Hardwick hopes “sanity prevails” with VFL anti-density rules

RICHMOND coach Damien Hardwick has slammed the VFL’s new controversial anti-density rules.

The rules require three players from each team to be inside both 50-meter arcs at boundary throw-ins and kick-ins, including one from each side in the goal-square.

The idea for the rules is to open up play and reduce congestion, while promoting individual contests.

Richmond and Hawthorn played a VFL scratch match at Punt Road Oval on Sunday morning, and Hardwick described what he saw as “laughable” and “non-AFL like”.

“The free kicks today at VFL level were laughable,” Hardwick said after Richmond and Hawthorn’s Round 2 AFL clash.

“The game unfortunately at the lower level with the rules, is very, very challenging.

“It is hard to prepare them (VFL players) for AFL level, because it is so non-AFL like.”

Hardwick said the new rules result in players running fewer kilometres than they would at the top level, ill-preparing those who could make the jump to AFL.

“It’s going to be an enormous challenge,” he said. “They’ll have to do top up running because it’s nothing like AFL at the minute.”

Hardwick confirmed that he has expressed his displeasure with the AFL and hoped that “sanity would prevail”.

“We have, we’ve expressed our concerns so it’s over to them really,” he said. “We probably need to have a lower league with the same rules, that’s my thoughts.

“I think sanity would prevail at some stage, would it not?”

-BY LACHLAN GELEIT/ SEN