SEN’s Dwayne Russell believes the AFL Review Centre (ARC) needs to change its process when it comes to checking behinds.
The former Port Adelaide and Geelong player is of the belief that each and every decision to review a point is holding up the defensive team set to kick the ball in.
Russell feels that too many behinds are being reviewed to begin with and the entire process, which includes showing the decision on the scoreboard, is making the game too stop-start.
“ARC reviews are stopping the team kicking the ball in,” Russell said on SEN Breakfast.
“When you know it's a point, but you need to take five seconds to relay your decision for the crowd to see first on the scoreboard, I don't like that.
“As soon as the ARC decides it's a point (play should resume), because it's bad enough they have to check a point and stop the team from kicking in straight away.”
Russell wants the review from the ARC to notify the umpires and players immediately before the decision is made aware to the public via the scoreboard.
“The full-back has got the ball and he's waiting for the scoreboard to come up with a point,” he continued.
“As opposed to, as soon as the ARC knows, just let the full-back know so he can kick in and the scoreboard can relay it once he's already kicked in
“Scoreboard can put up that it was a point, but we're waiting for the scoreboard to put up that it was a point.
“The moment the ARC says it's a point, let the full-back kick in because we're checking points when we shouldn't be checking them anyway, which allows defences to set up.
“You're stopping the player from being able to play on straight away.
“The first thing you want to do, if it's a point, you want to be able to play on quickly, into an unset defensive structure.
“I think if they can do that, the AFL would be better off.”
Opening Round was littered with conservative calls to review goal line decisions, likely as a result of last year's debacle that cost Adelaide a finals spot.
