Ugly wins ruled out by AFL
THE AFL has directed clubs to restrict player numbers around stoppages in all AFLW matches from this weekend
League football chief Steve Hocking yesterday sent a memo to the eight AFLW club coaches. While not official rule changes, there is an understanding the edict is to be fol- lowed or rules, such as position zones, may be introduced.
The directive followed uproar over the defensive Carlton-Collingwood season opener. Brisbane’s tactics in its win over Adelaide were also noted.
It comes after poor TV ratings, with Channel Seven recording a 60 per cent drop in viewers for the Carlton-Collingwood game — the average was 242,000, compared with 593,000 for the first AFL Women’s game, played between the same teams in 2017.
The memo requires clubs: START with five forwards, six centre players, including two wings, and five defenders at centre bounces. The umpire won’t start play until this formation is in place. ADHERE to a 15m protected area in front of stoppages on the line to goal. SHOW intent to pull forwards from stoppages, “creating space for teams to attack into”.
The memo says an ideal is a form of zone structure, which the league considered introducing as a rule, “that sees some forward players holding their position inside 50m during between-arc stoppages”.
Seven’s Collingwood-Carlton broadcast went head to head with Channel 10’s Big Bash League semi-final featuring Melbourne Renegades.
Channel Seven boss Lewis Martin welcomed the directives.
“Seven is very supportive of the AFL decision and we continue to support AFLW,” he said. “There’s no dispute audiences love high-scoring games and the AFL are aware of that.
“The AFL has come out and given some coaching directives and ultimately it’s an AFL call.”
There were five goals in Carlton’s win over Collingwood at Ikon Park on Friday night. Carlton captain Bri Davey, speaking before the memo, backed her club’s style.
“We want to obviously produce a product people really love to watch but at the same time ... we probably don’t really care what it looks like as long as we’re getting that win,” Davey said.