Is The AFL Commission Embracing Tanking?

By Galaxie Bomber
Is the AFL Commission embracing tanking after 150 years of the greatest game?

Listening to Andrew Demetriou’s recited speech last week at the 150th Celebratory Season Launch, one item, presented as a ‘core value’ of the game of Australian Rules struck me between the eyes and stunned me into a thought pattern I’d like to you to explore with me.

‘We embrace the ever evolving rules of this great game’ read from the song sheets by Vlad, but struck an off key note in my ears, why? Evolution for what purpose? Was the first question I asked myself? Over the ensuing days I mused over this thought of the evolution of the game and its rules, all the while the airwaves were awash with talk of tanking and then it struck me –The evolution of the game and its rules has directly resulting in the disease ridden problem of tanking. Allow me to explain.

The first ‘evolutionary event’ that has lead to the life threatening problem of tanking was the abolition of the true reserves competition. It made financial sense for the AFL to divest itself of a non performing asset, why waste unreturnable money on a reserves comp when the VFL can worry about that. Evolution at its best? Or was this the beginning of the ice age? The resulting ripple in the football ecosystem has seen an ever broadening gap between the standards of play in the new ‘reserves’ (VFL) and the AFL, not to mention the grand canyon that exists between the tiers in other states..

Lost to the game of Australian Rules was an important training and proving ground for players and coaches alike, whilst the truly gifted youngsters like Tim Watson, players that would have today equated to top 5 draft picks, still graced the field with the ‘Seniors’ teams, most did long apprenticeships before debuting with the seniors well into their 20’s. Comparatively today, most debut as teenagers, still not men and yes they may better athletes, but are they better footballers? Oh, they are drilled better, they know what they should do, but again I ask you, are they better footballers? Have they learnt cunning, guile and the true art of their craft are they real professionals or slick under schooled imitations? Have they learnt how to get the ball when they can’t simply run out in front of everyone else and pick it up? Do they know what to do when the ‘plan’ comes unstuck? Debate this as you will. I believe the ripples are visible; we have a faster possession game that has indeed evolved to its healthy financial position today, what about the evolution of the game itself? Is that where you want the evolution of this game to go? Why do our former greats repeatedly tell us they no longer watch? Do you want pace at the expense of skill? Can we have both? Yes, but not without a true AFL ‘Seconds’ competition.

This is where the tanks roll in…..

Without the needed university for footballers that a true well run ‘Seconds’ competition would be, teams are forced to deciding on team development over winning today’s game. Players are being recruited from Junior high (U18’s) some are found having made it to the end of High School at ‘Broady Tec’ (the VFL) but no one goes to Uni, they’re thrown into the workforce as juniors, some may do well, but could they be better prepared?

Ultimately, the abolition of the AFL reserves has weakened the talent (not skill) of the AFL player base as a whole today. The introduction of 2 new teams will further dilute this, more athletes will be introduced to the game at the expense of talented players because of the lack of opportunities to turn the gifted into athletes currently available. We are being forced to skill athletes under the current system.

What this means is that, if my team won’t make the finals, player development for next year must take precedence over winning today. Decisions by clubs of this nature are akin to deciding to turn of life support, they are fraught with emotional anguish and real pain. For example, Tony Libratory has been derided and barred from the Carlton Football Club for misusing terminology. He said ‘tanking’ they said ‘future development’, make no mistake, there is no difference. There may be a shade or two of grey between them but they are both still fruit flies!(Trying to stick to evolutionary theme here…) Frankly, the club has to make this decision, it has no choice. The coach want’s to keep his job past next year, the board and supporters want improvement and success as do the all important sponsors. There is no other way at present to rebuild an AFL team other than to tank!

Here lies the potential real danger, the AFL embraces gambling on games and that encompasses a responsibility to ensure all teams perform to the best of their ability every time they front up. That means, pick and play their very best available team for today, not tomorrow. A club saying, as did Carlton, ‘were looking to next year, were gonna paly the kids’ is a direct shirking of this AFL encumbered responsibility.

Where lies the solution? To remove the pall of tanking and prevent the ‘Devolution’ of Australian rules into a 22×400m relay, I propose the following suggestions:

• Establishment of an 18 team AFL Reserves competition, each Club must have reserves team
• Increasing of AFL lists to 48 Players and 14 Rookies
• No priority picks allocated.
• Under 18’s are drafted via a balloted draft (balls into a hat for top 8 and bottom 10 teams – details of ballot or pools system TBC) based on standings in the AFL Seniors Competition for the year
• Drafted U18s must complete at least 1 year with the Reserves team
• Pre Season draft includes players out of contract, any not yet drafted over 18 and players who are not offered contracts after their 1 year as U18 draftees.
• Rookie Draft equates to list top up as it does currently.

I am not an expert on the current draft system, however the objectives of what I propose are to provide a competition of adequate standard for all clubs to run their own proper development programs via their ‘Reserves’ team, this will also increase the average age of players debuting in the AFL which should equate to a better standard of ‘football’ since the players have been forced to spend development time within an AFL Club rather than at some affiliated ramshackle hut. .

Additionally removing the Drafting of under 18’s from immediately impacting on a playing roster for 12 months, balloting the order of the draft and raising the standard of developmental tools and competitions to AFL Clubs will remove any significance on obtaining lower ladder positions and therefore remove any hint or accusation tanking from the AFL, consigning it to a genetic mistake in the games evolution:

The most important factor in the evolution of the game is the establishment of a true Reserve Grade competition

Dear AFL Commission, I hope have such faith in evolutionary process of the AFL rules that you embrace them, yes, but more importantly, play god with them so that they develope in the opposite direction of one taken by the dodo.

Posted 17 March 08 in News