In 2020 who cares about the look of the game - Footy is back so let’s celebrate it.

It wasn't long ago footy fans were desperate for the game to return from its COVID-19 hiatus.

But all of a sudden, some have the season marked with an “asterisk” and we’re constantly hearing “the game is too short”, “low scoring”, “boring” and “we don't pay enough holding the ball free kicks”.

Our memories are short.

When Hawthorn Super Coach Alastair Clarkson fronted his post-match press conference after the Hawks narrow four-point win over North Melbourne, he clearly had something on his mind.

Clarkson didn't mess around saying “I thought it was a terrible spectacle, 69 tackles and not one of them can be adjudicated as holding the ball? What happened to our game?” He even went as far as saying the game is in a “dreadful space”.

That’s where he lost me.

Sure, holding the ball and prior opportunity have been an issue for years, we rarely reward the tackler and play turns into a rolling maul.

But, in a “Dreadful Space?”  Give me a spell.

He we are living in a world where COVID-19 is running rampant infecting millions of people all around the word, yet we in Australia appear on top of it and sporting organisations like the AFL have already been able to return to play, while the rest of the world is still in sporting lockdown.

We should be thanking our lucky stars we’re actually back playing - season 2020 is a blessing we could so easily have missed out on.

Sure, the game appears different with no crowds and fake noise on telecasts but instead of bashing the game, let’s take a look at why the product is the way it is.

On the eve of the season, game time was cut back from 22 minutes plus time on quarters to 16-minutes plus time on to restrict the players workload should they have to play back to back games within a short space of time.

After players spent the summer getting ready, no sooner had round one completed, the season went into lockdown for 12 weeks.

Players were forced to train on their own, then after weeks away they returned to their clubs in limited training numbers.

Clubs were only allowed to complete five competitive training sessions before the season re-start, when normally they complete three competitive sessions per week.

Players are expected to live a quarantine-type existence at home and only permitted to leave for necessities, exercise and travel to and from training, whilst also undertaking regular COVID-19 testing.

Teams have been expected to move into interstate hubs and play games away from loved ones for weeks on end. While other teams have been forced to adopt a same day fly-in fly-out model for interstate matches.

Rolling fixtures are the norm and players are now operating in clubs that have suffered significant job losses and pay cuts to existing staff.

It’s little wonder we are seeing the game below its best.  

The players have had compromised preparations and have less resources at their disposal and are expected to be ready to play at the drop of a hat.

When you take into account matches are at least six minutes + time on shorter, players aren’t under as much fatigue as in past years.

Late in quarters used to be the time when players’ decision making was under the most pressure as fatigue set in, skill execution was at its most difficult.  This was when games would be broken open.

And because of shorter quarters, games are now closer and scoring is well down – with only four teams having kicked 100points or more so far in 2020.

Before COVID-19, AFL has regularly toyed with making the game more entertaining.

However, I find it very hypocritical that AFL Coaches like Alistair Clarkson say the game is “in a dreadful space” because no sooner has a new rule or interpretation been introduced, the Coaches are the first ones who are trying to manipulate it so their teams can get an advantage to “win”.

It’s not hard to see why the game has changed.

The 6/6/6 centre bounce rule was introduced to stop coaches sending an extra defender behind the ball to stifle scoring.

3rd man up was outlawed to give ruckmen an opportunity to evenly contest the ruck.

Holding the ball was tightened to stop teams causing repeated stoppages and slowing the game down.

And deliberate rushed behinds were outlawed after players chose to concede a point and take advantage of the quick kick in to catch opposition players out of position.

The list goes on and our coaches are to blame, but they are only doing what they are paid to do - install a game plan and tactics that helps them win games of football.

However, the AFL must be happy, they have kept the season alive when the game looked in strife and the TV ratings are through the roof, with fans tuning in at record levels.

Sure, the game needs to address whether to add new rules to call play on when players kick the ball backwards in their defensive halves or if they should cut the interchange rotations cap in half - but that can wait for until next year.

And hopefully once the minor round is completed this year, we can revert back to 22 minutes plus time quarters for the Final Series.

But we mustn’t forget season 2020 is like no other, and we could have ended up with much worse, but we haven’t.

A Premiership will still be won at seasons’ end and the team that achieves it would have had to experience more than anyone in the past to taste the premiership glory.

Anyone saying 2020 is an asterisk year, needs a good hard look in the mirror.