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‘Get rid of it!': Rule gripes, ump ‘stinkers' revealed in coaches round table
‘Get rid of it!': Rule gripes, ump ‘stinkers' revealed in coaches round table

News.com.au

timea day ago

  • Sport
  • News.com.au

‘Get rid of it!': Rule gripes, ump ‘stinkers' revealed in coaches round table

Never has conjecture over the state of Australian rules football felt hotter than it does right now, as the league's newest football boss, Greg Swann, descended at AFL House on Monday morning. The now-former chief executive of the Brisbane Lions has publicly stated that he has '43 pages of stuff' that people across the league want him to fix, as the 2025 home-and-away season edges closer to the finish line. FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. Joining AFL 360 at the conclusion of Round 19 on 'Coaches Night', two of the competition's mastermind coaches in Chris Scott and Sam Mitchell were quizzed on numerous topics that could be on Swann's agenda in the coming months. From the contentious sub rule, to the upcoming Tribunal hearing of Steven May, to the length of quarters — among several other things — the two-time Geelong premiership coach and Hawthorn great provided their two cents on a range of issues. Read the full transcript of their discussion below: SUB RULE Sam Mitchell: 'No, get rid of it. It's horrible.' Chris Scott: 'Same.' Asked by Whateley if he believes it would be an 18-0 majority of coaches in favour of removing the sub rule, Mitchell replied with a resounding 'yes'. Scott: 'It was brought up (recently), and there were no dissenters. I'm pretty sure most of the coaches were there last time we were together.' LENGTH OF GAMES Scott: '(It can be tidied up) easily. I think the game's too long, full stop. I think they should shorten the actual quarter length. But the score reviews ... the umpires waiting for the ruckmen to get to a stoppage is a complete nonsense. Sometimes, we've had players come from the interchange bench and get to the stoppage, because the umpires are waiting for the ruckmen. If a player's there, throw it up. If there are no players there, there it up.' Mitchell: 'I'm 120 (minutes total in a game). I like the game, I want more of the game — but less of the stuff in between. I like 120, I'd love a 30-minute quarter and when it gets to 29 minutes, you're waiting for the siren. At the moment, we send a message out to our players sometimes going: 'This is going to be a 34-minute quarter'. That's too long.' Scott: 'I think I'd probably come a little bit more towards you if the playing time was the same, but the wasted time was removed.' BOUNCING THE BALL — STAY OR GO? Mitchell: 'I'm a bounce guy. I like the bounce, but no recalls. I think variability is one of the great parts of our game ... the best umpires bounce it well.' Scott: 'No bounce.' DRAFTING FATHER-SON PLAYERS AND ACADEMIES Scott: 'And no father-son while we're at it!' Scott continued tongue-in-cheek. 'I sort of am (serious though). I think all these things are romantic ideas. When you get to a really equalised competition where every little bit matters, the idea that you have these hug outliers ... I get it controversial, I get it would be pushed back on by the romantics.' 'The Academies serve a purpose, you've just got to pay the right price for the player. And I think if it's really important to develop the game in New South Wales and Queensland, Geelong and Hawthorn (for example) can help with that as well. Let's get up there and really grow the game.' SIMPLIFYING THE GAME FOR UMPIRES Mitchell: 'That's beyond (my scope). The thing I would like, as far as the safety element, I think it should be more incumbent on the player who's 'trying to get hurt' that he is disincentivised to do that. That is something I would lean towards.' STEVEN MAY'S UPCOMING TRIBUNAL Scott: 'If I were the MRO, I wouldn't have put it up.' When asked by Garry Lyon whether the collision was a 'football accident', Scott agreed. Scott: 'The way I think about these things, and the way we coach our players is, you have to be committed to the ball. But in a split-second moment you're second to the ball, you have a very high duty of care to your opponent. I thought he delivered on his duty of care. It would've been very easy for him to turn his body to protect himself. He's going for the bouncing ball, bit of a bad bounce (and) sits up a little bit. His arms are by his side; I thought he did everything he could to mitigate contact, and it was an accident.' Mitchell: 'Well we've got them (Melbourne) in a couple weeks, so I'll be a little bit biased,' he joked. 'I don't think he was trying to hurt him, so I think intent should be taken into account with the MRO more than outcome.' IS DISSENT BACK IN OUR GAME? Scott: 'Well it's, not is it? Has that been explained to you (Mitchell) that if you point to the scoreboard, it's a free?' Mitchell: 'A couple of years ago I feel like it was explained, and it hasn't been one since.' Scott: 'He's (Worner) not even engaging with the umpire here!' Mitchell: 'I have a vague memory, that when the dissent (rule) first came in, that if you point to the scoreboard, that'll be 50 (metres). But that's happened a lot of times since then, and it hasn't been paid ... let's see if it happens again this week.' Scott: 'For me, it's a bit like the protected area (rule). You see a 50-metre penalty paid, and you go: 'Yeah, that is a 50 — the problem is, you missed the 50 before that'. If you're going to pluck that out and say: 'No, that's right' — alright, communicate it to us and players won't (do it). 'My point is, if he's talking to the umpire saying: 'LOOK AT THE SCOREBOARD'... he didn't do that! He was looking at it for his own curiosity (and saying): 'Oh yeah, that was a bad free kick'. And it was! Two stinkers.'

Umpires will be given the job of speeding the game up amid changes new AFL football boss Greg Swann wants to see
Umpires will be given the job of speeding the game up amid changes new AFL football boss Greg Swann wants to see

News.com.au

time2 days ago

  • Sport
  • News.com.au

Umpires will be given the job of speeding the game up amid changes new AFL football boss Greg Swann wants to see

New AFL football boss Greg Swann has put loping ruckman on the clock, booking meetings with umpires on his first day in the hot seat on Monday in a bid to speed up the game as he goes through '43 pages of stuff' people want him to fix. Swann also said fans 'deserve to understand' decisions made by umpires and the match review panel, with a plan for more transparency part of the bulk changes coming for the former Brisbane Lions chief executive. Swann started his new job on Monday and revealed the game's speed was among key issues he'd look to address, with potential changes coming as soon as he can orchestrate them. 'I've only just started, obviously, and I've got some meetings this afternoon with the umpires … but it's just around the set-ups and the waiting for rucks to get to contest,' Swann said. 'Even at boundary throw-ins, waiting for them to get there. There's a chance to actually speed that up a bit. There's good vision and video of rucks taking 20 seconds to come from one end of the ground to the other while the other one stands around and waits. 'To me, that's something that hopefully we can have a look at and maybe address even before the season finishes.' Swann said it was 'too early' to talk about whether the four-umpire system was working, but the bounce to start quarters and after goals could also be on the way out should the majority view of clubs come to fruition. It won't happen in 2025 but could come into play in 2026, with umpires instead just throwing the ball up. 'We'll do some work on it,' Swann said. 'In the next little bit, I'll get around to all the clubs and just get their views. I've had some clubs already ring and give me their views and I'd say the majority are in favour of throwing the ball up, but we've got to do a little bit of work around that. 'Obviously, that's not going to happen until next year, but we'll have a look at that as well.' Swann said transparency around decisions made by match review officer Michael Christian, in the spotlight this week after Melbourne defender Steven May was sent straight to the tribunal, was something that could be addressed to alleviate supporter angst. 'We're not going to explain everything away because otherwise you'd be here all day,' Swann said. 'But there's some things that are a bit contentious that I think people deserve to understand why we've gone a certain way.' Despite impending changes, Swann was adamant the AFL was the 'best game in the world' and anything he did from now was purely to make it as good as it could be. 'I lived up in Queensland obviously and you get rugby league and everything else – our game leaves them in the shade,' he said. 'There's nothing radical that needs to happen because I think the game's a fantastic game. Viewership, attendances, memberships – they're all as high as they've ever been. We just want to make sure that the game is good.'

Greg Swann rules out shortening AFL quarter lengths, will resist making 'radical' changes
Greg Swann rules out shortening AFL quarter lengths, will resist making 'radical' changes

ABC News

time2 days ago

  • Sport
  • ABC News

Greg Swann rules out shortening AFL quarter lengths, will resist making 'radical' changes

AFL football performance boss Greg Swann has hinted play could be sped up before the end of the season as he prioritises reducing the length of matches in his new role. Insisting he won't be making "radical" changes to the game, Swann is also eager to see the umpires throw the ball up rather than bouncing it in the centre of the ground. The veteran administrator has ruled out reducing the 20-minute playing time for each quarter, but believes the league can tighten up in situations where umpires are waiting for players to get to ruck contests and boundary throw-ins. "There's a chance to actually speed that up a bit," Swann told reporters on Monday. "There's good vision and video of ruckmen taking 20 seconds to come from one end of the ground to the other. "Everyone stands around and waits, so to me that's something that hopefully we can have a look at and maybe address even before the season finishes." Swann said it was too early to tell whether the ball would be bounced to open the 2026 season, but has received strong support from "a majority" of clubs for his plan to scrap the bounce. He is also keen to introduce more transparency around key AFL decisions, including those under the match review system. "We're not going to explain everything away because otherwise you'd be here all day," Swann said. "But there's some things that are a bit contentious that I think people deserve to understand why we've gone a certain way." Swann gave his tick of approval to the controversial 50-metre penalty paid against Fremantle's Karl Worner for dissent on Sunday, and declared umpires have been doing a "fantastic job" this season. "One of the things that's difficult for the umpires is the rules; we just need to try and make them a bit simpler," Swann said. "Whether it's the stand (rule), whether it's holding the ball … that's something that I'm really keen to talk to clubs and coaches and footy managers about. "Is there an easier way for these guys to have to adjudicate it?" While AFL traditionalists often call on the league to "leave the game alone", Swann flagged innovation as being crucial to the competition's ongoing success. "It's the best game there is but the reason for that is we keep trying to make it better, and I think that's what we should do," he said. AAP

Footy boss suggests Worner should cop spray for 50m penalty
Footy boss suggests Worner should cop spray for 50m penalty

Perth Now

time2 days ago

  • Sport
  • Perth Now

Footy boss suggests Worner should cop spray for 50m penalty

New AFL footy boss Greg Swann has laid the blame for the controversial 50m penalty paid against Karl Worner firmly at the feet of the Fremantle defender, even suggesting he should cop a spray from the coach. Worner was penalised for umpire dissent after waving his arm towards the scoreboard after a marginal high contact call on Lachie Schultz, giving away 50m and allowing the former Docker to kick an easy goal. The penalty drew widespread criticism from fans and experts, with commentator Nick Riewoldt labelling the call as 'ridiculous.' However, Swann, who took over as head of football operations on Monday, defended the umpire's call, saying Worner had no one to blame but himself. 'The interesting part about that stuff is if you're going to give away 50m penalties by pointing at the scoreboard, and everybody knows you don't do it, the coach would go nuts,' he said. 'My understanding is that there have been 13 of those paid this year, it's not just that one, and some will argue some have been missed as well. 'But everybody knows you're now allowed to do that, so don't do it.' AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon and Greg Swann. Michael Klein Credit: News Corp Australia Dockers coach Justin Longmuir called for clarification over how the rule is being applied. 'I'm not allowed to say anything about it, but how often have we seen that paid this year?' he said post-game. 'I see it 10, 20 times every weekend, players pointing (at the scoreboard). I just don't see it paid. 'So, are we going to stamp it out, or are we not? Is it going to be paid, or is it not? I don't make that call.' Sunday's clash between Collingwood and Fremantle saw several controversial calls, reigniting debate over the standard of umpiring throughout the competition. But Swann believes the focus should be on clearing up grey areas in the rule book rather than on umpiring standards. 'I think the umpires are doing a great job, it's the rules we need to simplify to make it easier to adjudicate,' he said. 'They're going to make mistakes, but in the main, they do a fantastic job.'

AFL revives key think-tank for ‘evolution'
AFL revives key think-tank for ‘evolution'

Perth Now

time17-06-2025

  • Business
  • Perth Now

AFL revives key think-tank for ‘evolution'

The AFL has made another big move towards leaning on clubs to guide the league future by reinstituting the AFL Competition Committee which could be loaded with senior players. Three years after leading players including Geelong captain Patrick Dangerfield were part of the committee, first introduced in 2018 to guide discussion around decision-making on key aspects of the future of the game, it's back. It comes after AFL CEO Andrew Dillon added two club bosses, Brisbane's Greg Swann and Sydney's Tom Harley, to the league executive, evidence of a nod to the information and experience coming out of clubland. Swann, the AFL's new football performance boss, football operations boss Laura Kane and AFL commissioner and veteran administrator Andrew Ireland will be key members of the new-look committee. AFL CEO Andrew Dillon and Greg Swann . Michael Klein Credit: News Corp Australia That trio will be joined by a strong representation of names and faces from around the game to 'make assessments, canvass views, test theories and provide comments and recommendations regarding the AFL Competition'. Those views would then go to the AFL Commission, the ultimate decision maker. 'During its time, the AFL Competition Committee previously provided great insight and thinking around all aspects of the game and has helped shape the evolution of the game,' Dillon said. 'There is no one closer to the game than our players, coaches and key club personnel, and I'm keen for our football department to continue building on these relationships across the board. 'Beyond the members of the committee, I want to continue to engage a broader group consisting of past players and media, to provide their feedback and insights so we can collect as much information as we can and workshop it. Then, from a head office point of view, we can move quickly and appropriately on the things that are most important and need to be implemented going forward.' The make-up of the new committee is currently being confirmed and will be announced shortly.

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