There’s not many better sights than seeing Shaun Atley running with the footy, and North’s number 18 looks perfectly-suited to the AFL’s new fast-paced format.
With the inaugural AFLX competition under two weeks away, the tournament was officially launched today at Etihad Stadium.
Atley is no stranger to the format, with North being one of the first clubs to trial and adopt the modified game as a pre-season exercise.
“It was definitely different,” he told the media.
“We used it as a pre-season training opportunity which we had a full day where we played about 10 games of it. It was really good for the fitness and pretty exciting, and all types of players were able to adapt to it.
“The amount of running is a challenge, there is a lot of up and back and not much rest, making the interchange even more important.
“Usually if you kick a goal you get that rest as you get back to the centre square, but as soon as a goal is kicked the other team is bringing it back. That’s been probably the hardest rule to adjust to.
While Atley is more than comfortable with the frantic pace, he says the game isn’t just for speedsters.
“Braydon Preuss was nearly kicking the length of the field from full-back (during the trial); the talls were important taking big marks and the blokes with good skills were really important too.”
With any pre-season competition or game, there is always going to be worries about the potential for injury, but Atley is treating AFLX like any other game.
“People around the club have had the thought of the potential for injuries, but if it wasn’t the AFLX it would be another pre-season game,” he said.
“You definitely don’t want to see any injuries but we have our club doctors and physios in place so we should be OK.”
As well as being excited about what the new format can bring on the field, Atley is also expecting the unexpected off it.
“We didn’t really know what to expect to be honest, but being here today seeing all of these carnival acts and things makes me excited to see what they come up with on game day.”
