I've said it before, and I will repeat myself. The umpires have allowed players to get away with pushing the boundaries of the rules by calling a ball up instead of paying free kicks, this has 2 effects. First, it encourages players to keep transgressing, forcing more ball-ups, and compounding the problem and second, it allows players to crowd the "stoppage" also forcing more ball-ups, and compounding the problem even further. On most occasions when the umpires call a ball-up. there has been a push-in-the-back; holding-the-ball; throw; high tackle; or without-the-ball transgression
If the AwFL backed the umpires in paying these free kicks, instead of balling-up, it would greatly reduce congestion around the ball and make for a much more free flowing game. Sure there might be 90 free kicks a game for the first few weeks, and coaches and "exspurt" commentators will complain about the number of frees, but once coaches realise the umpires are serious about regaining control of the game, coaches will force their players to play by the rules. We will then get back to 25/30 frees a game, and about 20 round the ground ball-ups.