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AFL great Gerard Healy calls for rule change to end ‘chip kick’ by doubling distance required to award a mark

The West Australian
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AFL great Gerard Healy has called for a rule change that would result in the death of the ‘chip kick’, welcoming the return of the traditional free-flowing game style.

The 1998 Brownlow medallist believes doubling the distance required to award a mark would provide a simple, much-needed fix to the game.

“I’ve always believed if you can handball the ball 15 minutes you shouldn’t be rewarded with a mark for a kick of the same distance,” Healy said on Sportsday.

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“To me, it just fundamentally makes no sense that you get protection from a kick of 15 metres, but you get no protection from a handball of 15 metres.

“That, to me, defies logic.”

The Game AFL 2024

With growing calls for rule changes ahead of the league’s highly anticipated return on June 11, Healy agrees the game shouldn’t be altered too much.

However, he says implementing this rule change would result in huge improvements and provide a more free-flowing game style.

Hamish Brayshaw kicks the ball during a West Coast Eagles AFL pre-season training session.
Camera IconHamish Brayshaw kicks the ball during a West Coast Eagles AFL pre-season training session. Credit: Paul Kane/AFL Media

“I’ve always thought that we have just locked it up too much in our pursuit of victory through defence, and I’d just love to see it unwind,” the 59-year-old said.

“If we had to kick the ball 30 metres you may just find we’re kicking the ball longer and we’re not actually stopping.

“(Then) We’re not having the chip kick. The chip kick is very much part and parcel of strategy.

“The chip kick has been aggravating people since Rex Hunt went chip chip chip chip chip chip chip.

“You can kick it, as long as it’s 30 metres. It’s the distance travelled that matters to me.”

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