When does Buddy Franklin play on?

[MW]

Sorry if this has been brought up before, but when Buddy Franklin takes a set shot for goal, he drifts in his run up a long way left, surely moving off the line...Doesnt that make it play on? Shouldn't opposition players be ready for this and approach him? The umpires never call play on though do they?

[locky801]

Good point actually, time to get the replays out to have a look but reckon you are not far off of the mark (no pun intended)

[MW]

Watching Nick Maxwell try to combat his run up by manning the mark so far right (buddys left) made me think about it...

[Pidge]

I would call it play on when i umpire

[gadj1976]

He runs "off the line" so yes, technically he does play on. No umpire's been switched on enough to call it yet. Sumich did it for years without getting called once, so I don't see anything changing.

[MW]

Maybe the opposition coaches need to mention it in a press conference once to prompt the umps

[Pidge]

If it was the end of the game and he was having a set shot and couldnt play on. He was to do his normal swing around, it would be deemed as play on and no score would be added. Am I right or Wrong?

[MW]

you are technically right but like I said they dont call it on any set shot of his.

[heater31]

Maybe the opposition coaches need to mention it in a press conference once to prompt the umps

The umps have much more important things to concentrate on getting right first before getting tough on this behavior.

Anybody see the 3 clangers in 30 seconds yesterday by an umpire in Essendon V Melbourne??? Worse thing is not only do they let this clown have a whistle in the AFL the bloody SANFL give him one too

[spell_check]

I saw a player in the AFL do what Franklin did over the boundary line (in the back pocket I think), and it was called out of bounds. Yet, also, a player can take up to three to four steps to the left or right in the field of play before being called play on?

[Adelaide Hawk]

You know what amazes me? Players have been doing the very same thing as Buddy for many many years. In all levels of footy you see players running off to one side so they can hook the ball across the body for extra distance. It's got me stuffed why it has suddenly become an issue. I guess when players come along as pronounced as Franklin, people look at ways to minimise his effectiveness. If umpires suddenly began calling "play on" for what Franklin does, they are going to be very busy calling it for everyone.

The interesting thing about Collingwood's tactic was on a number of occasions they were encroaching inside the 5 metre radius even though the umpire hadn't called play on. To me, that's more an infraction of the rules than a player moving slightly to one side when he kicks for goal.

[blink]

The interesting thing about Collingwood's tactic was on a number of occasions they were encroaching inside the 5 metre radius even though the umpire hadn't called play on. To me, that's more an infraction of the rules than a player moving slightly to one side when he kicks for goal.

Good point AH - I think the Collingwood players encroaching him from inside the 5 metre "rolling" radius (as Tim Watson put it Friday night) is more of the issue than Buddy running a metre wide on his run up. That is why the umpires paid close attention to it after the first couple of times they tried it.

If Maxwell had stopped him having the 15 or 16 shots on goal in the first place, then he wouldn't have needed to worry about putting him off on his run up!

[Psyber]

The Umpires coach pointed out on radio that it is up to the Umpire on the spot's judgement whether the deviation is just part of his approach to the kick or an intent to play on. That seems fair enough. They know his style.

[MW]

So the rule is "intent" to play on...that explains it then.

[Psyber]

So the rule is "intent" to play on...that explains it then.

Whatever the written rule says, it application is always dependent on the umpires assessment of what is happening, and how he interprets the written words, as no words can be absolutely without ambiguity.

[silicone skyline]

Richardson does it too yeah? Only i reckon he gets called because he runs in straight and hooks late, Franklin seems to disguise it more.

[Adelaide Hawk]

Richardson does it too yeah? Only i reckon he gets called because he runs in straight and hooks late, Franklin seems to disguise it more.

Mate, players have been doing it for years. I've constantly criticised players over the years for not running in a straight line when kicking for goal. The way people are carrying on about this, you'd think Buddy is deriving some form of advantage, but in reality it is the single most contributing factor to his inaccuracy. The people who SHOULD be complaining about it is the Hawthorn coaches, but they aren't as fussed about it as others appear to be.

[silicone skyline]

I think they'd take the 8 goals with the 14 points
I agree, i was always taught to run straight at the target and not kick around corners.
Richo is hardly a case for accuracy too .
Lockett and Dunstall (in our recent eras) were straight line kickers, Stephen Milne is also incredibly accurate from a set shot.
there's not much to the technique really, shouldn't be hard to teach.

[spell_check]

I saw a player in the AFL do what Franklin did over the boundary line (in the back pocket I think), and it was called out of bounds. Yet, also, a player can take up to three to four steps to the left or right in the field of play before being called play on?

What I mean by this, in general play, after a mark has been taken (say half back) a player takes about three steps to the left or right before play on is called, and the player on the mark can't do anything about it.

[MW]

It's officially legal...

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,865 ... 11,00.html