World news – The new rules of the AFL are running out for the first time and the advantages and disadvantages can already be seen

Sure, it was footballing at the MCG and with a sizable crowd in the house to boot. But that wasn’t fuzzy like we remembered from a pre-COVID time – that was something completely new.

This was AFL Footy in the days of Injury Submarines, strict exchange caps, and referees who « stand. » !  » It was a version of the game where Carlton lasted until about the last quarter before giving way to Richmond rather than some time into the third.

It was exciting and controversial in equal measure, a triumph and an utter failure At the same time.

The opening game of the men’s 2021 season was a perfect storm of topics of conversation for the AFL, as everything that the league brought into the field in the off-season – up to the day before this opening game – collided. And while the sample size remains small, it was enough to give us an indication of what to expect by September.

The first thing to consider and the point that the brain at AFL headquarters thinks the most trust was that this was a sensational football game. From the first jump, the ball whizzed around the MCG at a wild and utterly untenable pace.

There was a constant touch of physicality, straight from Harry McKay’s early encounter with Nick Vlaustin, and the presence of 49,218 people on the ground contributed to this Urgency at. On a superficial level, it was everything Melbourne football fans had missed and everything the AFL hoped to conjure up.

What’s the bad? Sure, the many loopholes in the new rules that quickly became clear; some that had been predicted and some that came as a worrying surprise.

First, the injury sub. The rule parachuted a few hours before the first game apparently came from a meeting of a select handful of coaches Born of the league last week.

Regardless of how it came to fruition, the 23rd man is here. And it’s a game changer.

On Thursday night, both teams took advantage of injury substitution, with Carlton Jack Silvagni being eliminated at halftime for Oscar McDonald and Richmond against Vlaustin for Jack Ross towards the end of the third quarter.

The Impact of both were strong and immediate. McDonald scored one goal within minutes of its launch and another in the fourth quarter with lots of crucial points and some major tackles in between, while Ross made a crucial late run by scoring eight of his own.

In both cases, that was Injecting fresh legs positive for the team, which will fundamentally shift the risk of injury in an AFL game. What was once an unfortunate setback can suddenly be beneficial.

And while Silvagni’s shoulder injury looked pretty severe – a subluxated shoulder will surely keep him away for at least 12 days – according to the AFL, an injury must warrant a sub – Vlaustin’s diagnosis was basically just a nasty bump on the knee from a contact injury that a player could potentially recover from in a week.

After just one game, the league could be in serious crisis. Any coach in the AFL would have seen this game and how the substitutes had a noticeable, positive impact on their teams. Should Vlaustin be able to play next week, it will be an open season.

The sub-rule was arguably a response to the cut to a maximum of 75 exchanges per team and the return to full 20-minute quarters (plus Stoppage time) and becomes even more important because of this cut.

This was a decision made solely to increase fatigue, which has long been considered key to opening up the game and increasing scores. The former certainly was – every player on the field had basically been brought to their knees in the middle of the third quarter – but whether it helped or hindered the flow of the game too late when the teams carefully managed their last legal moves likely to decide debate.

But it makes this injury all the more tempting for coaches. Injecting just one pair of fresh legs with the game stalling around him could very easily make all the difference in a match.

Finally the man on the mark. The standing rule. Either the savior of the game or the death of the code, depending on which side of the fence you fall on.

After all the talk, all the AFL sales pitches, all the fan backlash, and horrific clips of intraclub scratchies its impact on this game … maybe negligible?

It certainly didn’t ruin the game, and maybe you could attribute the game’s appealing aesthetics to a bit more freedom for the ball handler – though Dustin Martin said after the game, he didn’t feel that it had much of an impact at all.

But again, the wrinkles are not necessarily obvious with this rule. The problems will stem from the gaps, two major ones of which have already appeared.

On a number of occasions, the man on the badge decided not to be on the badge at all, but a few feet from that particular spot to lurk in a position where they can jump and shuffle and move around with impunity. It works until Sam Petrevski-Seton sticks a little between the mark and the spot just far enough from the mark and demands a 50-yard penalty.

Confused? Of course you are, it’s unnecessarily complicated. Collingwood’s Scott Pendlebury made a good point on the subject on Twitter, but if you’re not quite finished with your footy dictionary, you may be completely over your head.

The other loophole came with set shots When players kicking goals ran five to ten yards from their kicks to the side of the man on the mark who can only move to complete a simple smother, it’s too late. Not only did this maneuver look a bit silly, it also played a role in some goals during the night.

Neither of these are necessarily game-changing, but there are worms escaping from cans across the AFL right now, and so far we have yet to hear a real plan about how they want to use them again.

So there is food for thought and a lot to consider in the days and weeks to come. Bottom line, these are probably not topics of conversation that should supplant the game, the power of Richmond’s accomplishment, and the positives that Carlton can take away.

Ultimately, with all the good work the Blues did, they really only suffered from the simple fact that Dusty Martin was playing for the other team. Despite all the novelty of the night, some things would probably never change.

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