AFL tight-lipped about trialling rule changes in premiership matches
Related Story: Radical change or leave the game alone? AFL faces dilemma over rule changes
The AFL has refused to dismiss the idea of trialling as many as six rule changes in the remaining rounds of the premiership, despite being publicly criticised that such a move could compromise the integrity of the game.
Social media lit up on Wednesday morning when AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan suggested matches that have no bearing on the finals may be used to trial rule changes — largely based around eliminating congestion — that the league will look to introduce as early as next year.
Retired players and a mass of AFL fans took to Twitter to voice their opposition to McLachlan's comments, with the potential impact on the draft order, Brownlow Medal votes and the Coleman Medal standings prominent among their concerns.
The AFL Competition Committee held a schedule meeting on Wednesday afternoon to discuss "game adjustments", and the league's football operations manager Steve Hocking would not rule out any proposed changes being trailed in upcoming home-and-away matches.
Hocking acknowledged McLachlan had "foreshadowed" the idea, however he remained tight-lipped as to whether approval would be given to at least six recommendations the committee had discussed, with just five rounds left until the finals.
"I'm not going to put a full stop on that at this stage. It's just something that we will remain open to," he told a media conference at AFL House.
But Hocking hinted it was more likely rule changes would be trialled in the second-tier state leagues, such as the VFL, SANFL and WAFL, where the appetite to serve as the 'guinea pigs' was strong.
"They're actually queuing up to trial things we're looking at," he said.
"We would like the fans to look at that, definitely. Whether it finds it's way in to an AFL match that's clearly a discussion with the commission at some stage."
Hocking would not reveal what six recommendations had been decided upon, although removing congestion through initiatives such as the six-six-six formation at centre bounces had been high on the agenda.
Other rule changes discussed publicly include increasing the size of the goal square from nine metres to 18 and cutting interchange rotations from the current cap of 90.
"We're not looking to drop things into the game to upset the rhythm of the game and that's important to actually call that out," Hocking said.
Any rule changes will need approval from the AFL executive and the league's commission before they can be introduced, with Hocking setting a deadline of October for any formal announcement.
McLachlan sparks furious debate about rule changes
McLachlan upset many in the AFL community when he announced the league was "certainly thinking about" trialling rule changes in premiership fixtures this season.
"I can tell you that there's three fixtures on consecutive weekends that I don't think have any bearing on the eight, as we stand today," McLachlan told SEN radio.
"I know enough to know there's fixtures available to do it and we're certainly discussing whether that's appropriate, and the emerging view is that I think it is."
Multiple premiership player and coach Leigh Matthews described the suggestion as "demeaning", while Cameron Ling, who won three flags with Geelong, took to Twitter to outline his disgust.
"In regards to trailing rule changes in current season — every game matters for fans, draft picks and integrity," Ling tweeted.
But Adelaide forward Josh Jenkins declared he would have no issue playing in matches that included the trialling of rule changes if the Crows were out of the race for the finals.
External Link: @JoshJenkins24 tweets: Yes. 100% @AFL
Should the AFL elect to trial the changes in premiership matches it would likely impact on the 17th-placed Gold Coast Suns.
Suns coach Stuart Dew, however, suggested he would prefer his side was not involved in any trial process.
"It sounds like it would be a hard thing to do," he said.
"Firstly we want to play every game to win and not trial, I guess. But we haven't had any contact (from the AFL) at all."
[contf]
[contfnew]
ABC .net
[contfnewc]
[contfnewc]
