Warning on zones plan

SYDNEY chief executive Andrew Ireland has backed the AFL’s likely introduction of starting points amid a third trial of the measure this week.

But the long-serving executive and member of the AFL’s Competition Committee has warned more open play might lead to a series of one-sided blowouts.

Ireland will remain on the AFL’s Competition Committee next year when he moves on to the Swans board and remains a Sydney consultant as Tom Harley becomes Sydney CEO.

The AFL’s starting points trials have been wildly successful, with Luke Hodge, Patrick Dangerfield, Isaac Smith, Leigh Matthews and Leigh Montagna all backing their introduction. The vision will be presented to the competition committee on July 26, after trials with Hawthorn, Brisbane and Fremantle.

Ireland said yesterday with up to a quarter of the AFL competition injured at one stage this year the league should keep interchange rates at 90. He said a trial of zones would open the game up, but wonders if it will disadvantage poor teams that might be heavily scored against.

“Personally I am not against trialling at least starting pos- itions. I am not so sure about [restrictions] after the game is in motion,” he said. “I think you have got to work out what you really want and I guess the ideal thing is reasonably high scores but close games.

“If you open the game up a lot you will also widen the scores between better sides and not-so-good sides.

“I suspect closer games are what people like and that is probably good for TV as well.”

Ireland echoed the concerns of his coach John Longmire, who believes reduction of interchange would have a brutal effect on already taxed players.

“I am not a big advocate of cutting interchange. I saw a statistic on Fox Footy where 26 per cent of players were injured at one stage.

“The toll of the game is getting harder and our players are taking more time to recover.”