Don't change interchange rule: coaches - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Don't change interchange rule: coaches

By Roger Vaughan & John Salvado 12/08/2010 07:13:03 PM Comments (0)

North Melbourne coach Brad Scott is concerned the AFL will change the interchange rule on "a hunch", saying the game must be left alone wherever possible.

A day after the league's list of proposals, including controversial limits on interchanges and a radical change to what happens when the ball hits the goal posts, Scott said the game had never been in better shape.

Predictably, Scott is not the only coach who does not want any brake put on interchange rotations.

Richmond's Damien Hardwick and Essendon's Matthew Knights are also opposed to a cap on interchanges.

Scott can see some merit in a goal being awarded if the ball hits the post on the way through, but Knights is vehemently opposed to the idea.

The North coach added he detected a feeling among AFL fans that they wanted as few rule changes as possible.

"That seems to be a fair consensus, a lot of people I talk to feel the same way," he said.

He applauded the work of the AFL's laws of the game committee, but stressed that changes should be made only when absolutely necessary.

"We should always discuss the health of the game and we should discuss how we can improve the game," Scott said.

"One thing's for sure, the product we have now is far better than at any time in the history of the AFL.

"I just think you need to be absolutely certain before you start making a change - my opinion at the moment, the interchange rule change is being thought about because of a hunch and that's very risky, I think."

The AFL have three options for putting a limit on interchange rotations, which have become a key tactical ploy.

Two options involve substitute players and one is a cap of 80 interchanges per match.

The league is concerned increased rotations lead to more injuries.

"I wouldn't lean to any of them," Scott said of the interchange proposals.

"The one little thing that we're all clutching onto as coaches that this has to go to the commission, the commission will make the final decision, regardless of the recommendations.

"There's zero correlation between injury risk and rotations, the AFL admit that.

"There might be a cause and effect, but there's no proof - I think to make a rule change, you've got to have absolute proof."

Scott and Knights say 80 interchanges per match would be far too few.

"It just doesn't make any sense and it would be a logistical nightmare, so any cap, I can't see being workable," Scott said.

He predicts the explosion of rotations will settle down without AFL intervention.

"Rotations have gone overboard anyway ... I could pick out at least half a dozen examples where a player has come off the ground at the wrong time and cost his team a goal," Scott said.

Knights said the idea of awarding a goal if it went through after hitting the post was too big a change to the game.

"I think tradition and history is a fundamental part of this game, although there are changes," Knights said.

"I understand we need the game to evolve as well.

"But to have the ball hit the post and be awarded a goal takes away the theatre of the game."

Brought to you by AAP AAP © 2024 AAP

0 Comments about this article

Post a comment about this article

Please sign in to leave a comment.
Becoming a member is free and easy, sign up here.

« All sports news