It’s getting down to crunch time in the AFL pre-season with clubs set to trial new game plans in unofficial match simulations and official pre-season scraps, new rules tested and players out on the park in different colours.
This is your guide to the pre-season as we count down the days to Richmond and Carlton opening the 2023 season on March 16.
New Essendon coach Brad Scott’.Credit:Getty Images
Match simulations and practice matches
Unofficial match simulations are organised between clubs and held in the last week of February, expected to take place on February 23 and 24.
These help clubs test out what they’ve been working on over the summer and give bodies a good taste of the intensity that’s to come.
Here are the likely match-ups:
Essendon and Gold Coast, at Metricon Stadium
Brisbane and Sydney, at Tramway Oval, Sydney
Hawthorn and Geelong, at GMHBA Stadium
North Melbourne and Richmond, at Arden Street
St Kilda and Melbourne, at RSEA Park
Carlton and Collingwood, venue TBD
Fremantle and Adelaide, venue TBD
West Coast and Port Adelaide, venue TBD
It was also reported that GWS opted out of an informal scratch match, choosing to focus on the community camp in Canberra to develop their new game plan.
A week after this, official pre-season practice matches are set to take place, with the fixture expected to be announced early this week.
GWS will likely face Gold Coast in Blacktown, the Power will meet the Dockers and the Eagles will face the Crows.
With the new Gather Round in Adelaide increasing the rounds from 23 to 24, there will now be just one official pre-season match for each club.
What are the new rules?
There are three rule changes for the 2023 season, including two to the man-on-the-mark laws.
The AFL says the tweaks to the rules came with the aim of making it easier to umpire and officiate, minimising unnecessary game delay and reducing rule “exploitation” tactics.
The first is players will no longer be awarded a 50-metre penalty by fooling an opponent with a fake handball to break the mark. Instead, when this occurs, the mark and stand will be reset. However, if the player seeming to fake a handball steps off their line, umpires will call “play-on”.
And in a bid to crack down on time-wasting, players will also be forced to make an immediate decision as to who stands the mark inside the protected area. A player having conceded a free kick, or lost a marking contest, must now immediately leave the protected area or stand the mark.
A player can no longer track backwards having initially shaped to stand the mark.
If a player enters the protected area after a mark is taken or free-kick given, they must remain there and stand the mark. If this player leaves the area, a 50-metre penalty will be awarded.
Thirdly, umpires will no longer provide a warning at the 15-second mark for players lining up for goal.
Players must still begin their routine inside 30 seconds, with a warning now only given at the 25-second mark. By then, it’s expected most players will be into their routine, meaning umpires have one less act to oversee.
With new coaches come new game plans
With new coaches come new game plans, which makes Essendon, GWS, North Melbourne and St Kilda clubs to watch.
Giants coach Adam Kingsley wants the side to play a faster brand of footy. Credit:Getty Images
For Essendon, there are big questions on how the back line will be set up, with the club’s whole team defence presumably high on new coach Brad Scott’s fix-it list. How Jordan Ridley, Jayden Laverde, Mason Redman, Jake Kelly and Nick Hind combine poses an interesting question, while the side’s midfield also has been a trouble area in recent seasons and could see some rejigging.
Ross Lyon’s return to the helm of St Kilda may see the comeback of the Saints as a high-pressured, chaos side. He’s said he wants the side to be able to push forward quickly and use their run, so that’s something to look out for, while the Max King-shaped hole also poses an interesting dilemma for the structure of their forward line.
For North Melbourne, Alastair Clarkson’s homecoming will undoubtedly change the look and feel of the Kangaroos. While the team are likely still miles off being a genuine premiership contender, a more bullish style of play is probably on the cards.
The Giants’ new coach Adam Kingsley has said he wants to increase running capacity to play a faster brand of footy. The side will also have a different-looking midfield after the departures of Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper, but an exciting new forward in No.1 draft pick Aaron Cadman.
The player changes and new kids to watch
We’ll also get some first looks at how players who’ve changed jumpers since we’ve last seen them slot into their new teams. Plus, there will be a slew of fresh faces in the draftees that have joined the ranks.
We’ll likely get some insight into what Melbourne’s ruck situation looks like with the addition of Brodie Grundy alongside Max Gawn and the loss of Luke Jackson, who departed for Fremantle.
Then there’s how Geelongrecruits Ollie Henry, Tanner Bruhn and Jack Bowes will complement the veterans and how the added star power of Tom Mitchell will shape Collingwood’s already strong midfield.
And if Brisbane’s premiership credentials are looking even more legit with Josh Dunkley and Jack Gunston now in the mix.
Meanwhile, Hawthorn lost a slew of older players over the break, including Gunston, Mitchell and Jaeger O’Meara but added a fresh crop of 18-year-olds, including top-10 draft pick Cameron Mackenzie.
Over at the Bombers, fans will no doubt be anxiously awaiting how Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti is progressing after coming out of retirement, and Jason Horne-Francis in Port Adelaide gear will be quite a change for the eyes.
Then there are old faithfuls and fan favourites who many just can’t wait to watch in action again, such as 2022 Brownlow medallist Patrick Cripps, Rory Sloane, Steele Sidebottom, Dustin Martin and Lance Franklin.
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