Chief executive Gillon McLachlan has forecast the abolishment next year of the AFL's substitute rule, as well as the controversial "three strikes" illicit drugs policy, and as good as officially confirmed that Richmond and North Melbourne will fill the headline Friday night slot for the floating round 23 fixture.
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In a hard-pressing interview on Channel Nine's Footy Classified on Monday night, McLachlan also denied the AFL Commission was divided on what the league's response should have been to the Adam Goodes booing controversy when it exploded last week.
At the end of the extensive interview, McLachlan engaged in straight answers to a set of questions on the program, given the options of "yes", "no" and only one "maybe".
Asked whether the substitute rule would be eliminated at the end of this season, McLachlan paused before answering: "I don't know the answer to this one, but I am going to say 'yes'."
On whether the current "three strikes" drugs policy would exist next year, McLachlan answered: "no".
To another question – whether the industry was any clearer on what is an acceptable sling tackle – McLachlan responded "no" and on whether the game's score review system needed significant work before it could be called a success, he answered: "maybe".
It's understood the AFL met on Monday to finalise the round 23 fixture, with the key decision being whether to play the Roos-Tigers match on Friday night, or the Hawthorn-Carlton game.
Playing the Hawks-Blues game on Friday night could potentially mean that Hawthorn would have one more day's rest than the other current top four teams – Fremantle, West Coast and Sydney – despite the Hawks being, for now, third on the ladder.
McLachlan all-but confirmed that the North-Richmond game would get the marquee timeslot, leaving Hawthorn-Carlton (MCG), Port Adelaide-Fremantle (Adelaide Oval), West Coast-St Kilda (Domain Stadium) and Sydney-Gold Coast (SCG) matches to be played on the Saturday – a scenario McLachlan said was "fairer".
"In the end, if you played Richmond and North on the Friday night, it means that – as we sit here today making a decision this week – the top four teams play on the Saturday," McLachlan said.
For much of the interview, McLachlan was challenged on some of his public comments throughout the Goodes saga – a discussion he said was "fair" – but overall the AFL boss asked to be judged on the "outcomes" the league had helped manufacture, in particular the positive reaction players, clubs and supporters displayed last weekend.
In reference to a media report that suggested AFL Commission were at odds over the Goodes debate – with some members reportedly critical of Goodes and feeling the Sydney star was in part to blame for the situation he found himself in – McLachlan repeatedly denied those claims.
"I'm not going to talk about Commission meetings, but all I will say is that the Commission is united and I don't think anyone… has said that this is Adam Goodes' problem," he said.
McLachlan was also forced to defend his failure to – in a radio interview last week - adequately condemn threats of supporters throwing eggs at others fan who would boo Goodes if and when he returned to playing.
McLachlan said he used a general statement that he "wanted everyone to think about their behaviour", but conceded he could have shot down that specific example.
"Throwing eggs is unacceptable. I came out of that interview saying 'I should have said [something different]'," he said.
Among other pointed statements, McLachlan said the AFL did not regret playing its part in helping Gold Coast recruit Karmichael Hunt, despite the drug issues and damaging headlines that have followed the club and the code-swapping athlete.
"Obviously you look back now and say it was a bad exit, but if you're asking 'do I regret the whole thing?' No," McLachlan said.
He also said the league was disappointed that the Suns had "poached" Western Bulldogs fitness boss Justin Cordy and in so doing "contributed to the inflation of the industry", which he added was a "problem".
While stating that he was "broadly" pleased with the direction of both franchise clubs, McLachlan did voice his disapproval of Greater Western Sydney coach Leon Cameron approaching the emergency umpire during the Giants-Fremantle match on Sunday to seek clarification on rule interpretations.
McLachlan said Cameron would receive some form of sanction on Tuesday.
"I think there will be a level of accountability. It's not a good look, he shouldn't have done it," McLachlan said.
