The AFL is promising not to make "radical" alterations this off-season, but could be set to make the biggest change to its rules since the turn of the century. And there would be no turning back from this one.
It's the rule change the league appears desperate to make, and one that confuses and angers fans.
AFL executive general manager of football Greg Swann did the media rounds last Thursday, prior to the Collingwood and Geelong clash and was asked what the future of the league may look like.
"We are certainly looking at (shortening quarters)," Swann told SEN.
"Interested in tonight too (with Collingwood's debut of a unique pre-game show), you run out, get in your positions and play. Because one of the things we have talked about is the length of time; you get here half an hour before, you watch them warm up.
"Do you knock off a minute at quarter time? Do you knock off minutes at halftime? Do you make the game 18 minutes plus time on? 17 minutes plus time on? We are looking at all of that.
"If there is a change at the end of the year, that will be around where it is. Internally, our ideal is to run the game at under 30 minutes (per quarter).
"We are still mostly over 30, so if we can get it under 30 that's what in our mind we think (is right) because it is too hard on the players. From a fan's point of view, the concentration for a long, long period of time is also challenging."
Swann told ABC Sport the league wasn't considering anything "radical" in terms of rule changes, but in what world is shortening quarters not radical?
And the scary part to shortening quarters is, once a decision is made to reduce official quarter length, there is no turning back. The league can't flip-flop on it as it did with the substitute rule.
The players will have become too conditioned to playing that style and length of game, and there would likely be pushback from the AFLPA about increasing quarter length.
Several arguments Swann made are questionable.
The fact a fan's concentration on a game could survive if every quarter was 29 minutes instead of 32 is ridiculous and speculative.
Not once have I heard any football fan complain about the length of an AFL game.
Also, using the fact that fans go to the game 30 minutes before to watch the warm-up as motivation to shorten the quarters isn't that the spectator's choice because they want more? Why should that affect the actual game in any shape or form?
The pandemic-affected season was the worst in the history of the league. Each quarter was played across 16 minutes with time on. The average score per team was 60.6 points per game, and the Coleman Medal winner was Geelong's Tom Hawkins with 42. Albeit in 17 games, however, Fremantle key forward Matt Taberner was nominated for the All-Australian squad after kicking 29 goals.
In 2026, the worst teams in the league, Richmond and Essendon, average 65.4 and 69 points per game, respectively.
Thirteen clubs currently average over 85 points per game, while five teams average 99 points or higher.
So the answer is clear: if the AFL wants to drop its scoring by a mile and lower the amount of goals kicked, shortened quarters are the way forward.
However, that facetiously made point goes directly against what every rule change the AFL has made in recent years has been to increase scoring.
The stand rule, the six-six-six rule, the lasso rule, all were made to increase speed on the game, scoring and reduce congestion.
Shorter quarters will allow players to be less tired in late stages and keep defences tight, and nullify any quick ball movement or high scoring.
Across the 17 home-and-away rounds in 2020 there were 12 times when a team scored 100 points or higher in a single match. In 2026, 14 teams scored 100 points or more across Opening Round and Round 1 alone.
There is an argument made that during the shortened quarters 2020 season, TV ratings were considerably higher than other seasons. But to put it simply, no s*** Sherlock. The world was on lockdown and had nothing to do other than watch whatever was on television.
Collingwood assistant coach Hayden Skipworth was asked about whether he was a fan of shortening the quarters, but sat on the fence with his answer.
"Anything that can get me home early is always good," Skipworth joked.
"No, I've got no real (care) to what it is. If it gets more games in to increase the season, it's definitely something you've got to look at in shortening quarters. But I'm not really strong here or there. We sort of get what we get from the AFL, and we deal with it the best we can."
That is likely the main motivation behind the AFL's push for shortened quarters; more games, more rounds, more money.
However, this is simply a case of the AFL putting its bank balance ahead of fans' interests.
