by gg » Wed Nov 09, 2005 10:26 pm
Unfortunately, I think the AFL is slowly but surely attempting to hybrid our game with Gaelic football rules all for the sake of cementing an international flavor and maintaining a relationship with the GAA.
In saying that, there are some excellent rules in Gaelic football or the IR, which wouldnt be too bad to see in our game. I like how they only have the ruck and rover of each team at the center bounce. Maybe just make it that at the center bounce no player can enter the square until AFTER the ruckman has touched the ball, not AT the bounce itself. This would free up the center congestion and actually make ruckmen stand out more.
I think the idea to make all balls out of bounds a free kick against the other team is purely to imitate the Gaelic rules as well an attempt to thwart flooding. However, the implications of this are bad. A tight game, ruckman leaps and punches the ball out the sideline close to goal, would now mean a free kick.
One rule which is perhaps ok, is the policing of the incorrect disposal. The game has degenerated now where this rule has disappeared and players can get away with losing the ball all the time.
I also would like to see something done about the holding the ball rule. The umpires whistle the play dead too quickly. They should just make it that it's play on at all times, the ball has to come out, and make it illegal for players to pile in. This would free up congestion and flooding as well.
As for marks....increasing the distance is still a band-aid and an attempt to stop the possessional game. I would rather allow the genius of coaches to come up with new tactics themselves to stop the flood, etc, rather than the AFL trying to police everything and outlaw things. However, a general rule which could be good is that no kicks backwards are called marks, play on at all times. This could be good in the forward 50, when a defense manages to force a leading forward to mark the ball out wide. Should be a reward to the defense where the player either kicks for goal or passes backward but it would be play on.
Actually, maybe a suggestion to kill two birds with one stone....remove the center square, divide the field into three sections, a forward 70, say, a back 70 and whatever in the middle, with just a circle for the bounce...and make it that only ruck/rover contest the center bounce, as well as making it that marks can only be taken in the forward or backward 70. this way, there can be no possessional overkill and brings back the direct game, long kicking, and contested marking.
Life is all just bullshlt.