its time coaches stopped whingeing.

Luke Hodge says the AFL’s attempts to improve the look of the game by restricting access to runners could blow up in its face.

Hodge, a four-time premiership player and dual Norm Smith Medallist across 324 games, said young teams had been put at higher risk of copping unsightly beltings without regular access to information.

His comments came as Mick Malthouse called for coaches to stop whingeing about the new rules, stating: “Why aren’t you teaching your players to respond?”

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But Brisbane Lions veteran Hodge said the league had taken a gamble in only allowing runners on the field after a goal.

“I like the fact runners have been limited. They were spending too much time on the ground, but sides will get run-ons and all you need is a runner to go out and settle things down, especially with a younger side,” Hodge said.

“So if the AFL are looking out for the look of the game, having younger teams getting beaten by eight and 10 goals in a quarter because they can’t change their structures … is going to go against what they’re looking for.”

A runner watches on during a match last year. Picture: Michael Klein

Hodge, who followed his Lions coach Chris Fagan, Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge and St Kilda’s Alan Richardson as critics of the runner restriction, called for a quarterly cap instead.

“What I’ve noticed over my career … a runner can help settle things. Last week I was looking around for the runner to get some clarification on something and you had to run off and it can be 10 minutes before you can tell your teammates what you’re actually doing,” he said.

“You’ve got to give the coaches a bit of leeway so it’s not a shambles out there, because that affects the look of the game as well.”

Malthouse said coaches needed to get over it.

“At the end of the day you have to adjust. Just get ahead of it,” Malthouse said.

“I didn’t say it’s right. Clearly (AFL football operations manager) Steve Hocking is a bloke on a mission to be recognised and he’s changing everything he can get hold of.

“With all due respect to some of these blokes (coaches), they come away surprised and you go ‘Hang on, there’s been a general trend over the last five years to diminish, diminish, diminish, why aren’t you ahead of it?

Luke Hodge wants runners for youngster teams. Picture: Michael Klein

Mick Malthouse isn’t a fan of Steve Hocking. Picture: Ian Currie

“You need to have a system from the bench.”

The Herald Sun revealed Fagan used Wednesday’s Competition Committee meeting to argue against the way runners had been restricted.
Fagan said only set-shot goals gave sides enough time to organise and deliver a message before a restart.

“At the moment you wait for a goal to be scored and in reality the only chance you get to send a message out is during a set shot because you get to discuss something while the set shot is being taken,” Fagan told SEN.

“In-play goals just happen so you can’t give a message in context.

“I sat down on the bench the last two weekends … and there was a fair level of player frustration. We can rely on them to take the message out, but sometimes you’ve got a young player who’s not confident to do it. It’s okay if it’s Luke Hodge.”