Soft is a word that has been thrown around the AFL community for some time now. But as Steven Hocking contends, he is trying to make Aussie rules a 'cleaner' sport.

The 2017 AFL season.

Jubilation for the Richmond faithful, despair for those at Arden Street and a wasted opportunity for the Adelaide fans.

It was a year of many firsts and arguably one of the more memorable ones to say the least. But why is there a sour taste in the millions of fanatics that exist Australia wide?

2017 should be remembered as Richmond's absolutely stellar season, Dustin Martin's performance that has highly been regarded as the best single performance by any player in the league's rich history.

However in the eyes of many it will be remembered for the array of suspensions, dished out to players committing actions that were deemed the norm only a decade ago.

Infamously, Patrick Dangerfield and Brodie Grundy both received suspensions for simply laying what many critics believe to be is the 'perfect tackle'. It has been a massive discussion in the footballing world for the year in its entirety, consistently dominating any football based media.

To thank for these harsh penalties we have the AFL GM of Football Operations, Steven Hocking, who has recently stated that he does not apologize for attempting to make the game a "clearer and better spectacle." Claiming on SEN's Breakfast program that inevitably "that's what the fans want."

It is rather clear that this tough ruling on Australia's great game is here to stay for years to come, with players having to scrutinise simple in-game actions, just to ensure that they will make the squad the following week.

It's seems almost absurd to think that a total contact sport is attempting to limit the types of actions that can be committed. Understandably the famed 'jumper punch' has been outlawed, which seems to be a legitimate move.

Although what is hard to fathom is that now players must try to abandon instincts that have been present within them since their time in Auskick.

His intentions are obviously genuine, trying to protect the players as they can be exposed to the greatest of injuries. More specifically, staging for free kicks and blatant punches both on and off the ball. He is simply attempting to lesson that number.

Sure, fans love to see hits of monolithic proportions, like we did at Etihad Stadium when Jordan Lewis collided with then Bulldog Jared Harbrow, and was subsequently knocked unconscious.

Sure it provides the intensity well associated with the sport, but obviously for those involved it isn't as enthralling as the fan-base makes it out to be.

Hocking has now made his stance present, which is something you would expect from an official in his stature. Yet in his single year at the helm, some of the more arguable decision making has occurred.  But what is clear is that the same decisions will occur as long as he is there.

Will it be for the greater good? Only 2018 will be able to tell us that.