AFL Moves Quickly To Find A Solution To Staging

as seen on The Roar

Earlier this week, the AFL opened up the discussion on staging for free-kicks. ‘Staging’ is a growing scourge on the sport, so the AFL’s course of action was correct. But as the round ball code shows, it’s a difficult problem to police and the issue may go unresolved.

AFL Football Operations Manager Adrian Anderson brought the issue to the fore on Tuesday, as well as several other topics he was seeking feedback on from the clubs as part of the annual Tribunal review.

In Tuesday’s press release from the AFL, the misconduct charge of staging was at the top of the list, with the question posed, “Should players face a financial sanction for obvious staging?”

Indeed, simply opening up the debate is an appropriate course of action from the AFL, because if left alone, the problem could potentially escalate to the point where it is a major blight on the sport.

And the example of football (or soccer) where diving has firmly become part of the game is something the AFL would want to avoid, so attacking the problem early is a wise move.

But again, using the example of the round ball game, it is an issue which has proved hard to define, and ultimately police with consistency.

Indeed, the recent case where Arsenal forward Eduardo was banned for two matches for diving before having his suspension overturned, emphasizes the grey areas with regard to the topic.

Anderson, though, insisted several AFL clubs had raised concerns about the staging issue and wanted the topic up for discussion, although he denied it was a result of the infamous Preliminary Final incident involving St Kilda’s Nick Riewoldt and the Western Bulldogs’ Brian Lake.

But that incident alone highlights the problems involved in policing staging, where it was obvious contact was made with Riewoldt but the Saints skipper exaggerated the impact to win the free-kick.

And players like 1993 Brownlow medalist Gavin Wanganeen or, more recently, Geelong premiership player Joel Selwood have mastered the art of exaggerating or ‘milking’ free-kicks, but there’s no way they should be punished for that, as frustrating as it is for any rival supporter.

Indeed, there must be a differentiation between exaggeration and simulation.

Referring to the Riewoldt-Lake incident, Anderson said, “We would be looking at more obvious examples of staging than that.”

But at this stage in the cycle of Aussie Rules footy there aren’t too many more obvious examples of staging than Riewoldt’s Academy Award winner.

Contact-less simulation seldom occurs in AFL footy, although as the game evolves, players will continue to push the boundaries and bend the rules and it is foreseeable staging is a problem which could escalate in the future.

The issue of rushed behinds is a good example of players exploiting a rule, before the AFL took action to good effect in 2009. A similar change of laws could potentially rid the game of staging.

But the sticking point is how to define staging and how to actually police it? And that’s what Anderson will hope to discuss with the AFL clubs, although it is hard to envisage a solution.

Interestingly, Anderson also commented on Tuesday, “They (the clubs) believed there had been some instances (of staging) that had not been good for the image of the game.”

Indeed, the image of the game is something the AFL is desperately trying to protect, see Lance Franklin’s Round 22 bump on Ben Cousins and his subsequent suspension.

But in the context of Australia, where our sport stars need to be seen as strong, tough and fair dinkum, the tactic of staging contradicts all of that as it is soft and basically cheating.

The two don’t go hand in hand. Therefore the AFL must be seen as though they are active in eliminating the problem.

But Anderson’s admission about the Riewoldt incident suggests such a rule would rarely, if ever, be put to use. It’s an interesting thought and it makes it all smell like PR hogwash.

Ultimately, though, as the round ball game shows, it is a difficult problem for administrators to handle.

Indeed, the players are the ones who will decide if staging comes into the game, but by raising the discussion the AFL have reiterated it isn’t in the spirit of the game and probably added that crucial little bit of extra scrutiny to such incidents ahead of 2010.

The discussion may not stop the problem, but it could stem the flow.
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