While I'm still not a fan of free agency as it has the propensity to allow good players at shit clubs to join the best teams (which is not why the rule was introduced), I will admit that the AFL trade period adds significant drama and interest to the competition after the grand final.
Clearly it's not at the same level as the NBA trade period, but it's far more interesting than what is happening in the NRL, which doesn't seem to get any traction post-grand final, other than a representative game between Australia and New Zealand.
I've had LOADS of text message conversations with other Swans fans about the quality (or rather lack thereof) of the Swans moves during the trade period. We cut some deadwood out, which is good, but we missed out on a couple of players (Vandenberg from Melbourne and Logan from Collingwood) that would have shifted the needle for us next season.
Otherwise, unless something miraculous happens in the coming week with trade period/draft, then I don't see us finishing any higher than 6th, but probably no lower than 10th either. Obviously, you can't be at the top of the competition every season, but it feels like we're wasting the prime career of one of the best forwards in the history of the game.
But the point remains that the draft and trade period seems to be relatively unique to AFL in Australia in terms of interest and discussion. I don't think the NRL, cricket, A-League, or Union codes reach anything like the levels of interest with their same period, if they even have one at all. Which I think many people fail to recognize as a win for the game in terms of keeping interest and eyeballs on the game year-round.
Sunday, October 14, 2018
Participant Observations 14/10/18 - AFL Rule Changes
As I've outlined in previous posts, I'm in favour of some changes to the rules of AFL in order to make the game more visually appealing. Yes the grand final was spectacular, but for me, the vast majority of the season was marred by slow, congested football and scorelines that reflected as much.
Similarly, I can't understand the reluctance to embrace rule changes as anything other than unjustified conservatism, given that the AFL has changed the rules of the game every few years since it was invented in an attempt to make the game better.
And the AFL this week released the changes to rules they will introduce for the 2019 season.
Some of these were predicted, but some were definitely not. Some, such as the ability to play on from behinds, are refreshing but also probably controversial. The AFL suggest this rule in particular leapfrogs the idea of 18m goal squares, which I didn't mind, but I think this rule is better as it reduces the benefit for the team kicking in, that may have reduced the incentive for teams shooting for goals late in close games.
What might be interesting to follow is to see if any of these rule changes advance or slow the careers of some players, or if it makes a certain type of player more attractive/effective, and alter the value of player contracts accordingly. The rebounding backman would certainly seem to be someone who would benefit from these rules, as does the ruckman.
Here's my take on each rule change:
Traditional Playing Positions at Centre Bounce: Implementation of a traditional set up at centre bounces – Clubs must have six Players inside both 50-Metre arcs, with one Player required to be inside the Goal Square. Four Midfield Players are positioned inside the Centre Square with the Wingmen required to be placed somewhere along the Wing.
- In favour. Won't have a huge impact until the end of very close games, in that it prevents teams from flooding their backline after goals.
Kick-Ins: For Kick-Ins from a Behind, a Player will no longer need to kick to himself to Play On out of the Goal Square.
- In favour. While some people say this will end the joy of watching a player step over the line on kick ins and the resulting ball-up (really...?), this will rapidly increase the speed of the game. Get prepared for 'rebound footy'.
Marks / Free Kicks: For all Defenders who take a Mark or gain a Free Kick within 9 metres of their own Goal, the man on The Mark for the attacking team will be brought in line with the top of the Goal Square.
- In favour. Gives the player bringing the ball in a bit more room to move, and might avoid the almost obligatory long kick down the line from such situations
Runners and Water Carriers: Team Runners may only enter the Playing Surface once a goal has been kicked and must exit the Playing Surface before play Recommences. Water Carriers are not permitted to enter the Playing Surface during live play.
- In favour. Less unnecessary people on the field the better.
Umpire Contact: Players will be prohibited from setting up behind the Umpire at each Centre Bounce.
- In favour. Why was this not a rule already???
50-Metre Penalty: Stricter on the infringing player, allowing the Player with the ball to advance The Mark by 50 metres without the infringing player delaying the game. In addition, the Player with the Football will be able to play on during the advancement of the 50-Metre Penalty.
- In favour. Again, should speed play up and lessens the opportunity for the infringing team to set up their defense while the ball is being advanced.
Kicking for Goal post-siren – Centre of Goal Line: A Player who has been awarded a Mark or Free Kick once play has ended will now be able to Kick across their body using a Snap or Check-side Kick. The Player shall dispose of the Football directly in line with the man on The Mark and the Goal.
- In favour. I felt this should be a rule before. As long as the player does not go over the line of the man on the mark to the centre of the goal line, then where is there any benefit in being behind that line?
Ruck Contests – Prior Opportunity: A Ruck Player who takes possession of the Football while contesting a bounce or throw up by a field Umpire or a boundary throw in by a boundary Umpire, will not be regarded as having had Prior Opportunity. Where there is uncertainty over who is the designated Ruck, the Ruck for each Team will continue to nominate to the field Umpire.
- In favour, although the ruckman should still dispose of the ball before being tackled. Second part of this rule should speed up play.
Marking Contest: ‘Hands in the Back’ rule interpretation to be repealed, allowing a Player to place his hands on the back of his opponent to protect his position in a Marking contest but not to push the Player in the back.
- Not in favour. Don't see why this was introduced, other than to give some ground back to defenders, who already have it hard enough. Might make it a bit easier on umpires as well.
On balance though, I strongly believe these rules will speed up the game. Perhaps would have liked to have seen the boundary umpire come in for throw ins, but still a good start.
Similarly, I can't understand the reluctance to embrace rule changes as anything other than unjustified conservatism, given that the AFL has changed the rules of the game every few years since it was invented in an attempt to make the game better.
And the AFL this week released the changes to rules they will introduce for the 2019 season.
Some of these were predicted, but some were definitely not. Some, such as the ability to play on from behinds, are refreshing but also probably controversial. The AFL suggest this rule in particular leapfrogs the idea of 18m goal squares, which I didn't mind, but I think this rule is better as it reduces the benefit for the team kicking in, that may have reduced the incentive for teams shooting for goals late in close games.
What might be interesting to follow is to see if any of these rule changes advance or slow the careers of some players, or if it makes a certain type of player more attractive/effective, and alter the value of player contracts accordingly. The rebounding backman would certainly seem to be someone who would benefit from these rules, as does the ruckman.
Here's my take on each rule change:
Traditional Playing Positions at Centre Bounce: Implementation of a traditional set up at centre bounces – Clubs must have six Players inside both 50-Metre arcs, with one Player required to be inside the Goal Square. Four Midfield Players are positioned inside the Centre Square with the Wingmen required to be placed somewhere along the Wing.
- In favour. Won't have a huge impact until the end of very close games, in that it prevents teams from flooding their backline after goals.
Kick-Ins: For Kick-Ins from a Behind, a Player will no longer need to kick to himself to Play On out of the Goal Square.
- In favour. While some people say this will end the joy of watching a player step over the line on kick ins and the resulting ball-up (really...?), this will rapidly increase the speed of the game. Get prepared for 'rebound footy'.
Marks / Free Kicks: For all Defenders who take a Mark or gain a Free Kick within 9 metres of their own Goal, the man on The Mark for the attacking team will be brought in line with the top of the Goal Square.
- In favour. Gives the player bringing the ball in a bit more room to move, and might avoid the almost obligatory long kick down the line from such situations
Runners and Water Carriers: Team Runners may only enter the Playing Surface once a goal has been kicked and must exit the Playing Surface before play Recommences. Water Carriers are not permitted to enter the Playing Surface during live play.
- In favour. Less unnecessary people on the field the better.
Umpire Contact: Players will be prohibited from setting up behind the Umpire at each Centre Bounce.
- In favour. Why was this not a rule already???
50-Metre Penalty: Stricter on the infringing player, allowing the Player with the ball to advance The Mark by 50 metres without the infringing player delaying the game. In addition, the Player with the Football will be able to play on during the advancement of the 50-Metre Penalty.
- In favour. Again, should speed play up and lessens the opportunity for the infringing team to set up their defense while the ball is being advanced.
Kicking for Goal post-siren – Centre of Goal Line: A Player who has been awarded a Mark or Free Kick once play has ended will now be able to Kick across their body using a Snap or Check-side Kick. The Player shall dispose of the Football directly in line with the man on The Mark and the Goal.
- In favour. I felt this should be a rule before. As long as the player does not go over the line of the man on the mark to the centre of the goal line, then where is there any benefit in being behind that line?
Ruck Contests – Prior Opportunity: A Ruck Player who takes possession of the Football while contesting a bounce or throw up by a field Umpire or a boundary throw in by a boundary Umpire, will not be regarded as having had Prior Opportunity. Where there is uncertainty over who is the designated Ruck, the Ruck for each Team will continue to nominate to the field Umpire.
- In favour, although the ruckman should still dispose of the ball before being tackled. Second part of this rule should speed up play.
Marking Contest: ‘Hands in the Back’ rule interpretation to be repealed, allowing a Player to place his hands on the back of his opponent to protect his position in a Marking contest but not to push the Player in the back.
- Not in favour. Don't see why this was introduced, other than to give some ground back to defenders, who already have it hard enough. Might make it a bit easier on umpires as well.
On balance though, I strongly believe these rules will speed up the game. Perhaps would have liked to have seen the boundary umpire come in for throw ins, but still a good start.
Monday, October 1, 2018
Participant Observations 1/10/18 - AFL Grand Final Review
Some reflections on Saturday's game:
- Obviously a really good game with lots of talking points that was decided in the last 2 minutes, and a final margin less than a goal. Thoroughly enjoyed the game as a spectacle. I watched the game with a Collingwood fan, so it wasn't great for him.
- However, the experience of watching the game was hampered by the fact that we had to watch via the terrestrial FTA coverage, and the FTA signal for Channel 7 at my place is not very good. This demonstrates how antiquated the viewing practices are in this country, and how embedded they are with existing broadcasters. Foxtel are not allowed to simulcast the game due to anti-siphoning legislation which says the Grand Final must be exclusively on FTA, and the digital rights are owned by Telstra, who are limited to 7-inch screens and are not allowed to Chromecast to larger TV's. I couldn't stream through the Freeview app, as that counts as a digital platform, and Channel 7 ran promos on repeat on their digital platforms during the game. I thought about buying a Watch AFL pass for the game and using the VPN to access it, but it was $30(!) for one game, and I wasn't going to pay that amount for it. I didn't think to see if the Freeview app that is built into the tuner in the TV would work. I'll have to try that tonight.
- I changed my bets slightly on the day, and went for West Coast to win by 1-19 (which paid about $6) and leading goal scorer Josh Kennedy (which paid about $3). I collected on both of those. I missed out on De Goey as first goal scorer, and Yeo as Norm Smith medalist, but still collected about $28 for a $20 outlay. The gambling experience was interesting - I don't do it any game except Grand Final day, and I don't know how much it adds to the experience. A little bit, especially as you have a few bets strung out over the fay, but could I go without it? I think so, but it's also part of my Grand Final day routine, so I don't know if I'm willing to say yet that AFL should eschew all forms of gambling...
- Even though I wasn't part of a huge AFL party this year, I still enjoyed watching it with Deedy. We had a BBQ before hand, and a kick of footy at half time. He also knows lots about the game and Collingwood in particular, and even though his team lost, he wasn't too shattered at the end (I don't know if I would have been the same!). We were able to go down to the pub at the end of the game, and I bought two rounds of drinks with the money I won on the bets!
- I know the game was close, but I'm not ready to jump in with those people who think we shouldn't change the rules. I'm still in favour of the rule changes I've posted about earlier, and I think to look at one game is a very small sample, and it was umpired differently to games during the regular season. Players are also trying everything possible to win on Grand final day, which might be slightly different to the home-and-away season. At this point, I'd say bring in the rules for the pre-season comp, saying they'll be in for the season proper, with a caveat that you might remove them if they don't work out during the pre-season (PS., I still think the pre-season comp should go altogether).
- What a perfect time to start the AFLW comp after the trade period. Instead, we've got to wait until December I think to see some elite competition. Having said that, I am looking forward to the trade period and draft, which has built up over the last few years somewhat. Still not a fan of free agency however.
- Big fan of the start time compared to the NRL start time of 7:20pm. I was asleep on the couch and distracted by other sports by the time the NRL grand final came on. AFL won the television ratings for this year compared to the NRL, although they are reportedly the lowest they've been in 10 years.
That's all I can think of for now.
- Obviously a really good game with lots of talking points that was decided in the last 2 minutes, and a final margin less than a goal. Thoroughly enjoyed the game as a spectacle. I watched the game with a Collingwood fan, so it wasn't great for him.
- However, the experience of watching the game was hampered by the fact that we had to watch via the terrestrial FTA coverage, and the FTA signal for Channel 7 at my place is not very good. This demonstrates how antiquated the viewing practices are in this country, and how embedded they are with existing broadcasters. Foxtel are not allowed to simulcast the game due to anti-siphoning legislation which says the Grand Final must be exclusively on FTA, and the digital rights are owned by Telstra, who are limited to 7-inch screens and are not allowed to Chromecast to larger TV's. I couldn't stream through the Freeview app, as that counts as a digital platform, and Channel 7 ran promos on repeat on their digital platforms during the game. I thought about buying a Watch AFL pass for the game and using the VPN to access it, but it was $30(!) for one game, and I wasn't going to pay that amount for it. I didn't think to see if the Freeview app that is built into the tuner in the TV would work. I'll have to try that tonight.
- I changed my bets slightly on the day, and went for West Coast to win by 1-19 (which paid about $6) and leading goal scorer Josh Kennedy (which paid about $3). I collected on both of those. I missed out on De Goey as first goal scorer, and Yeo as Norm Smith medalist, but still collected about $28 for a $20 outlay. The gambling experience was interesting - I don't do it any game except Grand Final day, and I don't know how much it adds to the experience. A little bit, especially as you have a few bets strung out over the fay, but could I go without it? I think so, but it's also part of my Grand Final day routine, so I don't know if I'm willing to say yet that AFL should eschew all forms of gambling...
- Even though I wasn't part of a huge AFL party this year, I still enjoyed watching it with Deedy. We had a BBQ before hand, and a kick of footy at half time. He also knows lots about the game and Collingwood in particular, and even though his team lost, he wasn't too shattered at the end (I don't know if I would have been the same!). We were able to go down to the pub at the end of the game, and I bought two rounds of drinks with the money I won on the bets!
- I know the game was close, but I'm not ready to jump in with those people who think we shouldn't change the rules. I'm still in favour of the rule changes I've posted about earlier, and I think to look at one game is a very small sample, and it was umpired differently to games during the regular season. Players are also trying everything possible to win on Grand final day, which might be slightly different to the home-and-away season. At this point, I'd say bring in the rules for the pre-season comp, saying they'll be in for the season proper, with a caveat that you might remove them if they don't work out during the pre-season (PS., I still think the pre-season comp should go altogether).
- What a perfect time to start the AFLW comp after the trade period. Instead, we've got to wait until December I think to see some elite competition. Having said that, I am looking forward to the trade period and draft, which has built up over the last few years somewhat. Still not a fan of free agency however.
- Big fan of the start time compared to the NRL start time of 7:20pm. I was asleep on the couch and distracted by other sports by the time the NRL grand final came on. AFL won the television ratings for this year compared to the NRL, although they are reportedly the lowest they've been in 10 years.
That's all I can think of for now.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)