FOOTBALL should change is name to 'zoneball' if the AFL introduces zones to combat congestion, according to Melbourne coach Paul Roos.
Former West Coast coach John Worsfold said on Monday introducing zones had been raised at a recent Laws of the Game committee meeting but it was considered, at this stage, an impractical solution.
Roos laughed at the suggestion, saying if it was introduced, the game would be so different it should not be called football anymore.
"If we want to keep it as football we keep it as football. If we want to play a different game then you call it something else and we'll play a different game," Roos said.
"We can have two games – one Australian Rules Football and have one called zoneball – that is a great idea."
Roos said the current game was good to watch and was evolving to a more one-on-one style. He said the concern about congestion was an overreaction.
"We were talking about the flood years ago, and that went away. We were worried about the zones and then that went away and now we have got one-on-one football," Roos said.
"If you watch the game closely, the game at the moment it is as close to 18 one-on-one contests as you can possibly have and we still have people complaining."
Roos said he couldn’t remember a time when every match was sensational but in general terms, the game was tracking well.
He suggested the biggest change was the introduction of two extra teams, which spread the talent.
The introduction of Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney means 100 extra players play AFL each season.
While he was at it, Roos said the Match Review Panel's inconsistency remained a frustration but he acknowledged it was a difficult job.
He suggested the MRP could create a bank of vision showing low, medium and high impact hits to draw upon when assessing and grading particular hits.
Melbourne's key forward Chris Dawes missed Saturday’s clash against Port Adelaide in Alice Springs after being suspended for one week for striking. His contact with Richmond's Alex Rance was assessed as medium impact.
Dawes said he was reluctant to criticise the MRP’s decision in his case because he put himself in that position and had to cop the suspension.
He admitted he carried a personal bias because he was suspended but he said he there was too much risk attached to players defending themselves in front of a tribunal in such circumstances.
"My biggest concern is that it is a system where I couldn't defend myself. I couldn't risk getting a second week on top of the one that I ended up taking with the early plea," Dawes said.
He said assessing impact had become too subjective.
"It needs reviewing and it will be reviewed but I don't want to criticise too much because it was brought in with the right intentions and I'm sure they will come in with a more workable system towards the end of the year," Dawes said.
