#defensivepressure

Gerard Healy calls for the tag and it has become a running joke. Tag every player, maybe? Could it be because nobody plays on anyone anymore in AFL? The demand for tagging is really a deeper cry for greater accountability? A bit more mano on mano? Funnily enough, ball use efficiency decreases when the tag is applied. AFL mutterings in the manosphere. No kidding, it’s not rocket science but the coaching stratagems are so far up you know where with zoning pinched from basketball that the penny aint dropped. Footy has become the unaccountable game. When I played the game we all played on someone.

The Midfielder Take Over Of AFL Sides

Now, the game is made up of about 40 midfielders running free with about 6 stay at home players at either end. It is the logical progression of the fact that it is mainly midfielders who get drafted. Paul Roos used to talk about having to train these kids to become accountable by playing them in defence. Since then, most defenders have become attacking midfielder types who have to be the team’s best ball users. The game has turned into basketball played on grass with minimal physical contact and lots of speed. We, the fans, get excited when we see the rare occurrence of two blokes actually contesting the ball one on one. Usually, it is keepie off and players standing a few metres off each other ready to receive a pass on the outside. The game has turned into basketball played on grass.

Photo by Juan Salamanca on Pexels.com AFL Getting The Offence Defence Balance Right AFL mutterings in the manosphere. The game of AFL is a finely tuned strategy of offence and defence. Coaches are forever tuning their sides to try and get it right. Too much of either can cause problems with a deficit in the other, which can mean defeat. Every player following the ball and few staying home to mind territory results in turn overs and that is the dominant means of scoring for teams. Catching the other side out and a lack of two way running at crucial times often results in scoring. All these midfielder types are very talented ball players but not so brilliant at defending. The constant calls for tagging from past players who now commentate are really about the lack of defensive pressure in the game now. The game is all about attack these days and the rules have been modified to facilitate this. I mean, you can get away with not disposing of the ball correctly now as long as you have made an attempt. What kind of adherence to the laws of the game is that?

Photo by Harrison Reilly on Pexels.com Umpires In The AFL Have The Hardest Job The interpretation of the rules of the game have been stretched to the max of late. There are so many nuanced rules in place that the umpires in the AFL have the hardest job. Meanwhile, the players are faced with the task of attempting to read the lips of 4 different field umpires during a match with the deafening noise of the crowd overwhelming auditory sensors. The mystery of indiscretions made by ruckmen at ball ups baffles players and fans alike. The interpretations of holding the ball rules are a further mystery, which enrage fans all the time throughout a game. The manipulation of AFL to produce higher scoring games is more obvious than ever. AFL mutterings in the manosphere. “While the AFL Commission fiddles in Darwin, the game burns.  What a debacle the last two weeks have been for AFL football, administration, and therefore the game, and it’s getting worse by the hour.” – Gerard Healy - (https://sen.com.au/news/2025/05/14/read-the-room-richard-its-time-for-the-afl-chairman-to-go)