Sport
Sportsview with Murray Leeder
AFL Controversy
Finals time in Australian Football League( AFL) and National Rugby League( NRL) is a time when extreme passion surfaces to cheer on their fancied team’ s quest to take home the Premiership Pennant and trophies. But behind the scenes there are late night board meetings of all the clubs who were left behind. Players who underperformed, were considered past their prime or failed to recover from debilitating injuries are unceremoniously dumped. It’ s a similar scenario for coaches and support staff. Success is what the game is all about and a struggling club on the field also has their financial bottom line appearing in red ink. Club membership numbers decline as do match day attendances. No one other than the most passionate members love losers! Before the siren blew to signal the commencement of the first round of finals in early September, many professional players, coaches and administrators were given their marching orders and the hunt was on for their replacements.
* * * * * Finding top quality replacements is easier said than done in any professional sport. There was a time, way back when, when players, supporters and officials stuck with their club through thick and thin – a rarity in the modern game. North Melbourne probably undermined any hope of a final turnaround when they gave four of their most successful veterans the flick on the eve of the semi-finals. No doubt that had a major effect on player morale and they sunk to an ignominious defeat. It was a sad end to a season where the Roos were undefeated after the first nine rounds and sitting top of the wozza. So where do the replacements come from? Firstly, there is a never ending line of business moguls itching to sit on the boards and perhaps aspire to the presidency – regardless of whether they ever played the game at a professional level. Then there are the players who have been granted free agency after seven years of loyal service on the field of battle. They are the players who are anxious to make their final seasons more profitable by seeking better contracts with rival clubs. And then there are the wannabes- mainly products of the under-age competitions. The annual draft of the best talent in the country is of great significance. The downside is these 18 year olds are generally too physically immature to be expected to play against tough seasoned warriors in their first season or two at their adopted club. If they do, it is usually at significant risk of injury. So what is the solution? If you know the answer then you should apply forthwith for a top paying job opportunity.
* * * * *
38 The MAG Vung Tau
Both codes however, face some vexing questions regarding on future rule changes. The NRL is once again struggling with accusations of match fixing. Betting by players on matches was outlawed some seasons ago. The double standard in NRL is the fact that players are permitted to wear corporate bookmaking logos on their playing strips. On AFL match days corporate bookmaking ads light up the boundary fence signs. Of more import is the question of rule changes in each competition. The AFL has already signalled the trialling of 16 a side pre-season matches to reduce the congestion around the ball. Having played in the VFA moons ago when it was 16 a side – no wingmen – it certainly allowed for free flowing footy. But constantly tampering with the rules in any code is usually howled down by the purists. I played league football with West Perth for 11 seasons in the 60s when there were 18 players on the field of battle and two reserves sitting on the fence. Should a player leave the ground for any reason during play he was not permitted to return. The AFL, at one stage, succumbed to certain coaches pleas to have no less than 6 players on an interchange bench. Players went on and off the field like an Olympic relay race. Now there are four interchange players and the number of interchanges allowed during matches is restricted to 80. That certainly opened up the game in the second half. If the interchange players were restricted to no more than five swaps per match what a difference that would make! In WA there is a debate raging over the alignment of two WAFL clubs with the state’ s two AFL clubs. In the south west, Peel are now aligned with the Fremantle Dockers. Since they were included in the WAFL some two decades ago, they have been the whipping boys in the nine club competition. Once again East Perth have convinced the WAFL commissioners that, yet again, they be bolstered by the Eagles. At the turn of the 21st century the Royals won three consecutive flags by huge margins prompting their rival clubs to veto the practice. They have never won since! Few would have argued that Peel, who have had their most promising junior and senior players pillaged by rival clubs, including interstate AFL teams, needed help to sustain their playing ranks and encourage supporters that success was just around the corner. Things have suddenly gone awry, thanks to the dismal season of the Dockers, who won just 4 matches after being minor premiers just a season ago. In the elimination semi-final between Peel( 4th) and West Perth( 3rd), played at Joondalup Arena, Peel annihilated the Falcons on their home turf.