ROXBURGH Park coach Michael Farrelly says it's the perfect time to look at making changes to the game in the Essendon District Football League.
With the season suspended until May 31 due to COVID-19, clubs have had to look at different ways to approach the game.
Speaking on the EDFL Tonight Podcast, Farrelly said while he loved the way the game was being played, there was the potential to try and attract more people to the game as both players and spectators.
Farrelly said it was the perfect opportunity to hit the reset button.
“It’s a really good chance to reflect on some of the things that aren’t quite up to scratch and where they need to be at the moment,” he said.
“There’s a few things that pop into my head, where football is at the moment.
“I’m referring to 16-19-year-olds especially, what can we do to get them involved and stay involved?
“A lot start apprenticeships and traineeships and these sort of things. They get a taste of money working at Ripcurl a couple of nights a week.
“How do we get those guys who don’t want to get hurt, they aren’t getting paid.... and they want to work and get some coin.
“How do we go about getting them back in the game?”
Farrelly said they also needed to try and keep players in the game longer, with many people walking away in their late 20s.
He also spoke of making a few changes to try and get the game more exciting for parents, family members and spectators.
Farrelly has put together a list of a whole range of things he thinks can improve the game at the local level.
The first thing Farrelly would change is the length of the game.
“I would like to bring it back to 20-25 minutes with no time-on. It’s faster, more intense looking at the AFL. A lot of the scoring and for a lot of games you won’t know any different,” he said.
“Players looked like they had more energy in the tank and there’s less blowouts.
“I use my side from last year... we did well for the majority of the quarter, but because we are a young side, we would fade.
“From a supporter perspective, it’s quicker games and it starts earlier and finishes earlier.”
Farrelly also supports the reduction of half time from 20 minutes down to 10 minutes, which would again make the game better for supporters.
He also discussed the possibility of only 16 players on the ground, an extra player on the bench and limiting the numbers on clubs list.
One idea Farrelly also raised was changing the way clubs approach pre-season.
He said at Roxburgh Park they decided to make training before Christmas not compulsory and they saw a record number of players turning up.
Farrelly and his reserves coach, EDFL Media’s Kaine Hocking, discussed the impact of COVID-19 on the Magpies.
They also spoke about how long they thought clubs would need for a mini pre-season, their views on promotion and relegation and EDFL All Stars Bushfire Appeal match from earlier this year.
