The smarty pants ex-players on the rules committee have stuffed the game of AFL. Manipulated AFL rules ruining games each week. These new rules rely so heavily on umpire interpretation that the current players have no idea WTF is going on. The stand on the mark rule, for instance, has such vagaries of application during a game with 4 field umpires individually interpreting whether a player on the mark is back 5 metres or has to freeze on the exact mark – that it is a bad joke. Factor in that during big games the players cannot hear the umpires because of the crowd noise it is beyond stupid and arcane expecting that they can.
“THE AFL has sent clubs a series of videos to provide clarity on three rule interpretations for the season ahead, with a particular reinforcement of existing prior opportunity laws. The three videos – which highlighted holding the ball, high contact and insufficient intent rules – were sent by the League to clubs last week as part of a continued measure to inform players and coaches on existing interpretations.”
AFL Rules Mystify & Enrage Players & Fans
The holding the ball whilst being tackled situation and rules pertaining to it are a complete mystery to the players and the fans watching the game. The overemphasis on looking after the ball carrier has made the tackler the second rate actor in this movie. The smarty pants ex-players on the rules committee have put all their eggs in the offence basket at the expense of starving the defensive side of the game. The outcome of this is that players no longer have to legally dispose of the ball in the tackle just make an attempt. This is a transgression of the heart and soul of the game. It goes against everything we have all come to know and trust in AFL. It goes against the ethos of Aussie Rules. The upshot of this are tackles are no longer rewarded. Compound this with all the dangerous tackle anti-concussion laws now in the game and tackling is a seriously neglected art within AFL. If tacklers are not rewarded it actually creates a more dangerous situation. There will be more injuries due to these rules and interpretations of the rules.
AFL Rules Changes & Umpiring Interpretations Punishing The Game
The rules committee are making the game of AFL harder and harder to umpire with their meddling. I will repeat that players are having trouble hearing the umpires during games due to crowd noise. Therefore, loading up interpretative tasks to umpires with clever dick rules is a recipe for incomprehension by players and fans. Inconsistency is a confidence killer in the umpiring for players, teams and supporters. The draconian punishment for a stand on the mark infringement is a 50m penalty, which most often results in a scoring shot and possible goal. In a tight game this is massive in terms of the ultimate result of the match.
Professionalism & Commercial Realities in AFL
“The equation again: Australian men love sport; the money men see commercial opportunities; the players of sports like football get paid big bucks; their lives are owned by the sponsored sporting club for the duration of their careers; some young men buckle under the weight of expectation; their love of sport is sullied by the business of it; the fans scratch their heads at a situation where million dollar superstar lifestyles equates with mental illness WTF? What can we all learn from such things? “
Robert Sudha Hamilton is the author of The Stoic Golfer and America Matters: Pre-apocalyptic Posts & Essays in the Shadow of Trump.
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