I'm sick to death of this obsession with messing about with sports just to try and make them jazzier for the TV audience.

I love a wacky idea as much as the next person, but call me when the game is stuffed, nobody's watching it and attendances are in the toilet.

I'm sick to death of this obsession with messing about with sports just to try and make them jazzier for the TV audience.

I love a wacky idea as much as the next person, but call me when the game is stuffed, nobody's watching it and attendances are in the toilet.

spot-on, in a nut-shell!

it was just an off-season, publicity-seeking Sheedy stunt.....I think

Every sport is now thinking of ways to capitalise on the success of the Twenty20 format. Union has had mild success with the 7's tournaments, whilst it has failed dismally for Rugby League. I think Netball was thinking of introducing a format change as well?

You can't really shoot him down for trying to think of something to improve the game in modern times when people want more action and quicker games.

But they don't when it comes to AFL.

An AFL match is still shorter than a Twenty20 match.

I know KS is a serious student of all football codes and in his hey day was always exploring foreign codes for new ideas and tactics. He is also well aware of the precarious position of our game in world standings. It is a minor world game compared to soccer, grid iron and rugby. He is suggesting this 11 man game to be played on a soccer/ruby pitch as undeeniable has said. I can see some logic in this as it will allow our game to be played anywhere in the world and provide a more viable opportunity for international growth. But the danger is that the game will no longer be football as we know it. It will be something completely different. What KS is proposing is a revolutionary move akin to anarchy and I don't think he is serious unless he's becoming demented.

What makes our game great is its unique, fast spectacular free flowing play into vast spaces with sublime skills. It will not be football on a soccer/rugby pitch. The rules and tactics will have to be totally different. The ball will have to be neutered so it cannot be kicked as far. The play may become more static. It will be mostly running, chipping and handball and will become a lightweight version of rugby in the end.

Edited January 24, 201114 yr by america de cali

I have always thought the one thing holding AFL back is that kids are unable to kick it on their own when other kids aren't around to play with.

Basketball you can dribble around imaginary defenders and shoot then get the rebound.

Football you can dribble and play keepy-uppy.

AFL you can... kick the ball straight up in the air?

Kick it then run and get it?

Unfortunately there's not really an easy solution to this.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/kevin-sheedy-spruiks-afl-11s/story-e6frf9jf-1225993351753

Batshit-crazy octogenarian Kevin Sheedy is at it again.

Now he wants a Twenty20 style AFL game with 11-a-side.

He seems to think that we need to introduce this bastardisation of the game to properly capture the potential supporters in homebush.

As one rather astute comments points out, if we need to drastically change the game to fully capture fans, we don't have them to begin with.

(obviously this technically doesn't make sense, but what he is trying to say is still valid).

I don't think it's wise to deface this great game in a desperate attempt to grab a few extra fans in one single struggling market.

Especially when it would be at the detriment to all the existing markets.

There are several sports - tennis and cricket included that partly attribute their relative world decline to the strength and vitality of AFL. It is argued that the best and brightest athletes are drawn to the local game. Indeed when considering the Ashes I could easily come up with things that Australian cricket could learn from AFL - list management, playing injured "stars" in finals, development of athleticism, draft systems, culling of failed coaches. So for a start I am hesitant to agree to the idea we have something to learn from cricket. Cricket needed to reach out to a new market not in love with test cricket. The AFL is trying to reach out to new markets in Queensland and NSW but not by changing a format that is very successful but rather by building a local franchise. Kevin is loved of AFL marketers for flying kites like this and getting column inches for the game.

I have always thought the one thing holding AFL back is that kids are unable to kick it on their own when other kids aren't around to play with.

Basketball you can dribble around imaginary defenders and shoot then get the rebound.

Football you can dribble and play keepy-uppy.

AFL you can... kick the ball straight up in the air?

Kick it then run and get it?

Unfortunately there's not really an easy solution to this.

Kick it against a brick wall? That's what I used to do. Any wall will do in the absense of a brick one - keep away from windows until you're competent though! Obviously it doesn't always return to you in a uniform fashion, but you don't usually have to move too far to get it.

I have always thought the one thing holding AFL back is that kids are unable to kick it on their own when other kids aren't around to play with.

Basketball you can dribble around imaginary defenders and shoot then get the rebound.

Football you can dribble and play keepy-uppy.

AFL you can... kick the ball straight up in the air?

Kick it then run and get it?

Unfortunately there's not really an easy solution to this.

Sometimes if there weren't anyone around I'd kick it to myself or kick it against a wall and aim for something, kick it around corners into bins , etc. I recall kicking it into stiff breezes and trying as hard as I could to run and take the mark before it would hit the ground. Or simply just stand and kick it straight up to yourself. Which is what many do, even today.

You can also bounce it to yourself on the run, and handball to yourself. They are some solutions.

Yes, but it's a poor substitute for the things you can do with the other sports mentioned.

Yes, but it's a poor substitute for the things you can do with the other sports mentioned.

If you're skillful enough you can play keepy uppy.

Yes, but it's a poor substitute for the things you can do with the other sports mentioned.

Depends how well your imagination works.

I've played approximately 11,467 matches for the Dees on the street in front of Mum's house or in the backyard. About 10,983 of them were 1-pointers and I think the biggest result was a 10 goal win. Most of the others were decided by under 2 goals.

Like the days where I'd get the stumps out, throw a ball against the wall and quickly play shots - different areas for different runs, different obstacles were fielders. If you flick the ball one way, it'll spin back the others.

It's funny, but I think about those days sometimes. Life seemed (was) much more simple.

(Edit: ha, a bit deeper than how I orginally thought it'd come out!)

Anyone who went to school in NSW will know that full size Rules grounds are just not there in schools. They are fairly much unheard of outside the Riverina (aka Daniher country). If, as one poster above suggested (and the rest studiously ignored) 11-a-side Rules can be played on soccer/rugby pitches, then it makes huge sense to try it out in Sydney.

Whether the game with the smaller team on the smaller pitch would be a minuture AFL style game, or whether it would turn out to be something quite different (like rugby sevens) will only be known if it is tried.

But if it can tap into shool players in the lands of darkness where proper ovals don't exist, then it is worth trying.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/kevin-sheedy-spruiks-afl-11s/story-e6frf9jf-1225993351753

Batshit-crazy octogenarian Kevin Sheedy is at it again.

Now he wants a Twenty20 style AFL game with 11-a-side.

He seems to think that we need to introduce this bastardisation of the game to properly capture the potential supporters in homebush.

As one rather astute comments points out, if we need to drastically change the game to fully capture fans, we don't have them to begin with.

(obviously this technically doesn't make sense, but what he is trying to say is still valid).

I don't think it's wise to deface this great game in a desperate attempt to grab a few extra fans in one single struggling market.

Especially when it would be at the detriment to all the existing markets.

My first reaction to this, is that 11 aside Australian Rules would just become 11 a side Rugby. Nice sentiment Kevin

But if people don't like the 18 man game, that's their right. Melbourne Storm have won Flags (on the day) but i am not a member and have never been to a game.

Australian Footy is played with 18 players, it's bad enough now that the Goal umpires no longer wear white lab coats and Hats-I miss that a lot!!!

I love the way anonymous posters like to have wide swings at public figures who at least think outside the square. Whether this idea has any real legs to it, Sheedy has had a real positive impact on AFL over a long period of time. Sure he has had his hits and misses. But attacks like the OPs are more reflective of the author than the target.

Well my name's John Smith and i'll go on the record as saying Kevin Sheedy is one of the most arrogant and rude individuals i've ever met. ' Crazy as bat sh* ' I don't know but definitely attention seeking and nearly as bad as Jeff Kennett.

spot-on, in a nut-shell!

it was just an off-season, publicity-seeking Sheedy stunt.....I think

as I mentioned many posts ago, 600,000+ members, something like 7 million through the gates each year, TV rights deals that rival the GNP of some countries, players make several million a year, there must be literally half a million kids playing it every weekend.. fair dinkum it is an incredibly dominant sport no two ways about it, why do people act like we are in some sort of struggle for survival when it's obviously not the case? what is the AFL's annual profit and how greedy can you get? They've already taken out 90% of the contact, against the wishes of the vast majority, to appease all the mothers who are worried about their little boys playing the game, they've created a ridiculously unfair fixture based purely on how much money it can make them.. symptomatic of our capitilist, greed-based society where somebody making as much money as possible trumps every other consideration STOP STUFFING WITH THE GAME IT IS FINE /rant

I don't know what the AFL thinks about 11 a side games but if someone else tried the idea the AFL would not be able to do much about it. The AFL has no control on rugby/soccer grounds. We know what Kerry Packer and the IPL have done with cricket. And what Rupert Murdoch has done to Rugby League and Union. It is not too far fetched that some predatory media baron like Murdoch if he felt he could generate ratings and money would try something like this.

I don't know what the AFL thinks about 11 a side games but if someone else tried the idea the AFL would not be able to do much about it. The AFL has no control on rugby/soccer grounds. We know what Kerry Packer and the IPL have done with cricket. And what Rupert Murdoch has done to Rugby League and Union. It is not too far fetched that some predatory media baron like Murdoch if he felt he could generate ratings and money would try something like this.

Yes, interesting point. I have been wondering what Murdoch will do to try and keep Rugby alive, whilst the AFL tries to take away its audience. I have no doubt that strategies have been worked on from both camps.