The pre-game warmup is dead

[Demonland 66,673]

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/exclusive-the-afl-will-end-pregame-warmups-as-part-of-sweeping-set-of-2018-rule-changes/news-story/71132639d8d87162bc2952b4a74398d2

Clubs will no longer be able to warm-up as a team on the ground other than briefly before the first bounce.

Clubs generally completed a 15-minute warm-up on the field 25 to 40 minutes out from the first bounce, went back into the rooms and then re-entered the arena for a final kick before the match commenced.

Now they will need to enter the arena 11 minutes before the start of the game. The away club must enter three minutes earlier than the home team.

Among other changes:

— Clubs will now be required to list four emergency players, up from three. Part of the reason for this change is to accommodate the possibility of a ruckman getting injured in the warm-up. The position is more specialised than ever and four emergencies allows coaches more flexibility and insurance.

— Four emergencies will essentially allow clubs to have a reserve player for each of the four positions on the ground and should completely eliminate the possibility of a player outside the selected squad parachuting into the starting team at the last minute.

Players must cease kicking for goal in warm-ups five minutes before the first bounce, as opposed to three minutes. Given home teams will enter the arena 11 minutes before play begins, that leaves just six minutes for forwards to practise goalkicking and get an accurate gauge on conditions.

— Approval may be sought for players listed on the long-term injury list to be seated on the club interchange bench during matches, providing the player is listed on the official team sheet as one of the 26 match officials.

— The pre-match warning siren, which ran three minutes before the first bounce, has been removed. It has been replaced by the following sequence:

1. Umpires enter the arena (1 siren)

2. 5 minutes prior to match start (1 siren)

3. 2 minutes prior to match start (2 sirens)

4. 1 minute prior to match start (1 siren)

[jackaub 1,402]

and the nett effect of all this isgood or bad?

 

[Robot Devil 1,895]

And just like that the AFL take away another small piece of our game. 

The very early warm up used to be a good way to speak to a player without huge crowds around. 

I’ll always remember as a kid getting to the MCG super early with my parents. Whenever a player wandered past on the field on their way to warm up you could call out for a quick chat and an autograph. 

Its not the end of the world but it’s just another of the good things about our game being pushed aside. 

[Mazer Rackham 14,970]

Maybe, could it just be,  is it possible that the TV stations have suggested this tiny change and $omehow (your gue$$ i$ a$ good a$ mine), it seemed logical to Gil and his merry band.

A glimpse of the future, where TV stations totally run the show, unless the AFL can sell viewing rights directly, but by then it may be too late.

[Demonland 66,673]

9 minutes ago, jackaub said:

and the nett effect of all this isgood or bad?

 

One of the reasons for this to accommodate curtain raisers to some matches which could be a good thing.

I like the pre-game warmup because I am conducting an unscientific study on the correlation between warmup kicking for goals and the in-game goal kicking to see if the warmup is an accurate guage. Results so far are inconclusive. 

[Dee Dee 1,058]

This brings us back two or three decades when there was no pre game warmup.                  Was it Terry Wallace who first brought his team out for a pre game warm up?                   Then all teams followed! 

[drdrake 3,058]

With the improving surface conditions is this the first move to bring back the curtain raiser or VFL game prior.  I'm sure most clubs will be pushing to play their VFL side prior to AFL to share the resources.

[Demonland 66,673]

27 minutes ago, Dee Dee said:

This brings us back two or three decades when there was no pre game warmup.                  Was it Terry Wallace who first brought his team out for a pre game warm up?                   Then all teams followed! 

Yes. I believe the Bulldogs pioneered this. I can't remember if it was controversial at the time but all clubs soon followed suit.

I think it makes sense to do some warmup out on the field but I understand that if they are going to play curtain raisers or have some real entertainment then they will have to warmup indoors.

However I have a feeling that for the majority of the year we'll be watching grass grow. 

[poita 3,723]

The ground is virtually empty 45 minutes before a game, so the impact of not having a warm up on the spectators is negligible. I would much rather watch a curtain raiser, particularly one that finishes just before the main game, rather than two hours before.

[Fork 'em 6,607]

Never liked the pre - pre game warm-up anyhow.
The 1st time you see the players should be when they run through the banner.

 

[sue 8,499]

Anyone suggest a reason for this:

. The away club must enter three minutes earlier than the home team.

Will there be fines for disobeying?  Working out which team is to blame would be interesting.

[Demonland 66,673]

1 minute ago, sue said:

Anyone suggest a reason for this:

. The away club must enter three minutes earlier than the home team.

Will there be fines for disobeying?  Working out which team is to blame would be interesting.

I'm sure it will be a case of Club X comes out 1:53 and Club Y comes out at 1:56.

[Ethan Tremblay 28,655]

11 minutes ago, sue said:

Anyone suggest a reason for this:

. The away club must enter three minutes earlier than the home team.

Will there be fines for disobeying?  Working out which team is to blame would be interesting.

The away team comes out first to their team song and running through their banner. It will just be to accomodate this. 

Edited March 4, 2018 by Ethan Tremblay

[The Chazz 4,077]

The pregame warm up was a sure way of telling if our players were on or not.  Meant I could go to the game, and potentially leave before the opening bounce if I didn't like what I saw.  Was a very accurate reflection of how we'd go that game.

The positive is that if we are warming up less, we might actually run out a full game.

Would love to see the return of curtain-raisers.

[Demonland 66,673]

12 minutes ago, The Chazz said:

The pregame warm up was a sure way of telling if our players were on or not.  Meant I could go to the game, and potentially leave before the opening bounce if I didn't like what I saw.  Was a very accurate reflection of how we'd go that game.

I never realised I could actually leave. I wonder if my resulting absence would have changed any of the results. Now we'll never know.

I would love to be able to watch Casey play before the game even if only a couple of times a year.

I still maintain they should have played the women's competition in it's first few years as curtain raisers.

[The Chazz 4,077]

1 minute ago, Demonland said:

I never realised I could actually leave. I wonder if my resulting absence would have changed any of the results. Now we'll never know.

I would love to be able to watch Casey play before the game even if only a couple of times a year.

I still maintain they should have played the women's competition in it's first few years as curtain raisers.

I remember a couple of years ago Casey were playing at Punt Rd on the same day we were playing at the MCG.  It was just before our game (in the traditional reserves time slot), so they broadcasted the game on the big screen.

Would've been better if it was payed at the G, but some telecast was better than nothing!

[Deemania since 56 6,280]

2 hours ago, Demonland said:

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/exclusive-the-afl-will-end-pregame-warmups-as-part-of-sweeping-set-of-2018-rule-changes/news-story/71132639d8d87162bc2952b4a74398d2

Clubs will no longer be able to warm-up as a team on the ground other than briefly before the first bounce.

Clubs generally completed a 15-minute warm-up on the field 25 to 40 minutes out from the first bounce, went back into the rooms and then re-entered the arena for a final kick before the match commenced.

Now they will need to enter the arena 11 minutes before the start of the game. The away club must enter three minutes earlier than the home team.

Among other changes:

— Clubs will now be required to list four emergency players, up from three. Part of the reason for this change is to accommodate the possibility of a ruckman getting injured in the warm-up. The position is more specialised than ever and four emergencies allows coaches more flexibility and insurance.

— Four emergencies will essentially allow clubs to have a reserve player for each of the four positions on the ground and should completely eliminate the possibility of a player outside the selected squad parachuting into the starting team at the last minute.

Players must cease kicking for goal in warm-ups five minutes before the first bounce, as opposed to three minutes. Given home teams will enter the arena 11 minutes before play begins, that leaves just six minutes for forwards to practise goalkicking and get an accurate gauge on conditions.

— Approval may be sought for players listed on the long-term injury list to be seated on the club interchange bench during matches, providing the player is listed on the official team sheet as one of the 26 match officials.

— The pre-match warning siren, which ran three minutes before the first bounce, has been removed. It has been replaced by the following sequence:

1. Umpires enter the arena (1 siren)

2. 5 minutes prior to match start (1 siren)

3. 2 minutes prior to match start (2 sirens)

4. 1 minute prior to match start (1 siren)

More changes, sudden rulings and ongoing sidesteps surrounded by commercial (networks and pseudo-advertising) interests given precedence over a historically sensible pre-game process. All for the buck. What would you rather observe prior to a game. Players from both teams warming up, drilling, orienting to the conditions and surface, and confirming selections for that Round OR more Meatloaf crap from all corners with 'kiddie' interviews no-one can hear, 'witty' loudspeaker pro-activity and dancing girls? The AFL will have circus animals on the ground before we know it! The Reserves games pre-match were great - often more compelling than the 'firsts' game to follow as you had a chance to review the talent to come (important for any supporter); the warm-ups replaced these and provided the same scrutiny and spectacle, particularly as the opposition could be viewed simultaneously and early assessments could be made by the paying, viewing public. This is change that few would appreciate. It is also the AFL's attempt to give customers through the door less bang for their buck. Nope, don't like this idea, at all.

 

[Sir Why You Little 35,170]

More time for advertising will be the bottom line reason for this “change”

The AFL becomes more strange each year...

[Dee Dee 1,058]

42 minutes ago, Demonland said:

I never realised I could actually leave. I wonder if my resulting absence would have changed any of the results. Now we'll never know.

I would love to be able to watch Casey play before the game even if only a couple of times a year.

I still maintain they should have played the women's competition in it's first few years as curtain raisers.

I can see a problem! Namely the lack of changing facilities at some grounds. At the MCG for instance there are two player change rooms only, and teams are required to get to them well before the match starts presenting problems for curtain raiser teams.   And yes we did have exhibition wimins games a couple of years ago but they were special and I understand arrangements were made for the girls to change elsewhere which would not always be the case.

However with the mooted redevelopment of the GreatSouthern Stand maybe more facilities could be built.

[Vagg 2,422]

12 minutes ago, Dee Dee said:

I can see a problem! Namely the lack of changing facilities at some grounds. At the MCG for instance there are two player change rooms only, 

I'm gobsmacked, if true!  With the massive amount of space under all those massive Stands, surely there has to be HEAPS of space for an endless number of changerooms!  If not, what on earth is all that space used for??

[jnrmac 19,399]

1 hour ago, The Chazz said:

The pregame warm up was a sure way of telling if our players were on or not.  Meant I could go to the game, and potentially leave before the opening bounce if I didn't like what I saw.  Was a very accurate reflection of how we'd go that game.

The positive is that if we are warming up less, we might actually run out a full game.

Would love to see the return of curtain-raisers.

You could usually tell whether Melbourne was 'switched on' in the first few minutes...was a fairly reliable indicator.

[Deemania since 56 6,280]

1 hour ago, Dee Dee said:

I can see a problem! Namely the lack of changing facilities at some grounds. At the MCG for instance there are two player change rooms only, and teams are required to get to them well before the match starts presenting problems for curtain raiser teams.   And yes we did have exhibition wimins games a couple of years ago but they were special and I understand arrangements were made for the girls to change elsewhere which would not always be the case.

However with the mooted redevelopment of the GreatSouthern Stand maybe more facilities could be built.

...but plenty of 'corporate lounge space' , press reserves, catering empires' grounds and friggin' closed or empty bars - just not enough changerooms for the players? Same at every ground? Poor excuse, I'd say. Rent a shed. 

[Jaded No More 59,538]

Meh?

Does this actually impact anyone and more importantly does this make us less likely to succeed this year? No.

So whatever.

I like that they've upped the emergencies to 4 to allow for a ruckman. That's actually a good idea. 

[Dees_In_October 3,346]

I rarely get there early enough to see it anyway. But when I do, opposite to other comments above, I don't look for indications that we are 'on'. Instead, I like to make sure the players are getting their 'bad kicks' out of the way. Although possibly that (used to be) more of a reflection of our skill level...

The four emergencies makes sense. Surprising.

[forever demons 1,908]

sick to death of the afl changing things for no obvious reason ,if its not broken dont fix it