50 cut to 45 at SCG

[Reggi]

50 cut to 45 at SCG
12:57:47 PM Fri 2 April, 2004
Australian Football League
There will be altered ground markings in place at the Sydney Cricket Ground for the 2004 Toyota AFL Premiership Season.

The 2004 season represents the first time AFL football is being played with a 50 metre centre square, following the introduction of the new law governing the size of the centre square.


The SCG will now be marked with 45 metre forward line arcs, due to the fact the ground measures 148.5 metres in total length from goal to goal.

The AFL did not wish for the forward line markings at the SCG to intersect the centre square and, as the shortest ground in the league, the SCG will feature 45m forward arcs, as against 50m at all other AFL venues.

http://sydneyswans.com.au/default.asp?pg=news&spg=display&articleid=141153

[desredandwhite]

Well, they don't affect the rules in any way as they're only there as a guideline... so it will only require a bit of a mental adjustment by the players!

Would look good though, plenty of long goals bombed through from beyond the arc

[Destructive]

And by the commentators...

Instead of "From right on the 50" we will have " From right on the 45"

[timthefish]

i reckon this is going to give us a nice edge on home advantage. players use the 50m arc to set their position and orient themselves with the field. it might not sound like much of a change, but i believe visiting teams, particularly the forwards, will find it a little off-putting.

[sharpie]

The swans will definitely lead the 'Inside 45' stats for the year

[j s]

Originally posted by sharpie
The swans will definitely lead the 'Inside 45' stats for the year

....but trail the "inside 50"

[JF_Bay22_SCG]

I was making the banner today and was walking around the sideline. The 45metre arqs do look very very funny, as you are standing on half forward and it suddenly looks heaps further out to goal.

The ground is on top shape, even if the edges are at tad muddy and damp. The cover of grass is quite luxuriant this year by the looks of things.

JF

[Bear]

I find it perplexing that they would alter the arc to 45m.

The 50m arc is so important throughout the game for kicking at goals, and judging where you are.

Me feels there has been a mistake made to change it to 45m rather than reduce the size of the square, or worst case have them intersect (which would really not be such a big deal).

[NMWBloods]

It certainly seemed to throw a number of players who thought they were too far out to have a shot.

I don't think you can shrink the size of the square as it is set in the rules.

They could always have had the 50m intersect with the square, but perhaps they didn't want to advertise too much just how short the ground really is.

[Cheer Cheer]

Hey this new line change from 50mtrs to 45mtrs just confirms what we already know! Is that the previous 50mtr line was only always 45 mtrs!

[motorace_182]

Me feels there has been a mistake made to change it to 45m rather than reduce the size of the square

Apparently all squares throughout the grounds across the nation HAVE to be equal length, an extra 4-5m in length now. So that means we either play with an overlapping ground or move the 50 to 45, which is purely an indicator and has no rules whatsoever on the game unlike the square. It had to be done.

[sharpie]

I'm not that worried. It will give our boys a slight advantage on the SCG coz they will soon realise that they can have a shot from further outside the arc than normal. The other teams may be slow to learn. I even reckon the shorter arc yesterday affected the play slightly, with them taking the short option a few times when near the 45m line instead of a shot at goal that they would have taken if inside the 50m line.

[silent lurker]

Originally posted by Cheer Cheer
Hey this new line change from 50mtrs to 45mtrs just confirms what we already know! Is that the previous 50mtr line was only always 45 mtrs!

I thought that it was actually 42mtrs.

[j s]

Originally posted by motorace_182
Apparently all squares throughout the grounds across the nation HAVE to be equal length, an extra 4-5m in length now. So that means we either play with an overlapping ground or move the 50 to 45, which is purely an indicator and has no rules whatsoever on the game unlike the square. It had to be done.

Actually there is ONE rule - no runners/trainers inside the 50m line during a kick-in - so I wonder what happens to that?

[JF_Bay22_SCG]

Originally posted by Bear
I find it perplexing that they would alter the arc to 45m.

The 50m arc is so important throughout the game for kicking at goals, and judging where you are.

Me feels there has been a mistake made to change it to 45m rather than reduce the size of the square, or worst case have them intersect (which would really not be such a big deal).

Would it be too much to ask to get the SCG to actually make the ground 5-10 metres longer by chopping out some seating at the scoreboard end? They are trying to give the impression that they care about their major tenant these days Would it kill them to finally do what they were supposed to do 2 seasons back and re-furbish the hill area as well. As much as I like non flip-up seats, I think they could remodel the hill area so that the walkway around is covered.

But seriously, every other sport except cricket has a uniform pitch size. Why can't footy as well? Then we'd have no silly pockets like at Subi? No extravagent wings like at the SCG. And no cigar shaped grounds like at Telstra Stadium. And nobody whinging about other grounds being unfair, as some Eagles fans were whinging after we pumped then last year.

JF