News this morning that Essendon Captain, Matthew Lloyd, may be fined after making a comment on the report of Western Bulldogs’ Robert Murphy is worrying.
This AFL administration is no stranger to the notion of on-the-fly changes. In recent weeks we have seen the clear overreaction to an interchange issue, and a subsequent backdown on a crucial part of the “solution”.
The umpiring department regularly targets particular rules — it’s no use the AFL denying this, the proof is on show every weekend!
Now we learn that players are forbidden to comment on ad hoc changes that may have profound effects on how they can ply their trade. No other workforce would accept such restrictions. The AFL, in its single-minded determination to silence criticism from within the AFL ‘family’, is simply being precious.
A mature organisation avoids knee-jerk policy shifts, and so can compete effectively in the contest of ideas through weight of rational argument.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
AFL Megolamania?
This AFL administration is no stranger to the notion of on-the-fly changes. In recent weeks we have seen the clear overreaction to an interchange issue, and a subsequent backdown on a crucial part of the “solution”.
The umpiring department regularly targets particular rules — it’s no use the AFL denying this, the proof is on show every weekend!
Now we learn that players are forbidden to comment on ad hoc changes that may have profound effects on how they can ply their trade. No other workforce would accept such restrictions. The AFL, in its single-minded determination to silence criticism from within the AFL ‘family’, is simply being precious.
A mature organisation avoids knee-jerk policy shifts, and so can compete effectively in the contest of ideas through weight of rational argument.
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1 comment:
It's been a while since you posted a blog and unfortunately I am reading this nearly 2 weeks after this furore broke so here goes. I agree are players not allowed to publicly express opinions that AFL - Andrew Demetriou thinks are appropriate. Perhaps he should have taken this into account a couple of years ago when he decided that the Swans game plan and style of play was fair game.
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