Rule changes for 2017

[jeemak]

Jeemak - a player can still lower their centre of gravity to avoid a tackler. They just don't get a free if that is what made the tackle high. I can see McLean still doing it to evade tackles successfully

I understand that and I think it's rubbish. it removes the onus on the tackler to hit the middle of the body, rather than the upper body. In my view there should be an element of risk in trying to go for the perfect tackle that pins the arms high on the body.

[bornadog]

How exactly are the umpires going to work out who is going up in the ruck at every ball up and throw in? Does it mean players have to nominate every time?

[jeemak]

How will they know if a player has deliberately lowered their centre of gravity to force a tackle high?

Why the AFEL makes interpretation more difficult all the time is beyond me.

[hujsh]

How will they know if a player has deliberately lowered their centre of gravity to force a tackle high?

Why the AFEL makes interpretation more difficult all the time is beyond me.

Hard to tell in the heat of the moment when all you see is Magic getting his head ripped off

[bornadog]

How will they know if a player has deliberately lowered their centre of gravity to force a tackle high?

Why the AFEL makes interpretation more difficult all the time is beyond me.

Exactly, it is a joke.

[GVGjr]

I know we're all a titch more positive about things than we usually are at this time of year, but am I the only one who thinks three major aspects of our strategy, seemingly under the microscope for immediate change, form the basis of the major rule review this year?

A friend of mine has a theory that when teams win a flag that they weren't rally expect to typically (not all the time) they have done it because they exploited the rules better than other sides and he told me straight after the GF that rules would be changed to curb our success or at least test it further.

He cited 3 rules that the AFL would explore.
1) Our quick handballs that appear to be more of a throw
2) The 3rd man up role that Bontempelli and Jong exploited better than most
3) Players dropping to their knees and getting free kicks and in his words specifically highlighted McLean

He mentioned that the coaches will speak to the AFL and sow the seeds for a review and I think he's probably close to being right on the money and it has me concerned on if we will be be quick enough to adapt.

Someone at AFL House is pissed and we'd be wearing the brunt of it if we were going to play the same way as we did in 2016. The silver lining is we won't be.

Lets hope we make the necessary changes.

[GVGjr]

How exactly are the umpires going to work out who is going up in the ruck at every ball up and throw in? Does it mean players have to nominate every time?

They do now don't they? The only change is now they can't have someone jump over the top of them.

[jeemak]

A friend of mine has a theory that when teams win a flag that they weren't rally expect to typically (not all the time) they have done it because they exploited the rules better than other sides and he told me straight after the GF that rules would be changed to curb our success or at least test it further.

He cited 3 rules that the AFL would explore.
1) Our quick handballs that appear to be more of a throw
2) The 3rd man up role that Bontempelli and Jong exploited better than most
3) Players dropping to their knees and getting free kicks and in his words specifically highlighted McLean

He mentioned that the coaches will speak to the AFL and sow the seeds for a review and I think he's probably close to being right on the money and it has me concerned on if we will be be quick enough to adapt.



Lets hope we make the necessary changes.

I don't think it's an unreasonable theory, the first thing Clarkson did after we beat Hawthorn in the semi was bleat to the media about not receiving more free kicks given their large tackle count - it wouldn't be surprising if a few quiet (or not so quiet) words to the officialdom followed.

It's likely we'll not only have our handballs scrutinised more closely, I predict we'll get less time to hang on to the ball in the tackle too.

Much like Clarkson does though, Beveridge would have challenged his coaching team to be creative over the break and come up with strategies to evolve our style, taking for granted opposition clubs at the pointy end will determine ways to to counter how we played in 2016.

I have a feeling with Crameri and Cloke featuring in our forward line we'll take a less handball intensive and more direct approach to moving the ball. With Boyd, Cloke, Crameri and Stringer we'll have a nice mix of height and running capacity to work with from our taller forwards, we'll want to get it to them as quickly as possible.

[boydogs]

I understand that and I think it's rubbish. it removes the onus on the tackler to hit the middle of the body, rather than the upper body. In my view there should be an element of risk in trying to go for the perfect tackle that pins the arms high on the body.

Upper body tackles will still be easier to evade.
The issue is the umpiring, much easier to see arm over shoulder and pay the free than try and work how high the tackle was when the player bent their knees to pickup the ball

[jazzadogs]

What happens when they stuff up a boundary throw in and it falls on someone's head? Players will be jumping out of the way to avoid touching it.

[bornadog]

They do now don't they? The only change is now they can't have someone jump over the top of them.

So at every ball up around the ground, the players nominate to the umpire who is going up?

[hujsh]

So at every ball up around the ground, the players nominate to the umpire who is going up?

Yes I believe they do

[GVGjr]

So at every ball up around the ground, the players nominate to the umpire who is going up?

I was told this earlier in the year and I'm assuming it's correct. I guess the thing is that if you can't use the 3rd man up option in the centre square bounces then isn't it reasonable to do this for all ruck contests so that it's consistent across the ground?

To me one of the key things the AFL is trying to achieve is to make sure we don't lose ruckman to mobile talls. Perhaps coaches putting the likes Minson on the shelf has in some way played a part in the decision.

[aker39]

How exactly are the umpires going to work out who is going up in the ruck at every ball up and throw in? Does it mean players have to nominate every time?

They do now don't they? The only change is now they can't have someone jump over the top of them.

So at every ball up around the ground, the players nominate to the umpire who is going up?

I was told this earlier in the year and I'm assuming it's correct.

As I have an earpiece in listening to the umpires, I can tell you that at every field bounce the umpire asks who is in the ruck so that they can make sure they keep 1m (??) apart.

[Webby]

I can't help but feel a bit targeted by this 3rd up rule change. However:
1. We've got the smartest coach in the game & he'll adapt
2. We got the best tap ruckman in the draft
3. If the rule change was announced prior to the draft, I reckon he'd have gone top 7 or so

Our luck is in at present.