AFL signals demise of the bounce a done deal
SOME of football’s best tap ruckman fear the art of ruck work is about to be killed off and replaced with a basketball tip-off.
But the AFL has been warned even if it retains the bounce at next week’s commission meeting it will only be a stay of execution.
AFL umpires association boss Peter Howe said the lack of junior umpires bouncing the ball meant the AFL would end the tradition within two years.
The AFL Commission will next week consider the future of the bounce amid fierce opposition to the practice from AFL umpires.
It will cap a turbulent period for the AFL’s officials after umpires boss Peter Schwab was this week moved on by new football boss Steve Hocking.
Schwab was hired by the AFL only last December after it poached him from Brisbane, where he was the list manager of the battling club.
Hocking will play a part in a review of umpiring that comes as the umpires and league draw close to a new CBA agreement over better pay and conditions. Umpires with three years experience earn a $60,000 base and $1800 per game, meaning many earn around $100,000 a season.
A new six-year agreement will come after the two parties rolled over the previous agreement as they tried to broker a new pay deal.
Howe said yesterday with competitions like the TAC Cup no longer asking umpires to bounce the ball, the writing was on the wall for the bounce.
“If the bounce remained we would need to chat with the AFL about the impact on health and wellbeing of umpires,” he said.
“I they had a whole range of options to put into place to mitigate the potential cause of injury, we would need to talk through those.”