Australian Rules Football is enduring a rough week. The AFL has been slammed as “like a bush league” by the Footy Classified panel, with AFL greats Jimmy Bartel and Matthew Lloyd leading the criticism across multiple fronts.
A controversial call by the AFL’s Automatic Review Centre (ARC) on Sunday triggered a response from league headquarters that commentators say “doesn’t serve the game.” Separately, Bartel has publicly questioned the independence of the person appointed to investigate Carlton’s handling of the Elijah Hollands situation, raising concerns about the integrity of the review process. The cumulative effect, according to prominent media voices, is a league struggling with governance and common sense at the same time.
