Revealed: First look at AFL’s ‘new toys’ as timeline over new goalline cameras emerge

Greg Swann has made a promising reveal over the AFL’s looming technological upgrades.

It came as the league’s executive general manager of football performance detailed the real-time optical tracking currently being trialled at Marvel Stadium, and goalline technology that’s set to revolutionise the score review system.

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Swann on Wednesday night gave Fox Footy the first look at how the optical tracking works - via 40 cameras carefully stationed around Marvel Stadium.

And in partnership with Champion Data, they will be able to give real-time verdicts on things such as whether a player’s kick has travelled 15 metres, if they’ve run too far, and if they’ve deviated off their line during a shot at goal.

Swann came equipped with multiple pieces of vision to explain how it will eventually assist field umpires on gameday.

“Here’s a good example of what it’ll be able to do. These are the 15-metre kicks. They measure them on the run. The optical tracking will be able to do that,” Swann told AFL 360.

“We’re still in the testing phase … we only started in about Round 12, so it’ll have next year as well to get out all the kinks. Because it will be able to do goalline things as well, as well as these cameras.”

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One of the examples proved Nick Watson ran 1.1 metres off his line during his controversial shot after the half-time siren against St Kilda in Round 12.

Swann did acknowledge, though, that with the new cameras will come “debate” over the mark adjudication of kicks that travel in the realm of 15 metres.

“For example … there was one 14.9 (metres) and one 16.8 - do we have a one-metre leeway? Is it between 14 and 16?” Swann offered.

“Because what will eventually happen is if it’s not 15, there could be a buzz on an umpire’s watch, and he calls play on, for example.

“But do we want it spot on 15, or are we happy to have a metre leeway? Because the tech’s never perfect.

“And the game itself … Do we want to put it to the umpires, or have it solely for the tech? But we’ll confer with the clubs about that and what we think may or may not be the right action.

“It’s an assistance tool. In the end, the umpires umpire. It won’t be able to determine whether it’s a high tackle or push in the back.”

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The conversation then shifted specifically to the goalline technology, and whether the impending upgrades will solve the issue that Collingwood coach Craig McRae laid bare on Friday night.

The league’s technological standard came into question once again after a controversial moment in the fourth quarter of Pies-Roos where there was insufficient evidence to determine if a Patrick Lipinski kick had been touched on the line - because of a “missing frame”.

Asked explicitly whether the new cameras would be able to provide decisive evidence, Swann said: “They should.

“Because at the moment, we do 40 frames per second (with the current goalline cameras). These will be 200.

“So, it’ll be much clearer, and there won’t be any conjecture … these will be definitive.

“We’ve got a couple of those cameras and, and we’re trialling them at the moment - they look good.”

Swann revealed the timeline for getting those improved cameras into operation, saying: “By Round 24, we’ll have the new goalline cameras as well. They’ll come in just (before) the finals, so we’ll be able to utilise them as well.”

Watch below — AFL 360’s first look at the league’s new real-time optical tracking devices at Marvel Stadium:

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