Runners

[NoMore]

Not sure whether we have had this discussion as i haven't been on for a while but i have been thinking and was wondering what everyones opinion on runners and there role in the game is.

My standing is that we should possibly get rid of them. This would give the players greater conrol over what happens on the ground. it would make players with real leadership quality worth there weight in gold and perhaps limit a runners use to purely getting players on and off the ground. The AFL could mic the runners up so as to make sure they are not issuing intructions and we could possibly issue free kicks where a runner does. my preference would be to get rid of them all together. I see no need for them

[Old Mate]

How would players no when to come off the ground?

[NoMore]

most players come off at set times now anyway or when they are buggered. This is when the coaches could instruct them and then they can go back on. it works in other sports

[Moods]

Not sure whether we have had this discussion as i haven't been on for a while but i have been thinking and was wondering what everyones opinion on runners and there role in the game is.

My standing is that we should possibly get rid of them. This would give the players greater conrol over what happens on the ground. it would make players with real leadership quality worth there weight in gold and perhaps limit a runners use to purely getting players on and off the ground. The AFL could mic the runners up so as to make sure they are not issuing intructions and we could possibly issue free kicks where a runner does. my preference would be to get rid of them all together. I see no need for them

I agree

[Middo]

Not sure whether we have had this discussion as i haven't been on for a while but i have been thinking and was wondering what everyones opinion on runners and there role in the game is.

My standing is that we should possibly get rid of them. This would give the players greater conrol over what happens on the ground. it would make players with real leadership quality worth there weight in gold and perhaps limit a runners use to purely getting players on and off the ground. The AFL could mic the runners up so as to make sure they are not issuing intructions and we could possibly issue free kicks where a runner does. my preference would be to get rid of them all together. I see no need for them

Now we know why you haven't been on for a while...get well soon . !!
No Runners...

[NoMore]

Not sure whether we have had this discussion as i haven't been on for a while but i have been thinking and was wondering what everyones opinion on runners and there role in the game is.

My standing is that we should possibly get rid of them. This would give the players greater conrol over what happens on the ground. it would make players with real leadership quality worth there weight in gold and perhaps limit a runners use to purely getting players on and off the ground. The AFL could mic the runners up so as to make sure they are not issuing intructions and we could possibly issue free kicks where a runner does. my preference would be to get rid of them all together. I see no need for them

Now we know why you haven't been on for a while...get well soon . !!
No Runners...

OK fair enough then

[perfectionist]

Runners are such an integral part of the game - well ours are anyway. It's important that 60 yos still have an on field role rather than just sit in the stands - like me. From my umpiring days, I can remember hearing all the crucial messages that runners used to bring the players on a weekly basis. Like, "stay on your man" or "make sure you kick the next one" and "come off". Of course, we could replace them by allowing the person in control of the microphone at games to announce the messages. "This one's for Big Ben - keep up the good work. " Or, to add a bit of interest, "Number 14 come off, you're time is up. " Not giving the team will just keep players on their toes. Perhaps we could have a little music between messages - the 1812 Overture for instance.

[Junction Oval]

I have some empathy wth No More's point.

If you are sitting close to the play, you will hear the key line players - Fisher on the backline, Riewoldt on the forward line, Lenny in the centre, calling the shots all the time. Also, watch players change who they are marking from time to time, depending on the state of play, without a runner in sight.

I think that we could easilly reduce the Runners to 1, which still enables the coach to get out "important" messages. It's a pain watching 4 yellow suited guys on the field - they seem to be "interfering" in everything that happens.

[plugger66]

I have some empathy wth No More's point.

If you are sitting close to the play, you will hear the key line players - Fisher on the backline, Riewoldt on the forward line, Lenny in the centre, calling the shots all the time. Also, watch players change who they are marking from time to time, depending on the state of play, without a runner in sight.

I think that we could easilly reduce the Runners to 1, which still enables the coach to get out "important" messages. It's a pain watching 4 yellow suited guys on the field - they seem to be "interfering" in everything that happens.

I never notice runners or water boys unless they give a free away. I only look at the players and how the play is being set up. They could have 10 runners for all I care.

[NoMore]

i know i never played footy at a high level but has anyone here ever had a valuble message delivered by a runner. Mostly it is "well done" or somethin like that.

Pointless clowns who are taking up space and just adding to the things umpires have to look after

[plugger66]

i know i never played footy at a high level but has anyone here ever had a valuble message delivered by a runner. Mostly it is "well done" or somethin like that.

Pointless clowns who are taking up space and just adding to the things umpires have to look after

Pretty sure they never run out to say well done. They are either getting players off or instructing them on where to stand at certain set ups.

[NoMore]

i know i never played footy at a high level but has anyone here ever had a valuble message delivered by a runner. Mostly it is "well done" or somethin like that.

Pointless clowns who are taking up space and just adding to the things umpires have to look after

Pretty sure they never run out to say well done. They are either getting players off or instructing them on where to stand at certain set ups.

Pretty sure this is my point. You get rid of them and the thing that we often hear complained about that the game is overcoached would be gone. The major players would have to show great leadership and i think the game would be much better for it

[St Loxton]

The coaching staff could just "twitter" the players with instructions on the field.

Keep the runners!!

[Con Gorozidis]

I reckon they could get rid of runners. I guess the question is are they a part of the games history and culture worth keeping?

i would say no. but im sure some old timers would say yes.

[plugger66]

i know i never played footy at a high level but has anyone here ever had a valuble message delivered by a runner. Mostly it is "well done" or somethin like that.

Pointless clowns who are taking up space and just adding to the things umpires have to look after

Pretty sure they never run out to say well done. They are either getting players off or instructing them on where to stand at certain set ups.

Pretty sure this is my point. You get rid of them and the thing that we often hear complained about that the game is overcoached would be gone. The major players would have to show great leadership and i think the game would be much better for it

Then the great players would be to preoccupied to play at their best. The last thing they need to do is coach even more than they do now on the field.

[Eastern]

Runners? Aren't they the old geezers in yellow uniforms who run to the wrong spots and give away free kicks & 50m penalties? !!

[Junction Oval]

Reduce Runners to 1. The coach can still get important messages out.

The "set plays" are now well drilled. Players know what has to be done.

[Old Mate]

Reduce Runners to 1. The coach can still get important messages out.

The "set plays" are now well drilled. Players know what has to be done.

You'd have to have someone of Rob Harvey's fitness capacity in that case.

[plugger66]

Reduce Runners to 1. The coach can still get important messages out.

The "set plays" are now well drilled. Players know what has to be done.

Yep on our side. What about when another side changes things up during a quarter. One or two runners. Dont see the difference.

[mr six o'clock]

Runners have become a joke !
10 seconds after a game starts , there on the ground and thereafter , never off it .
They coach , they fill up spaces , they get in players peripheral vision , and in our case the idiots give away free kicks !!
the solution is easy ; have 1 runner and only allow them on the ground a set number of times between the 5th and 25th minute of each quarter ,
this would lessen there impact .
Players basically rotate themselves off the bench nowdays , so the traditional role of the runner ( delivering messages ) has become virtually obsolete.

[Moods]

Why are they so integral to our game Middo? Just b/c we're used to seeing them out on the ground for the last 100 years doesn't mean in todays footy we need them. I reckon the biggest joke in basketball for example is that they require time outs to set up plays.

Let the boys play for a 1/4 at a time. Most blokes are interchanged at a very fast rate. If a coach wants to move a player strategically or wants a player off INSTANTLY, then he can send out a msg to someone who has been rotated.

The reason they were necessary was b/c we never had the sort of rotations we have nowadays. We have enough ppl on the field and we don't need anymore. The coaches of course want them, they want as much control as they can get. Let the players make their own adjustments whilst the game is going on. We have 3 breaks during the game for coaches to have an impact. More than most field sports which usually only play 2 halves.

I'm all for getting rid of the runners altogether.

[GrumpyOne]

We should implant listening devices into our players so that the coach could give them direct instructions.

Would be handy off-field too.

[plugger66]

Why are they so integral to our game Middo? Just b/c we're used to seeing them out on the ground for the last 100 years doesn't mean in todays footy we need them. I reckon the biggest joke in basketball for example is that they require time outs to set up plays.

Let the boys play for a 1/4 at a time. Most blokes are interchanged at a very fast rate. If a coach wants to move a player strategically or wants a player off INSTANTLY, then he can send out a msg to someone who has been rotated.

The reason they were necessary was b/c we never had the sort of rotations we have nowadays. We have enough ppl on the field and we don't need anymore. The coaches of course want them, they want as much control as they can get. Let the players make their own adjustments whilst the game is going on. We have 3 breaks during the game for coaches to have an impact. More than most field sports which usually only play 2 halves.

I'm all for getting rid of the runners altogether.

Its only 2 extra people. i actually cant believe people notice them unless they give a free away. I dont even hardly notice the umpires out there and there are 7 of them not including goal umpires.

[Middo]

Why are they so integral to our game Middo? Just b/c we're used to seeing them out on the ground for the last 100 years doesn't mean in todays footy we need them. I reckon the biggest joke in basketball for example is that they require time outs to set up plays.

Let the boys play for a 1/4 at a time. Most blokes are interchanged at a very fast rate. If a coach wants to move a player strategically or wants a player off INSTANTLY, then he can send out a msg to someone who has been rotated.

The reason they were necessary was b/c we never had the sort of rotations we have nowadays. We have enough ppl on the field and we don't need anymore. The coaches of course want them, they want as much control as they can get. Let the players make their own adjustments whilst the game is going on. We have 3 breaks during the game for coaches to have an impact. More than most field sports which usually only play 2 halves.

I'm all for getting rid of the runners altogether.

I'm siding with the Plug on this one , just think we need the connection between the coach the bench and the player.So many things can happen on the field and a rotation can be easily missed by a player having to worry about looking at the clock to see if it's time to come of. There are injuries and match ups that need to be addressed as the game is played out and the runner is the conjuit between player and coach. Maybe one runner is suffice but don't really take much notice of them ...

[Moods]

Why are they so integral to our game Middo? Just b/c we're used to seeing them out on the ground for the last 100 years doesn't mean in todays footy we need them. I reckon the biggest joke in basketball for example is that they require time outs to set up plays.

Let the boys play for a 1/4 at a time. Most blokes are interchanged at a very fast rate. If a coach wants to move a player strategically or wants a player off INSTANTLY, then he can send out a msg to someone who has been rotated.

The reason they were necessary was b/c we never had the sort of rotations we have nowadays. We have enough ppl on the field and we don't need anymore. The coaches of course want them, they want as much control as they can get. Let the players make their own adjustments whilst the game is going on. We have 3 breaks during the game for coaches to have an impact. More than most field sports which usually only play 2 halves.

I'm all for getting rid of the runners altogether.

I'm siding with the Plug on this one , just think we need the connection between the coach the bench and the player.So many things can happen on the field and a rotation can be easily missed by a player having to worry about looking at the clock to see if it's time to come of. There are injuries and match ups that need to be addressed as the game is played out and the runner is the conjuit between player and coach. Maybe one runner is suffice but don't really take much notice of them ...

Look to be honest, I don't take much notice of them either, just not sure why they are necessary. If both teams don't have a runner then nil team is disadvantaged. I reckon it makes the games a little bit more purely about the players and their abilities to adjust to different circumstances in a game, which to me enhances the contest. Players are so well drilled now, and so professional, they can work on different scenarios at training. The less input by coaches the better. Reason I get annoyed at American sports is that they're forever coming to the bench and listening to what a coach tells them what to do rather than thinking for themselves. I reckon this tells us as much as anything as to who the better team is. Mick Malthouse couldn't change what the saints were doing in the 2nd half of the 1st GF last year. Didn't matter how many msg's he sent out. Leads into the other point ppl were making. They have minimal impact on the game anyway. Real changes aren't made until the breaks in the game.

I have recently started coaching my daughter's U13 netball team (very comparable to AFL I know ) and I reckon one of the best things about the game is that the only stoppage is if a player gets injured. Otherwise the girls have to work out the game themselves for each 1/4. Basketball drives me mad with all their timeouts. Both my daughters play that and I'm forever thinking, 'Just let them play!.'