Kick some rules into touch forever

THE last-touch, out-of-bounds free kick is gone for another year and it should be good riddance forever.

It is unfair. It contradicts the spirit of the game.

And players, coaches and fans dislike it.

Introduced to help speed up the first round of the NAB Cup, which is played across two 20-minute halves, it is a rule that should never be introduced into the season proper.

It begs the question: Why does it exist other than to quicken play? To have players pinged for running the ball across the line when they have gathered the ball 20cm from the boundary line is ridiculously unfair.

In the Gold Coast-Hawthorn game on Saturday night, a player grabbed the ball mid-air while going across the line and had a free kick paid against him.

The rule was first used in a lightning premiership in 1996 at Waverley Park, when it was howled down.

It disappeared and returned in 2011, and was also considered brutal in its interpretation.

The league has rid the game of absolute last touch - for example, when even dropped marks were paid against a player - and last season revised to last kick, last handball and carried the ball over.

It should disappear forever.

AFL umpires boss Jeff Gieschen said the rule would be reviewed, but refused to indicate whether changes would be introduced if, in fact, the rule survived for next year.

"The rules committee will be meeting after Round 3 of NAB Cup and will look at what had merits, and what may not have worked," Gieschen said yesterday.

He was bullish about the two rules to be introduced to the regular season this year - the separation of the ruckmen and contact below the knees.

"It's early on both of those rules, but contact below the knees creates a safe environment and encourages players to stay on their feet," Gieschen said.

Clearly, the jury is out on front-on contact.

At the weekend several free kicks were paid against players whose sole intention was to attack the ball.

It's a natural instinct in players such as Joel Selwood, Steven Morris and Campbell Brown who want the ball so badly, they throw themselves at ground-ball contests.

The new rule dictates that endeavour will be considered reckless and a free kick paid against the player.

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