Garry Lyon and Tim Watson have given their thoughts on the footage of the AFL’s new ‘stand’ rule that appeared on social media yesterday.
Footage from an Essendon intra-club game showed midfielder Kyle Langford pinged for moving a few steps to the left of the kicker while standing on the mark, resulting in a 50-metre penalty.
Former players, fans and members of the media took to Twitter to voice their frustration at the new rule after seeing it in action for the first time.
Auskick #stand https://t.co/y9iNSaQodQ
— Kane Cornes (@kanecornes) February 23, 2021
What a joke https://t.co/xPkU5Mv7Is
— Warren Tredrea (@warrentredrea) February 23, 2021
Oh boy https://t.co/GmG15XmnCB
— Mitchell Scott (@MitchellBScott) February 23, 2021
Yuk. This can’t survive to Round 1.... https://t.co/3QHVK5XlRb
— Benny Jones (@benjiman1983) February 23, 2021
Oh boy https://t.co/XM6Q2GDqEo
— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshMedia) February 23, 2021
This is not good! https://t.co/ppd0V12m9Q
— Michael Thompson (@ThommoMedia) February 23, 2021
Seriously, what's the over/under on this rule being scrapped by Round 4 or 5? Dear me. https://t.co/0msX8n83NJ
— Jake Bourke (@JakeBourke) February 23, 2021
Thanks a lot, Steve Hocking.
— Jack Hudson (@jhudson_10) February 23, 2021
Please, get out of our game. https://t.co/1XlS9zZhqf
This won’t cause fans to go apoplectic at all, especially in the dying stages of a close game 🙄 https://t.co/WK3u9P8gK0
— Ronny Lerner (@RonnyLerner) February 23, 2021
Lyon: “The outrage over this, if you don’t like (the rule) fair enough, but the decision was 100 per cent on the money and the player Kyle Langford was a dill for doing it. I understand the outrage from the people who don’t like it, but the actual penalty was as clear as the nose on Tim’s face,” he told SEN Breakfast.
Watson: “That’s right, it was the right decision, but the conversation will be about whether it’s right for our game. That was a penalty in the middle of the ground, you get a 50-metre penalty which puts you in range of kicking a goal.”
Lyon: “Can I put my hand back up for the 25-metre penalty for that? As it’s a new, dramatic change to a rule.”
Watson: “The 50 is excessive.”
Lyon: “It’s not like they’ll have discretionary power to go ‘25 or 50’, if the man on the mark is the transgressor, it’s a 25-metre penalty. Everyone would know. It’s not confusing for the broadcaster or the people in the crowd.”
Watson: “I don’t mind that at all. I’ve always thought the 50 was too excessive anyway. When you think about it, it’s almost a third of the ground you get for the penalty.”
The rule, introduced for the 2021 season, was brought in to open up a kicker’s ability to hit diagonal targets and move the ball quicker with less impediment from the man on the mark.
Melbourne captain Max Gawn told SEN last month and Richmond's Dylan Grimes said this week that he believes it will have a massive impact on scoring.
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