IT IS OK TO LEAVE OUR GAME ALONE
DO we really need to keep tinkering with the rules of our game?
I think the game is fine as it is. We have seen some great matches this season, ones that have been close, ones that have been high scoring.
And there have been some ugly games too, but that is always going to happen throughout the year.
Every year we talk about new rule changes and it is starting to get a bit ridiculous.
It would be nice heading into a season knowing that we don’t have any new rules to learn or factor in to the way we want to play.
I will watch the VFL clash between Coburg and Werribee with interest today given they are trialling two of the new rule changes the AFL is looking to bring into the game.
First, we have the zones, which will mean it is compulsory for each team to have six players in each third of the ground at the start of every quarter and when the ball is bounced after a goal.
The second sees the goal square made bigger.
I am not sold on either rule, to be honest. But I may change my mind when I see it out on the ground.
The decision to go to zones is an interesting one. As a forward I think it will really help us.
Having just the six people in that area of the ground will lead to more genuine one-on-one battles and we won’t be fighting against that extra player the opposition has that is jumping into you and marking it.
That could drive scoring up, especially if you are winning the ball quickly from the centre.
However, because there are no set positions after the bounce, there is no reason why a team won’t quickly drop the extra player back once play gets going.
I also do like the seventh man sprinting in off the back of the square from defence. A lot of teams use it and that player can definitely have an impact and provide something for the team.
Just because there are seven players in defence doesn’t mean it is a move used to stop the opposition scoring. They can create plenty of drive from back there and get the ball moving your way.
One of the reasons the AFL is looking to bring this rule in is to stop some of the congestion that has been leading to a lot of repeat stoppages.
It is drilled into us that, at the stoppage, you have either got to win it or halve it. And by halve it we mean creating another stoppage.
Coaches are smart guys, believe it or not. They will adapt to the new rules and find other ways to expose weaknesses or make it hard for opposition teams to score.
Will we need to create more rules to stop that? It can be a never-ending circle. I find it interesting that these changes are getting tried in a game for premiership points. While it may not be at AFL level, the VFL is also a very serious competition.
As a player I would be happy to play in a game trialling some new things depending on what the rules were.
Playing in a game — like today’s — featuring the zones and the goal square distance would be fine.
But I would be concerned about seeing the interchange rotations dropped again, for example. That is when injuries could happen.