I am a long time advocate for removal of the bounce from Aussie Rules football. I have umpired over 200 games of football in my life and I can’t wait to see the end of it.
There is no real need for it and the only remaining argument for keeping it is ‘tradition’ and ‘differentiation’. Tradition has never stopped us from changing rules in the past and it shouldn’t stop us now. The other argument that Dimitriou and Anderson trot out is one of differentiation. That it is something that makes Aussie Rules unique. I often get the game confused with other football codes until I see the bounce. NOT! The game is instantly recognisable and utterly different from every other code. No wonder we love it so.
Rohan Connolly gets on board with the idea today but only in the wake of yet another poor bounce possible having an influence of a match result. The fact that it happened to Collingwood means it gets double the usual attention as the ferals complain about getting the raw deal from the umps as per usual.
The writing is clearly on the wall for the bounce. It is being phased out in the NAB cup with only the most optimal condition of the start of the quarter being reserved for the bounce and the rest being the basic throw up. Speed seems to be the reason for almost every change in the rules lately and it definitely applies to bounces. No need to stop the clock any longer than necessary, no need to set up and pick your spot as an umpire – just get the ball in the air and get play moving again.
The bounce was probably part of the reason I had to retire when I did. It places a heck of a lot of stress on the lower back and hammies to thump the ball into the ground from a standing position. You have to take it all the way to the ground if you want it to come up straight. That combined with taking the new ball for 20 years have probably ruined me from the navel down.
If we were to create the game of Aussie Rules today from scratch, then I seriously doubt we would include anything as random as a bounce to restart play. I’m sure there was a good reason for it, but that reason appears no longer to be required. Throw it up and throw it straight – it will keep the umpires in the right position to make decisions and keep the restart conditions nice and even.
BAN THE BOUNCE!