Runners - To Have or To Hold?

[barry]

As a compromise what about if there was a cap on how many times per quarter the runner can go on the ground? And a time limit on how long they can stay on the ground so they can't stay out there coaching?

I can just imagine the AFL adding two more interchange stewards to monitor it.
More umpires than runners.

[stellation]

Personally I rarely used to take notice of the runners so I don't have a strong opinion. However, I think runners are important for the younger teams like ours.

As a compromise what about if there was a cap on how many times per quarter the runner can go on the ground? And a time limit on how long they can stay on the ground so they can't stay out there coaching?

I think a cap on the number of times they can enter the ground + a time limit sounds like a sensible idea, they already have interchange stewards so I don't think it would be too hard for the AFL to put a system in place to monitor it.

I have no idea what the rules are for runners getting on/off after goals, but they should be able to determine appropriate time limits from there. Maybe 5 times max per quarter, for a total time on ground of 20 times however long is allowed for after a goal being kicked before the next bounce (so for 20 minutes?).

[Bloody Hell]

No runners.

Bad for young players, good for old players.

I remember an interview with Michael DiVenuto a few years ago speaking about how batting coaches had ruined batsmen in cricket. When he was younger there were no coaches and players had to rely on senior players to learn and work out the rest for themselves. This meant that if something was going wrong in the middle of the game, the players had the knowledge to fix it themselves, where as players reliant on coaches have no idea and have to wait to be told how to fix it (oversimplification). I think it's a good analogy for this situation - more power to the player.

Short term loss, long term gain. With a young team we are currently at a disadvantage, but last weeks 1 point loss will be a good learning experience.

[bloodspirit]

Yeah, while it would may be advantageous for us at the moment while we have such a young team to have runners, overall i like that runners are not on the field and getting in the way. Learning how to play without constant coaching is part of the game (as Bloody Hell points out). Coaches still get to coach the players all week long, between quarters and after goals. Surely this can be enough? Adapt. Get used to it. All teams are in the same boat.

[Meg]

“The AFL's football operations manager, Steve Hocking, ....... revealed the League is now attempting to find a balance in terms of how often they (runners) are used.”

"It's worth saying that where runners were at last season was extreme. Where the runners are at this year is extreme as well. We just need to find some middle ground."

Clubs have strongly suggested a preference for more in-game access for runners, AFL footy boss Steve Hocking says AFL, coaches seek middle ground after 'extreme' runner rule change - AFL.com.au

[Blood Fever]

“The AFL's football operations manager, Steve Hocking, ....... revealed the League is now attempting to find a balance in terms of how often they (runners) are used.”

"It's worth saying that where runners were at last season was extreme. Where the runners are at this year is extreme as well. We just need to find some middle ground."

Clubs have strongly suggested a preference for more in-game access for runners, AFL footy boss Steve Hocking says AFL, coaches seek middle ground after 'extreme' runner rule change - AFL.com.au

Typical AFL corporate speak. Perhaps ' middle ground ' could have started this year.