Crio’s Question: What brainstorms have been short-lived?

Buried in the sports coverage this week was the announcement not to proceed with the “names on jumpers” proposal.

Another think-tank fails. Maybe they should pay on performance.
Here are a couple of other short-lived “initiatives” in AFL:-
– The Winning Ratio. I recalled this on the split round weekend as Ch7 went for the “live ladder”. Though the ratio made mathematical sense, it was anathema to the points tradition and dropped when an even number of teams reconstituted.
– Both Field Umps Giving Brownlow Votes. Again, not nonsense, but the possibility of big discrepancies quickly frightened Town Hall. These days, with 3 field umps, young Gazza might push Bradman.
– Centre Diamond. Amended to square. Can’t recall why.
– Priority Picks (automatic). The Kreuzer Cup.
Interpretations, of course, change weekly, but rules are more formalised. Some, though, have been binned pretty quickly. Alas, others have remained…not all with a positive consequence.
What other “brainstorms” were short-lived?

Comments

  1. Can’t handball after a free kick. Lasted one season I think

  2. Dr Goatboat says

    Holding the ball
    Throw
    In the back
    all of above seem to be under existential threat, despite never being short-lived; rather they were the underpinning of the game we once knew

  3. I’m told there was a “white ball/wet day” rule some time?

  4. Dave Nadel says

    I’m pretty sure it was actually yellow, Chris. It didn’t last long.

  5. Dave Brown says

    Pineapple Head analysis – there’s one for you

  6. THE TOP 10 (for me)

    – Super League Tri-Series (NSW, QLD, NZ). Indeed most of the Super League initiatives save for the Video Referee were shelved, such as scorers kick off, own numbers etc.

    – The Super Sub in 50 over Cricket, advantage team batting first big time. The name I’ll always link to this was a Sri Lankan leggie by the name of Malinga Bandara who disappeared afterwards

    – Fully electronic lines in tennis which appeared at a couple of Hopman Cups in the mid 90’s.

    – Another tennis failure, for a couple of years the old Adelaide Hardcourt titles (now held in Brisbane) tried a Round Robin first round prior to knockout quarter finals. Now the RR format is (RIGHTLY) restricted to the World Tour Finals.

    – The SILVER Goal in The World Game. After deciding the Golden Goal was not the answer to decide games in big tournaments, FIFA introduced the Silver Goal, meaning that if a goal was scored in extra time by a team, the game would be over if the opposition didn’t at least score again before the end of the next period.

    – For Harness Racing fans, Albion Park experimented a number of years ago with an ANGLED Mobile Barrier in an effort to make it fairer for outside front row horses, lasted a few months.

    – V8 Supercar fans will always dread the Reverse Grid races, tried a few times over the years. They tried inverting the top 10 sprint rounds in the late 90’s, then they had a reverse grid race every year at an ill fated Canberra Street Race (held in the cold of winter on a one lane track no less), and then a few years ago the experiment lasted a few races before being shelved. Even the 2nd tier series (which used them for years) dispensed with them this year.

    – F1 Single Car qualifying on both Friday and Saturday. Only strange highlight was a race in France where Paul Stoddart’s Minardi got the coveted last spots on the Saturday after they were the only cars to get a dry lap in.

    – The 1996 revival of the Lightning Premiership. IIRC there were experimental rules, it bucketed down all weekend (given Waverley was the venue it may not have been so surprising) and Essendon beat Brisbane in the final (both lost prelims that year so it actually may have been a decent guide to the Centenary Season).

    – The NBL at the turn of the century tried to stage an open air match involving the Victoria Titans (which was basically a merger of the North Melbourne Giants and the South-East Melbourne Magic, who themselves were a merger of the Eastside Melbourne Spectres and the Southern Melbourne Saints, formerly known as the Westside Melbourne Saints…..it’s a long story trust me) and the Adelaide 36ers on Boxing Day at Rod Laver Arena. After weather caused abortive attempts for the first 2 years the event finally happened I think in 2000/2001.

  7. Mark Branagan says

    Footy Tatts in the 70s (gambling not tattoos). In a 12 team competition I think you had to pick the 9 highest scoring teams each week, in order.

    Richmond in yellow shorts.

    No age limit in Herald-Shield “schoolboys” night competition 1978.

  8. Been a couple in the NRL such as the Adelaide Rams and the Western/Perth Reds.

    On the theme of short lived sporting entities the Canberra Comets featuring Merv Hughes.

    And going right back, a short lived brainstorm in the VFL was ironically University.

  9. Blight at St Kilda!

  10. Malcolm Ashwood says

    Night Shield Cricket with orange balls , can’t remember the year tho

  11. Very funny Rulebook. A skeptic eh?

  12. Rulebook

    I went to Qld v NSW at the Gabba I reckon mid-90s. Wound up at Sitar’s Indian at Albion with BSN, a 45 year old Ferris Bueller and PJK (his sidekick).

  13. Mal Meninga’s political career.

  14. very true Mickey but he’s at least left a legacy that some “House of Lords” types have not managed in 60 yrs of snoozing.

  15. Malcolm Ashwood says

    Actually liked it the orange ball was really easy to see , Ben Johnson made a brilliant ton trouble was ball lost its colour and had trouble with the seam holding up
    ( googled it but just said in the 90s so have face booked the stats wizard , Loz Colliver )

  16. Thought it was a swipe at 2014/15 plans.
    btw…you watching the District bowling attack from Indians? What a dead deck.

  17. Malcolm Ashwood says

    Crio did you see my suggestion for your next question re stupid idiotic statements made by Coaches or Captains etc re Hardwick defending , Vickery saying he has to play tough football that wasn’t tough it was downright thuggery

  18. Phillip Dimitriadis says

    Collingwood Warriors Soccer Club playing at Vic Park in 1996-97. In their only year in existence they won an NSL Cup!

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