The problem is with not allowing players to kick backwards, that we play on an oval. I saw many times in the preseason comp, a player kick from the boundary outside the 50 into the 50. The ball appeared to go forward, but obviously the ball was closer to goal, yet these marks were paid. Are we to use this rule as though we play on a rectangular field?

Yeah, I agree about the out-of-bounds bit. Aussie Rules is about the only game of it's type where you don't get penalised in some way for kicking, tapping or running the ball out of play. Can you think of another one??? I know sometimes it would seem unfair if someone accidently tapped the ball out of bounds in their defensive area and the opposition scored a goal from it. Perhaps a rule where if a team takes the ball out accidentally, the opposition gets a free kick but can't have a direct shot at goal???

Another thing I hate is teams going all defensive and kicking the ball around in their defensive 50 to waste time. I think they should introduce a rule that apart from kick-outs you can't take a mark off one of your teammates' kicks when you're inside your defensive 50. So in other words, if someone kicks the ball to a teammate who's inside the defensive 50, they can't go back and waste time, they have to play on.

Another one I hate is players intentionaly tapping, kicking or running the ball through for a 'rushed' behind. I know they experimented with awarding 3 points for this in the Wizard Cup, but here's what I would do. I reckon keep it at one point for a rushed behind, but instead of then letting that offending team kick out, make it a ball-up on the edge of the goal square. That might stop a few of those rushed behinds. And you wouldn't have to worry about the defensive tactic of the ruckman smashing the ball through for a point from the ball-up, because that would just result in another ball-up and another attacking chance for the opposition!

Any merit at all in those ideas?