Should the AFL change the rules regarding players rushing the ball through for a point, a la Bowden.?

Question

Saturdays effort by Joel Bowden was ablight on our great game

Answer 1

Yes however, at the moment they need to look at other rule changes such as the hands in the back, 50 metre penalties first. Not that the Joel Bowden tactics should not get unnoticed.

Answer 2

I don't like to see this. When ONE player does ONE thing and it sparks a controversy over rule changing etc.

What Joel Bowden did was certainly within the rules of the game, but not in the spirit of the game.

However, I have been a great supporter of the 3 points rushed behind and would love to see it brought into the home and away season. I think it is having a positive influence on the NAB Cup games and a rule (another one!) to reduce the number of rushed behinds in games is much needed.

Teams often use the rushed behinds for a structural purpose and it allows everyone to position themselves.

But bring back the footy of old! It's just horrible to watch players repeatedly rush behinds and personally, I'm getting sick of it!

Answer 3

Its part of the game and was a good tactic at that time in the game, they won and that's that.

Answer 4

No... How many more rules do you want to put in? The game is already so complicated! lol

Answer 5

Disagree sorry mate,  i know it favoured my team but how can it be a blight on the game, trying to win the game, why would he  of kicked it back when he didn't have too, smart footy i reckon.

It was poetic justice in some ways because it was Essendon who started all the kicking backwards rubbish, holding the ball up (icing the clock), it wasn't the reason they lost either, they missed 3 easy shots at goal in the last quarter, they can blame their poor skill and the fact that Lloyd takes 2 minutes to have his shots at goal.

So to answer your question, they can change the rules, wouldn't worry me, the can either ball it up in the goal square if they  the player kicking out does it or award 3 points for it, they wouldn't do it again.

Answer 6

that joel bowden has jsut about ruined the afl game. he is ani he gave the opposition no chance and made our game not exciting and of poor quality i would have thought better from a senior player like him

Answer 7

I think it was a good idea.

Bowden has a head on his shoulders, it was a legal version of time wasting.

I don't understand why so many people are upset. If your side had a fullback that did that and it preserved a victory, you would think it is the greatest play in footy you ever saw.

Answer 8

no,......the afl supports it!

Answer 9

no i dont think they should the rules work the way they are so i dont think they should be changed

also its a legitamate strategy i think he was being smart

Answer 10

There are two reasons to rush a point  one is to give your team a turnover and set kick out from the opposition goal and the other is to do what Bowden did I think they should be separated and the Bowden one penalized ~~

Answer 11

it was cowardly and just c**p too see. I agree with lozz...magpies girl they should be awarded 3 points for a rushed behind!

Answer 12

He didn't do anything wrong, but it wasn't good to see, and a rule should be made to prevent players deliberately rushing behinds to waste time. I say, bring in a rule that says, if you deliberately rush a behind, award the opposition team three points (like in the nab cup). That way players would think twice before doing it in a tight match.

Answer 13

No, there was one incident and now a lot of people are complaining for 3 points for a rushed behind. Leave everything the way it is. It'd be pretty hard to enforce by the umpires though, say Fletcher is running back and punches the ball out of Fevolas hands and through the goals, a point or rushed or what?

One day Buddy will kick 20 goals and then everyone will be saying that a goal needs to be changed to 3 points. :)

Answer 14

thats like when they decided to have new rules to the interchange. once it disadvantages a victorian club, it has to be brought to the attention of the people in charge.

another example, like remember when earlier this season, kangas v collingwood, and there was a bounce that favoured kangas which resulted in a goal and a win? that sparked HUGE controversy.

yet, back in 2005 i think, Crows v Eagles in the Prelim finals, the same thing happened, and yet there was no outcry. if that were to happen to a victorian team, there would be RIOTS!!!

anyway, the point im trying to make, is that victorians have way too much control over the game, even though it is the AFL not vfl. and if this Bowden incident happened outside of victoria, im sure everyone woulda forgotten about it by now.

Answer 15

If it's a stupid rule they should change it because it's a stupid rule, not because of what any player does especially when they were not breaking the rule.

Everyone wants to win. If the rules are c**p then change the rules don't penalise the players.

Answer 16

nothing wrong with it, he was using his head omg finally an AFL player with a brain lol jks

Answer 17

**I don't see the point in bringing in a rule because one player has done it twice in the dying minutes of a close game.  How many times have you seen players rushing a behind to save the opposition scoring??  It happens all the time and no one makes a big deal about it.

If the rule is going to be changed, bring in the three points rule that we have in the NAB cup and then players may think twice about doing it in a tight game.

At the end of the day though I think there are other rules that need to be looked at before this particular one.**