Three rounds into the new season, head office has what it wants.
The AFL’s new rules are having the desired impact – a spike in overall scoring.
While not all teams have played three games, the bump in scoring is obvious. When comparing the average scores across the first three rounds of this season and last, there’s an increase of five points per team, to 90 points.
There’s a caveat: a team-by-team look shows that only 10 are averaging more than 90 points per game. Others, including the so-called Victorian power clubs, are well below. Collingwood are averaging 78.5 points per game, Essendon 76.5, Carlton 72 and Richmond 65.5. Geelong are averaging 89.5 points.
However, the bigger picture is more promising, for this season’s overall average is a whopping 10 points more than 2022.
The flow of the game has also largely improved. Scores from turnovers – a key focus of teams – are up almost seven points per game on last year. Anecdotally, a more strict adherence to the stand rule has helped this.
This comes despite scores from rebound-50s and the average number of inside-50s remaining much the same, while shot-at-goal accuracy has dipped slightly – although not for Suns sharpshooter Ben King, who has booted 16.1 goals from 18 kicks in an unbeaten team averaging the most points per game (128).
We have seen some blistering football. The Swans and Blues contributed to 16 third-term goals in their opening round clash, while the Hawks and Swans combined for 11 goals in the opening quarter at the MCG last Thursday. Six of those came from centre bounces, suggesting the new ruck rule encouraging leaping has helped to generate midfield momentum.
The last-touch rule has also meant teams are encouraged to be less defensive and keep the ball in motion more.
Commentator and former Port Adelaide player Kane Cornes acknowledged in last Thursday night’s clash that “the ball is in motion, basketball-style, the whole time”, but he has also raised concerns that this has contributed to a spate of soft-tissue injuries, as players have less time to rest.
Football is full of theories, but Bombers defender Ben McKay said the toughened approach to the stand rule – where one player must man the mark inside a protected five-metre zone has made defending more difficult.
“We have spoken about it all pre-season … to be honest, and how to exploit that,” McKay said.
“I am sure every team has mentioned it. It is harder because both sides of the lane, I suppose, open up and the umpire has a pretty tough job on what it looks like. You literally can’t move.
“It makes it tougher down back. It’s more the run from behind that really creates issues. I know every team is trying to exploit that.
“It just opens up more of the game which is good for scoring and people watching, but it is hard for people behind the ball.”
Whether that explains the Bombers’ woeful defence in their two losses is another story.
While many fans enjoy a more open style of play, AFL Fans Association president Ronnie Issko said others still had to be won over amid the new rules.
“I would say that fans like the last-touch-out-of-bounds rule, but still dislike the stand rule. Also, there is a view that higher scoring and the faster game is contributing to an increase in hamstring injuries, and it may not be worth doing it,” Issko said.
One club insider who did not wish to be named said the warmer conditions and largely harder surfaces had made running – and scoring – easier, and questioned whether the high scoring would continue in the winter slog.
The upgraded five-man bench, with teams now able to manipulate even more how they maintain run in the game, has anecdotally had an early impact on scoring.
But, as fans pointed out on social media in an impromptu AFLFA survey this week, an increase in scoring means quarters can run longer. As one said, each quarter of Sunday’s clash between North Melbourne and West Coast at Optus Stadium went for 30 minutes or more, at a time when the league is attempting to cut dead time from last year’s game average of two hours, six minutes and 48 seconds.
Remember, when the Blues and Swans booted 16 goals in the third term, the length of the quarter ran for a whopping 40 minutes and 53 seconds.
As is always the case with AFL rule changes, success is seen through the eye of the beholder.
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