AFL legend Malcolm Blight will propose that the AFL seriously look at the last touch out of bounds rule and a reduction in interchange, among other ideas, when he and fellow greats Leigh Matthews and Gerard Healy meet with the AFL over the state of the game.
Blight confirmed he would raise the last touch rule and a limit to 60 interchanges, down from 90. Both have been used in the SANFL and Blight believes they would improve the AFL spectacle – which he, Matthews and Healy agree is an issue, due to numbers around the ball.
Malcolm Blight during his Geelong coaching days.
Photo: Supplied
Blight, a famously attacking coach, said that ideally, there would be no interchanges at all – Id rather none, really – but he is putting forward the SANFL rules, having observed them closely and spoken to that competitions grand final coaches about the changes. Last touch is also the rule in the AFLW.
Matthews, who played and coached in premierships and like Blight is an official AFL legend, told The Age that the biggest problem facing the game as spectacle was when the ball was trapped at one end of the field.
One small remedy Matthews has put forward for congestion is making it mandatory for teams to have six players forward (in the forward 50-metre arc), six in the midfield (four in the centre square), and six in defensive arc at every centre bounce, as a starting position. This idea also is backed by Blight.
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Healy, the 1988 Brownlow medallist and one of the games most influential commentators, said the game needed more goals emanating from the back line and … emanating from players leading at the footy.
How we get there will be a combination of more than one idea, said Healy, who said he would go along to listen to the AFLs analysis of the game, led by David Rath, formerly Alastair Clarksons long-time lieutenant at Hawthorn.
Blight, Matthews, Healy and the games journalistic elder Mike Sheahan will meet the AFLs football boss Steve Hocking and his game analysis group, which are seeking feedback and ideas about the direction of the game, amid constant discussion of the congestion and lower scoring this year. Another leading commentator Gerard Whateley is meeting Hocking later on Thursday.
Blight also favours enlarging the goal square to 20 metres, to enable the team kicking in to clear the zone and give the defending team (with the ball) more options to counter-attack.
Matthews said of the games state. Its changed more in the past 10 years than in the previous 100 (years) … I think theres an acceptance that the spectacle of the game isnt going as good as it could.
Blight said there was too much emphasis on tackling in todays AFL, calling it the most overrated thing in our game, adding, with 36 players (around the ball), you cant help but get 10 tackles. You trip over a bloke.
Matthews said while Hocking would consult with others, ultimately the decisions would be made by full-time people such as Hocking and his game analysis group.
Hockings group also plans to meet recently retired players to their views and a group of fans.
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