AFL to rule on radical square
THE AFL Commission will be asked to rule on what the league concedes is a radical 18m goalsquare and 6-6-6 starting formations as well as a tightening of the contentious holding-the-ball rule.
The league’s competition committee yesterday endorsed a series of recommendations that will help to ease congestion in a game with 50-year scoring lows.
The contentious changes fall far short of the AFL’s midseason desire to introduce starting points at all stoppages, but were slammed by AFL legend Jude Bolton yesterday.
He said the 18m goalsquare was “such a crock” and “just looks ridiculous”.
Bolton also said a 6-6-6 setup wouldn’t stop congestion because instead of teams under the pump dropping a loose man back they might flood numbers to the contest to clog up the game. But former kickin star Dustin Fletcher said in June a longer goalsquare would force defences back and even see the game spreading out across the field.
“There is no doubt it would give you more options as the person kicking in,’’ Fletcher said. “Having a really good think about it, the coach would have to push his zone deeper and they might have to play a defender back inside 50.”
Three VFL trials of 6-6-6 starting points plus the elongated goal square — double the current 9m length — saw scoring up 15 per cent and tackling down 14 per cent from those teams’ normal rates.
The 6-6-6 starting points would be enforced only after every goal, and see six players from each side inside each 50m arc, with one player from each side inside both goal squares. Wingmen on each side would be able to patrol up and down the side of the centre square, with a free kick paid if players were not in their correct zones.
The AFL’s competition committee met yesterday, with the AFLPA to be consulted on handing each club a five-day break next year to potentially allow the league more Thursday night football.
The AFL Commission will also decide by October on a series of interpretation changes to eight key rules.