Low-scoring finals, rising tackle count demand AFL attention
Tackling is the most fundamental aspect of defence. If it isn't monitored closely enough by umpires, the spoiler will constantly prevail over the playmaker. And that means low scoring.
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Tim Lane
Ump to media giant, The Big H did it his way
Of all the achievements in Harry Beitzel's wild ride of a professional life, perhaps it was straddling the divide from Grand Final umpire to media giant that was the greatest. Ken 'KG' Cunningham did the same thing in South Australia, but his fine career as a state cricketer gave him easy acceptance.
It's time for the AFL to go for the hard ball
Sometime between now and the end of the year, the AFL will have a new boss of footy. Expressions of interest closed last Monday for the position left vacant by the departure, three weeks ago, of Simon Lethlean.
Jumper punching the AFL review panel's independence
It says something good about modern football that punches to the midriff and the so-called jumper-punch have lately been the talking point.
In AFL nothing is certain, except Tassie should have a team
In AFL nothing is certain, except Tasmania should have a team - and powerful voices are finally speaking out.
AFL is standing under a high ball on Watson decision
The AFL Commission meets in nine days and foremost on the agenda will be the matter of the 2012 Brownlow Medal. For reasons that are well known: the popular central figure in the drama, his great football family, and the unfortunate and unprecedented circumstances in which he finds himself, the decision facing the commission is uncomfortable.
Asking the hard questions of the Western Bulldogs' win for the ages
How ironic that the team the AFL once wished away has delivered the game its best story in all the years since.
The Bulldogs, a gloriously unexpected triumph
There's never been a premiership like this.
AFL turns back the clock and squanders a chance to build the game
A crowd of 87,823 on Friday night – for a couple of late-starters to the competition who once played perennial catch-up – was a stunning result. Almost as stunning as the one posted on the MCG scoreboard by night's end.
The AFL's interstate numbers don't add up
In six years of the AFL's latest expansion endeavour, there has not been a better time than now to evaluate its progress. For the performance levels of the two non-traditional football states, which successively were given second AFL clubs in 2011 and 2012, have lately been as opposite as could be imagined.
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