Tim Lane
AFL
AFL must bear growing pains
Tim Lane Football is spreading its wings and officials, players and fans must now commit to a bigger game.
Cultural change, AFL gets Jeffed
Tim Lane Andrew Demetriou has overseen some momentous times at league HQ, but where to now?
AFL follows bouncing ball
Tim Lane The league's continuous tinkering with the game's rules is like a dog chasing its tail.
Off-field wins? No tanks, AFL
Tim Lane While the issue of tanking had to be addressed, the AFL's ''solution'' is not one that is appropriate.
AFL needs less shuttlecockups
Tim Lane IT WILL be a relief to the AFL to know it isn't alone in facing the reality that its rules might, under certain circumstances, encourage manufactured under-performance; or 'tanking' in the vernacular.
AFL
Minnows to Giants - a long process but not impossible
Tim Lane Skoda Stadium beckons again on Sunday. Such is the nature of the modern AFL fixture, it will be my seventh look at Greater Western Sydney in the first 12 rounds.
AFL
Only as good as your word
Tim Lane A three-day celebration for the indigenous round became the week from hell.
AFL
Players fend off rants over drugs
Tim Lane The three-strikes policy upsets many despite the fact that the players gave up a lot in agreeing to it.
AFL
Not so schooled in hard knocks
Tim Lane Concussion injuries are a big issue, and the AFL's rule enforcers need to get interpretations right.
AFL
Benchmark of 80 should appease even anti-cap brigade
Tim Lane Interchange was introduced to enable temporarily injured players to resume when recovered.
Sport in Crisis
Probe must be independent
Tim Lane Australian model of anti-doping authority is outdated and public confidence is wavering.
AFL
New man must knock heads
Tim Lane With plenty of issues facing the game, having no football operations manager is yet another one.
Tim Lane
Drug code is a collective worry for all
Tim Lane All policy on illicit drugs has become lost amid a blur of conspiracy and confusion.
Sports science has its place
Tim Lane Independence and transparency is the key to ensuring that all sport's yardsticks are not tarnished.
Dear Santa, this wish comes from the too-hard list
Tim Lane The issue of AFL players and drug use has been overstated and misrepresented.
Dark artists drop the ball
Tim Lane The tanking scandal and the Folau debacle show the dangers of tinkering with footy's natural order.
Tim Lane
Addiction to video reviews
Tim Lane Decision review systems in sport should come in unmarked packages carrying frightening health warnings in large print.
Tim Lane
Winning now not so foreign
Tim Lane Once again a Swans premiership has been made possible by their inspired trading.
As non-Victorian teams rise, crowds will play active part
Tim Lane In case you hadn't noticed, football's pendulum of ascendancy seems to be swinging back to its median position, if not quite yet to the non-Victorian side thereof.
Life of Mick, Blue messiah?
Tim Lane Carlton has a long history of bringing in outsiders to produce instant results - it's not always worked.
