My Footy

The Laws of the Game Committee is considering methods to limit rotations

A CAP on rotations and the use of substitutes are among the options to reduce the number of interchanges for the 2011 season.

They are among seven proposals put forward by the Laws of the Game committee that include allowing a score to be registered as a goal or a point whether the ball touches a post or not.

AFL operations manager Adrian Anderson released the proposals on Wednesday, and the League is now calling for feedback from the football community.

The options to curb the number of rotations during games, which have risen rapidly in recent seasons, are:

- The bench to comprise three interchange players and one substitute player;

- The bench to comprise two interchange players and two substitute players;

- Cap of 80 interchanges per match (including changes at breaks).

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Chelsea Roffey is one of the AFL's top goal umpires, says Adrian Anderson

AFL FOOTBALL operations manager Adrian Anderson has stressed the League’s desire to see an increase in the number of women officiating in matches.

Anderson told afl.com.au that the ultimate goal is to see a female field or boundary umpire officiating at the highest level.

“One of our best goal umpires is Chelsea Roffey, so we’d love to see some others make the elite level,” he said.

“Obviously there are intense physical and mental demands on field umpires, but they’re demands that could be met by women.”

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ADELAIDE coach Neil Craig says it would be the AFL’s loss if departing Port Adelaide coach Mark Williams walks away from the game for good.

Williams will step down as head coach of the Power after Friday night’s clash with Collingwood at the MCG, with rumours the 51-year-old could become Kevin Sheedy’s assistant at Greater Western Sydney.

Either way, Craig hoped Williams, who guided Port to the 2004 premiership, would remain involved in the game in some capacity down the track.

“I hope Mark stays in football,” Craig said in Perth today.

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Dean Robinson

GEELONG has lost some talent to Gold Coast although not of the on-field variety, with high performance manager Dean Robinson accepting a position with the League’s 17th team.

While Robinson will not begin his official duties at Gold Coast until October, his departure from the Cats is effective immediately.

Robinson’s tenure at Geelong has coincided with a golden era for the club. In his first full season after joining Geelong from NRL club Manly, the Cats won the flag in 2007.

Two more grand final appearances followed, with another premiership being snared in last year’s thrilling win over St Kilda.

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BEN Cousins is still being assessed by doctors in the emergency department of the Epworth hospital after suffering a recurrence of a stomach complaint.

The Age understands the 31-year-old recovering drug addict is not in intensive care, as has been reported.

The Richmond onballer was rushed to hospital in an ambulance around 11:45am today and was still having his condition assessed in an emergency department booth at 1:20pm.

Richmond released a statement saying Cousins had suffered from “an adverse reaction to a sleeping tablet” and that the club was awaiting further updates.

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Andrew Lovett faces a committal hearing over rape charges. Source: Herald Sun

AT least two AFL clubs will consider drafting Andrew Lovett if he is cleared of rape charges next month.

The sacked Saint is due to face a committal hearing on August 10, at which a Melbourne magistrate will decide whether he goes to trial.

Lovett’s management yesterday confirmed recruiters from two clubs had expressed interest in reigniting his career if the charges are dropped.

“Andrew hasn’t given up on his dream of playing in the AFL, but he knows he has a very serious and sensitive legal issue pending,” Alex McDonald of Stride Sports Management told the Herald Sun yesterday.

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Josh Bruce in action for the NSW-ACT Rams

GREATER Western Sydney has signed the first player from its Under-18 TAC Cup side to its AFL list.

Josh Bruce, who featured at the just completed Under-18 Championships for the NSW/ACT Rams, has been signed by the club on a three year deal.

He is the seventh player signed by Team GWS, joining other recent signings Kurt Aylett, Anthony Miles, Shaun Edwards on the list.

Bruce is a key position prospect from Canberra’s Eastlake football club and coach Kevin Sheedy says the zoning is important to the club’s future.

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Karmichael Hunt

GOLD Coast recruit Karmichael Hunt will continue to find his feet as a defender this week with coach Guy McKenna naming him to start at full back against the Box Hill Hawks on Saturday.

McKenna had previously claimed Hunt would spend time in the midfield in his third game after debuting in attack against the Coburg Tigers, and playing down back against Frankston last week.

However, the rugby league convert will be given another opportunity to prove his worth as a defender when Gold Coast takes on the Hawks at Southport this weekend.

“I thought he did really well, a good and disciplined effort really, so we thought we’d give him another go to work further on his body control and positioning and apply a few lessons learned,” assistant and defensive coach Shaun Hart told the club’s website.

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Fremantle player Michael Johnson

FREMANTLE will make a last-minute decision on returning utility Michael Johnson, with coach Mark Harvey declaring he will be named in the squad to take on Port Adelaide this Saturday.

Johnson, who was suspended by Fremantle for six matches and dropped from the club’s leadership group after facing drugs charges, is eligible to make his AFL return this week.

The 25-year-old was encouraging in his first WAFL hit-out on the weekend, and Harvey said fitness would not be a concern when the match committee decides whether to select him in the final 22 this week.

“He’ll train with the group tonight, we’re still going through that at selection, (but) he’s in the squad at this stage,” Harvey said from Subiaco Oval on Wednesday. “The pros and cons are whether he’s earned it and whether it fits in with what we’re doing on the weekend.

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Johnson and Baker Source: Herald Sun

ST KILDA coach Ross Lyon have backed Steven Baker after his nine-game AFL suspension, but concedes he went too far.

While the Saints are disappointed with the severity of the ban, they acknowledged there were no grounds for appeal.

“What it is, is what it is … we’re not appealing because we don’t think it’s appropriate,” Lyon said.

Lyon backed Baker, but was also critical of how the tagger behaved in the short period during Friday’s match where Baker and Geelong opponent Steve Johnson clashed.

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