What I See with Peter Fiorenza: Why the best parts of AFL and local footy are steadily being eroded

AFL football disappoints me at the moment.

In fact, all football, including our local GNFL leaves a lot to be desired.

Why? Because the game simply isn’t what it used to be.

Every weekend — especially Thursday and Friday nights — I’d settle in for footy on the box, but in recent years, that has steadily changed.

For me, the attraction to Aussie Rules over other sport was that the game promoted individual prowess. It was indeed it’s point of difference.

Exciting, quick-running passages of play, combined with freaky marks and astonishing goals that churned excitement.

Sadly, in recent times, this aspect of our great game has been steadily eroded.

Recently, West Coast Eagles star and Geraldton’s own Liam Ryan took an outstanding mark at Optus Stadium.

Immediately, it captured the imagination of not just the football public, but the public, in general.

It has been replayed again and again, coupled with numerous pictures in the press and on social media.

And I’m sure people will be talking about it for weeks, and weeks, and weeks.

Because there is unlikely to be another similar sporting feat for some time, perhaps for the rest of the season.

Do you know where I’m coming from?

Firstly, in the past 10 years, the game has become contrived — a possession game.

I reckon this is the result of coaches orchestrating a style of play that is as foolproof as possible — win at all costs.

And not allowing for breakaway passages of play that create those “heart in your mouth” situations we all love to see.

In my opinion, the result is a boring game of stoppage after stoppage.

Football has deteriorated to a game of congestion upon congestion, with umpires not able to make clear decisions and just throwing the ball up again and again.

While it’s risen to epidemic levels in the AFL, it is also being transferred to the game locally.

As a commentator, it is very frustrating.

I find myself having to repeat what I say time and time again.

With the same passages being continually played out, my description also becomes repetitive and boring. And this is not a good thing.

One of my main jobs as a commentator is to promote the game and make it interesting and exciting for the listener or viewer.

Right now, that’s not happening, and I’m worried about where it’s all headed.

The AFL has consistently been introducing new rules to speed up the game for some years now, but I can tell you, it’s not working.

I reckon the administration of the game needs to sit down with our coaches at the top level and look at what can be done to reverse this alarming trend.

Because, if they don’t, I feel the free flowing, open and exciting game we have all come to love could be gone forever.

Peter Fiorenza hosts Sports Shed Saturday (9am to noon) and Fiorenza on Sunday (10am to noon) on Radio MAMA. He’s also on Radio Geraldton (radiogeraldton.com.au)