I'm going to start my post a rant, so my apologies to anyone that actually reads it!

I am sick to death of the AFL changing rules. I love soccer, it's the post popular sport in the world and one of the key reasons i think it continues to win support is that it hasn't changed. The only rule i can think of that was brought in in my time is an add-on to the off-side rule (which i won't go into). Now i love AFL as much if not more than soccer, but the game has changed an incredible amount in 17 years or so that i've watched it. Some of rules have been successful, others IMO have been completely un-necessary. But for once, FOR ONCE, i had hoped that they would leave the game alone for one season. But no. Now we've got to deal with the deliberate rush behind rule, and IMO of all the rule changes to happen over my years, THIS is one rule too many that just isn't needed.

Rushing behinds has been a tried and true method of defense for 150 years, and after one season where Bowden rushed a few extra behinds at the end of the game to win a tight one (brilliant IMO), and the Hawks rushed a ridiculous amount of behinds in the GF, two games where it was in the spotlight, the rules have been changed. The tactics of a defender have to now change, there is no longer a safety with the line, and yet again close games could be decided by an umpire with a rule that leaves a lot up to interpretation.

But the ultimate question i'm going to pose is this; did it need to be done? I was all for the outlawing of head high contact because neck injuries where becoming too common. The center circle ruck rule i was against because it hindered White, but it has prevented many injuries to the knees of ruckman. These rules were brought in because they needed to be. The rushed behind rule didn't, and the worst part is that they didn't cave to any pressure, they just decided that they'd do it. They couldn't wait just ONE SEASON to see if it was going to be an overused tactic? Even Kevin Bartlett, who is on the rules committee, didn't think it was needed.

The funny thing is that i think all it would've taken is for a team to lose by less than a goal after conceding 10 rushed behinds to realise one thing, you do it at your own peril. So we yet again enter a new season with new rules, i'm still pumped to see my beloved Dees march out on to the MCG, but i just hope i'll recognise the game i loved last year.

I'm going to finish the post with a request, what rules do you think they'll have brought in in 20 years? They can be serious or wacky!

For me:

- a time clock for kicking for goal once you enter the forward 50

- kicking backwards is automatically play-on, the AFL is itching to get this one in

- zonal positioning, sort of like netball where certain players aren't allowed in different areas

- capped interchange

- bump outlawed

hawk eye

Zonal positioning is the kind of thing the AFL wants, but it's too hard to monitor on such a large ground with so many players. So capped interchange would be much more likely, as this would reduce the fitness of players and stop them from unnecessary running (eg reducing flooding).

GPS beacons on every player on both sides and zones set up like Netball - only a certain number of players allowed in certain areas at the same time.

If the numbers are breached a sensor will detect it and a light will come on, indicating to the umpires which team made the breach & incurred a free kick.

Rushed behinds is a knee-jerk rule.

I agree with the GPS, in 20 years time they'll probably inject trackers and use them for.. let's just say... monitoring big nights out? Probably also monitor things like fluid levels and all that kind of stuff, as well as judging interchange and the zoning that will inevitably start happening. There will probably be something like a 5 second leeway for players entering an incorrect zone before an alarm goes off, to ensure that if a mark is taken on the line, the player has some time to get back into the correct zone, or the umpire is alerted to a zone breach by earpiece and they have a judgement call as to whether a breach has taken place depending upon the situation.

I think there will be HUGE advances off the field, with sports medicine and fitness and preparation, the mechanics of movement will be drilled into players until they are as athletic and elusive as can be on the field.

I see some kind of transparent mesh being installed around the fence-line, to prevent balls striking the public, possibly further in than the fence to prevent players striking the fence directly, which will more than likely end up with padding with some kind of electronic advertisement on the surface.

Laser lighting will be used on the goal line in future, shone invisibly above the posts so that on the replay, it can be seen on the bottom of the ball to decide whether a shot right on top of the goalpost is a goal or a behind, and whether a shot over a point post is out on the full or a point. Disputed calls will be flashed up on the screen a-la 3rd umpire in cricket, and this will make it very easy to tell what the call is - there could even be microscopic sensors in the ball that detect the goal/behind lights, and relay this information to the goal umpire at the time.

Most importantly, Goal Umpires will get their jackets and hats back :D

Sam Newman will still be moaning about Ruckwork.

Sam Newman will still be moaning about Ruckwork.

And he'll still be making a dick on himself on the Footy Show, yet for some reason we'll all still watch.

The only difference is he'll be just a head in a box attached to a bunch of wires & he'll have had another 20 rounds of plastic surgery on his face making him look more like anna nicole smith.