AFL FOOTBALL operations manager Steve Hocking's visits to clubs over the state of the game might have resulted in more attractive play in recent weeks, Coaches' Association boss Mark Brayshaw says.
Hocking has been visiting coaches around the competition to discuss how football is being played as the AFL considers rule changes to lessen congestion.
While Brayshaw has only spoken to one coach about this issue recently, he told SEN radio on Thursday he thought it likely football had improved because of Hocking's tour.
"I reckon the footy's been great in the last few weeks and I'm wondering out loud whether it has to do with the road show Steve and his team are doing," Brayshaw said.
He acknowledged coaches would have differing views on the topic but believed Hocking had made an impact.
"I think it's fair to say they're (coaches) a very smart bunch of guys and if Steve and his team spent a couple of hours with them and said, 'Look, here's the trend, here's the evidence, here's the state of the nation', I'd be astonished if they weren't moved by it," Brayshaw said.
"I'm only guessing, but I suspect it easily could have had a reaction."
The AFL is considering trialling rule changes in games this season that won't affect the finals race, with Brisbane CEO Greg Swann on the record that he's comfortable with the proposal.
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"I know that the coaches are open-minded to anything that's demonstrably in the best interests of the game. I think that's fair," Brayshaw said.
"In response to this latest speculation about trials during the second half of the year, or the last few weeks of the year, I'm not at all surprised to hear Swanny say that the Lions are open-minded, but at the same time, I'm also aware that some of them are a bit cautious about it demeaning the game and so forth.
"Underlying it all is a view that the best interests of the game has to prevail."
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