AFL forges ahead with radical rule changes

The AFL Competition Committee have given the green light to a number of measures to decrease the congestion in the game.

AFL umpires will apply stricter rules on players standing on the mark next season Picture: Getty Images

Footy legend Kevin Bartlett has called on the AFL to keep screwing down on the interchange to defeat the growing scourge of congestion.

The AFL announced on Wednesday it was cutting rotations from 90 to 75 a match next year in a bid to free up the game.

Bartlett said it was a start but more needed to be done.

“Getting down to 75 is a step in the right direction, but it’s got to come down a lot more than that,” he told the Herald Sun.

“Hopefully more reductions will follow in the next couple of years.”

The five-time premiership great has urged members of the AFL commission and competition committee to look back at high-scoring matches as recently as 2004 where rotations averaged just 30 per side.

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The league is also looking at trialling zone rules in the VFL next year as it attempts to eliminate rolling mauls.

Three players from each team will be stationed inside the 50m arc — including one in the goalsquare — for all kick-ins and boundary throw-ins.

But Bartlett said such a radical move was not the solution for easing congestion.

“Our game never needed zones for 100 years — it doesn’t need zones now,” Bartlett said.

“If you get the interchange numbers down to the right number, then fatigue will govern all of that.”

AFL football operations boss Steve Hocking wrote to clubs on Wednesday to announce three key rule changes for next year: cutting interchange rotations, cracking down on players moving off the mark and providing more room for the full-back kick-ins.

He said they did not want to make a “radical change” to bench rotations in one season.

“So part of how we settled on the reduction was player health and safety,” he said.

“If you turn around and double that in one year, that puts the players under enormous stress. That’s not something we want to do.

“It’s incremental change and we’ll remain open to what the future looks like in 2021.”

Players kicking in from full-back after a behind next season will be given 15m from the kick-off line compared to 10m this year.

In relation to cracking down on players standing the mark, the league said: “If the defending player moves off the mark in any direction prior to ‘play on’ being called, a 50-metre penalty will apply.”

Collingwood forward Mason Cox took to social media to protest the changes.

“Any chance we could keep the rules the same for once?” the American posted on Twitter.

“It’s been hard enough learning it from scratch much less it changing every year.

“Being an umpire would be a nightmare. Every year there are more changes to AFL than any other sport in the world I feel like.”

The league is yet to determine the length of next season or how the fixture will work.

But quarters are expected to return to 20 minutes plus time-on, following this year’s COVID-stricken season of 18 rounds of 16-minute quarters plus time on.

Teams will still be allowed four interchange players.

Hocking said the league wanted to “create more time and space in the game”.

“This has been a very considered process and we’ve looked carefully at the trends in the game and the elements that are coming in,” Hocking said.

“We’ve listened to the concerns about the imbalance of attacking and defensive strategies and we’ve listened to fans across the country.

“Today’s announcements are about enhancing and protecting the unique elements of the game, and will help to deliver the kind of footy we all love to see.”

STEVE HOCKING ON:

Q: Response to people saying ‘don’t mess with the fabric of the game?’

“What we’re trying to do is protect the fabric of the game,” he said.

“I’m more than happy to be held to account to try and create more Dustin Martin moments in a Grand Final more often.

“I’m more than happy to be held to account about Liam Ryan taking on the game and having more moments in the game.

“If that’s attacking the fabric of the game, I’m not sure it is.

“We want to see the best players shine and produce highlights.”

Q: Man on the mark change: How does it work?

“There will be an adjustment for the player standing on the mark,” he said.

“They will only be permitted limited lateral movement on the mark.

“This is designed to increase the attacking player’s options and defending player’s ability to delay ball movement.”

Q: Impact on scoring, do you have a rough rule of thumb?

“When you look at the trend over a long period of time, it is definitely a concern for most people,” he said.

“What we’ve aimed to do with this is to really try and create more time and space in the game.

“There’s a lot of defensive layers which have crept in over time and it’s modern football, modern coaching, the players are fitter and stronger and faster.

“We’re just looking to try and find a greater balance between attack and defence, and we think this addresses that.”

Herald Sun