AFL journalist Sam McClure is of the opinion that the tighter interpretations around existing rules for holding the ball has the potential to “make the game worse”.
The new rule results in umpires having to be less lenient towards players who have had prior opportunity, and McClure feels that lessening prior opportunity ultimately makes it more confusing for umpires and therefore more bad decisions will be made.
“Prior opportunity right now is at a dangerous point and apparently Brad Scott and the AFL are going to lessen it,” McClure said on Sportsday.
“I think lessening prior opportunity ultimately makes it more confusing for the umpires and we’re going to have more bad decisions.
“I think it’s dangerous, I think it’s got the potential to make the game worse to be honest.
“I’m not trying to be too dramatic with that, but once I see a tightening of prior opportunity, every man and his dog wants to have an opinion on what prior opportunity is and if it’s going to be lessened, you’re going to have blokes picking up the ball, tackled straight away and paid holding the ball straight away.”
Sportsday co-host and Brownlow Medallist Gerard Healy agrees with McClure.
“We saw blokes last year and the year before sweating on players and letting them pick the ball up and then tackle them,” Healy added.
“You just can’t make prior opportunity any tighter, otherwise you go to no prior opportunity.”
General Managers and senior coaches at all 18 clubs were advised in a letter on Monday around the changes to the holding the ball rule for the 2022 season.