Has former AFL Football Operation boss Steve Hocking received enough credit for the quality of games we have seen in 2022?
Tim Watson doesn’t think so.
Hocking implemented several rule changes while at the AFL, including the stand rule, 6-6-6 structures at centre bounces, adjustments to kick-ins, interchange rotations and more.
He has since departed the league to take up a role at the Cats.
Watson believes the quality of footy in 2022 is significantly better than before these rule changes and that the current Geelong CEO deserves credit.
“We’ve seen such a great year of football this year. I don’t think people out there have been prepared enough to give Steve Hocking his flowers for the changes he made to the game,” Watson told SEN Breakfast.
“There’s been a lot of people saying ‘don’t change the game, don’t change the game’ – we did, it was terrible and Hocking made the changes.
“He got a lot of abuse from a lot of fans of the game because nobody barracks for the AFL on anything they do.
“I want to give him his flowers this morning because what we saw on the weekend was a result in part because of the changes made to the game.
“Freeing the Sherrin has led to a philosophical change from the coaches about the way the game is being played and what we saw on the weekend was the best demonstration yet of why the game has improved since those changes were made.
“I think there were nine changes to the way the game was adjudicated to allow this to happen. It’s just not just the stand rule, though that’s helped. The 6-6-6 rule was a massive change, the kick-in rule gives you more space and time, all of those things have contributed to what is now a fantastic spectacle of football.”