Has the 4 boundry umpires helped us?

[MACEwasACE]

The 4 Boundry umpieres were introduced half way through the season, roughly about the time our form turned around.

I was just reaging Akka's coloumn in the Hun and got thinking if this move has been benificial to us, considering we have good around the ground rucks in Blake, Kingy, Garnder Roo and Kosi, where other teams rely on one or two?

Is this something we can exploit on Sat night?

[Geezer]

4 boundary umpires were only introduced for the finals.

over rated - although it helps on adjudications of on the full, the throw in's are generally consistent and dont get shorter as the game wears on.

now all we need is another goal umpire at each end.

[degruch]

As long as the additional maggots don't start getting beyond themselves, like the one that overruled the goal umpire to award Porplysia a goal against the Bulldogs (Akka)!

[ctqs]

It couldn't hurt us. I think we're one of the fittest sides in the comp so anything to speed the game up will be to our advantage, especially as the game wears on and opponents get more and more tired. We seem to be finishing games strongly, either getting back into them or pulling away the longer it goes.

[markp]

It's very likely.... Spida was saying after his retirement the impact of the introduction should not be underestimated, and one ruckman just cant get to every contest. We can have kosi, blake and king covering the whole ground at any one time.

[n1ck]

Ive been saying for a while its useful to have 3 'big' guys on the ground, in different areas. Blake can contest in defence and run it out, Kingy in the middle for the bounces and centre line throw ins, he can also provide a tall marking target for long kicks out of defence as well as being a useful handball link man in the centre of the park - and Kosi up forward, providing a contest in forward 50 throw ins and ball ups.

I think it could work, especially against a team like the Hawks who dont have an abundance of taller players. Its a good way to utilise our height which is a strength - while not letting each one of them run out of puff.

[redwhite&blackblood]

I don't think it helped us in week 1. where the cats had better rucks and were better at clearances. In week 2 we simply had better rucks and better mids to clear the ball so i don't think it has made an impact on the teams playing. Only thing it has done is the tools in Rainbow colors running the boundary get paid more for less work.

[saintspremiers]

Kingy seems to have improved his fitness base enormously over the season, and keeps getting fitter, so it's definitely working in our favour in that respect.

[iwantmeseats]

Do we really need to speedthe game up even more? I just dont get it. And turn the ruck position into just another athletes area like most others?

I dont care what the positives are any more, Im sick and tired of having the game constantly f***ed with, its just not necessary. WHY do we have to constantly be introducing new rules? Its just ridiculous.

[Bernard Shakey]

4 boundary umps came in for round 21 in preparation for the finals.

Once again the AFL has changed the rules without consulting the clubs.