AFL: AFL boss Greg Swann is set to be focused on shortening game lengths by speeding up throw-ins and eliminating the bounce
As Greg Swann prepares to step into his new role as AFL football boss , reducing delays in games, centre bounces and the stand rule are reportedly at the top of his agenda amid several key ticket items for potential 2026 changes.
Experienced football administrator Swann will enter AFL house next Monday after the former Lions chief executive’s appointment was confirmed last month, with the MRO, umpiring, game analysis, player movement, laws of the game and innovation all falling under his portfolio. Herald Sun reporter Jon Ralph revealed Swann is keen to try and reduce the length of game, with three matches from Round 18 hitting over 130 minutes. FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo?IMAGINE WHAT YOU COULD BE BUYING INSTEAD. Set a deposit limit. For Free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au. But instead of reducing game time itself, Ralph excepts Swann to explore all avenues to shorten delays. “I think he could do that by the umpires throwing the ball up straight away instead of waiting for a ruck to get to contests,” Ralph revealed on Fox Footy’s“I think he would be really open to an SANFL-style last touch rule, whether that’s kicking the ball or handballing it over the boundary in between the arcs. If you got rid of most of the throw ins, we would reduce the length of games.” As Greg Swann prepares to step into his new role as AFL football boss next week, reducing delays in games, centre bounces and the stand rule are reportedly at the top of his agenda amid several key ticket items Ralph also reported Swann has historically been against the centre bounce, while he expects the veteran executive to laisse with Cats CEO and ex-AFL footy operations boss Steve Hocking about the stand rule brought in under his watch. “Those who know really well suggested in CEOs conferences across the years, he’s been really strong on getting rid of the bounce. He said to people: ‘The umpires shouldn’t have a party trick to officiate’,” Ralph added. “I also think you can expect he would drive down the highway and speak to Steve Hocking : ‘What’s the intent of the stand rule? And why are the clubs bastardising it by dragging themselves off ?’”Tigers champion Jack Riewoldt declared the MRO grading system should be “priority number one” in a notion AFL Hall of Fame legend Leigh Matthews agreed with.“Curtis got three weeks for a tackle because got concussion. Tristan Xerri is going to get three weeks for maybe a one-week penalty because got concussion. “So the system is wrong and that should be cleaned up fairly easily. I don’t know why the AFL hasn’t done it straight away. “Anything to do with umpiring is always interesting. Remember, the head of footy isn’t coaching the umpires, there’s a fair hierarchy. “What I would be saying to the umpires coaching is: ‘You coach them to do what we want them to do, not what you want them to do’.”Matthews also called for a loosening of adjudication around holding the ball after a stricter interpretation has been brought in when players’ arms are pinned in tackles. “When you’re pinned with one arm and you have the ball with the other arm, you can’t do anything with it,” the four-time premiership coach said. “But somehow someone in the umpiring fraternity has decided that should be holding the ball. So that has become a perfect tackle. “It’s a bug bear of mine because that’s become normal and I don’t know who the hell said that should become the rule.” Meanwhile Four-time premiership Hawk Jordan Lewis thinks the league should explore reducing the field umpires from four “or at least look at where they stand”. “Consistently week on week — and this is not their fault, they’re probably coached to do this — but one umpire who’s looking at it pays one decision and another umpire who cannot see pays play on,” Lewis said. “I constantly see it. They’re in the road and coached to stay in the corridor, which I don’t think has the best view. “It’s clearly something needs to address and sometimes more isn’t necessarily the best option.”in a special guest appearance, ultimately believes scrapping the bounce and introducing last touch out of bounds are two no-brainer changes.“In an elite competition you can’t have the blowing the whistle saying: ‘Give it back to me, I’ll do it again’. “The other one is if it goes out of bounds in any way, it’s the last bloke to touch it between the arcs.”
Steve Hocking Legendary Football Journalist Michael Willson Experienced Football Administrator Reducing Game Time Grading System Umpires Coaching FOOTBALL BOSS Centre Bounces AFL House Game Analysis Gregg Swann Key Ticking Jon Ralph Stand Rule Jason Horne-Francis Four-Time Premiership Coach Ben Cotton Mid-Season Trade Period Jordan Lewis Getty Images Inc. Hawthorn Legend Review Football Department Shortened Game Lengths Touch Rule Graham Suspension Top Fixes Party Trick Umpiring Fraternity Player Movement Leigh Matthews Jack Graham Mike Sheehan Footy Operations Bold Changes Throw Ins Jack Riewoldt
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