The AFL has seen drastic change to its rules and gameplay over the past decade along, but AFL journalist Mike Sheahan believes there's still work to be done to make the game better.
The AFL formed a newly created Competition Committee which will overlook potential rule changes to the AFL going forward and with a dedicated entity to delegate change, Sheahan has raised his points in hope of swift change.
His first suggestion would change the dynamics of how teams plan to bring the ball up the ground, saying that "if you kick it backwards its play on."
This would disallow teams retreating and opting for a short kick backwards, it can often be seen in the defensive half of the ground when a team may choose to swing it to the weak side of the ground.
“But the significant one that I think, and I’m really committed to this, is that the 15 metre kick should become 25 [metres]," Sheahan told SEN Breakfast.
“Because this 15 metre rule was made when there were wet balls and blokes couldn’t kick far. That short stuff we’re doing now where they sometimes pay marks when there 8, 10, 12 metres - you eliminate that."
“The other one is the nonsense about having to nominate a ruckman."
“Get rid of that. Umpire get in pick the ball up and throw it up in the air ... I’ve got to go back to the rational of this, but why did we ban the third man up?”
The newly formed Competition Committee said that any decided changes for the 2019 will be announced by October.
