THE Project host Waleed Aly has denied advising the AFL on proposed rule changes, saying instead he was “obligated” to attend a briefing by the league.

Aly said this morning he jumped at the opportunity to be briefed on the AFL’s ongoing research into congestion.

“I don’t think they were particularly interested in any suggestions I might have had. I asked a lot of questions but that was more for my benefit rather than theirs,” he said on SEN radio.

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He also opened up on how he gained an invite to the one-off meeting.

“(AFLW chief) Nicole Livingstone, who’s been a colleague of mine before … in the course of being on that show … off air … I was pressing her as any self-respecting broadcaster would do, about what exactly the AFL was planning,” Aly said.

media_camera Waleed Aly and his wife Susan Carland at the MCG. Picture: AFL Media

“There’s been a lot of talk about three or four things that the AFL was pretty solid on doing to the game to make some changes to the style of the game, but no one was really saying in public what they were. So I was pressing her for information.

“And credit to Nicole, she said: ‘I absolutely can’t tell you that.’ She then said, ‘If you want, I can get you to a briefing and you can see what they’re looking at, the analysis behind it, that sort of thing’.

“I responded, ‘that would be amazing, but I don’t want to impose’. She said, ‘I’ll send Steve Hocking an email.’

“The offer came, they said, ‘OK, they’d be happy to sit down with you and brief you on the research they’ve done’.”

media_camera Sports commentator Gerard Whateley also met with Steve Hocking. Picture: Josie Hayden

Aly, a Richmond supporter who regularly attends games, was also once the club’s mascot and defended his actions, saying he was “obligated” to attend.

“I work pretty hard at (sport analysis) because you’ve gotta be across all sports (as a broadcaster) and it takes a lot of work. Any opportunity you get to get an insight into what’s actually going on, you take,” he said.

“I kind of felt, as a broadcaster, obliged to do that from a position of being informed rather than being in a position of being ignorant.”

Aly also said he did not attend the briefing under the guise of any committee.

media_camera Waleed Aly was part of a series of one-off meetings. Picture: Julie Kiriacoudis

Others to have met league footy boss Steve Hocking and his team about the proposed changes include Whateley himself, Brownlow medallist Gerard Healy, former Herald Sun football writer Mike Sheahan and AFL legend Malcolm Blight.

AFL spokesman Patrick Keane confirmed the Gold Logie winner had been part of a series of one-off meetings with Hocking and league analyst David Rath which were designed to help generate new rules ideas and discussions on the state of the game.

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AUSTRALIA’S biggest sports stars and footy fans were left stunned by the AFL’s decision to consult TV presenter Waleed Aly as part of its investigation into the game.

A host of Channel 10’s The Project, Aly joins the company of former football greats and commentators on the game who have been sounded out about potential new rules.

But cricketing legend Shane Warne and basketball star Andrew Bogut have hit out at the decision to consult Aly.

The former spin bowler said on social media he hoped the decision to consult Richmond supporter Aly, was “fake news”.

I love #AFL football like so many other people - please tell me this is fake news & that this arrogant cretan is in no way way involved on any level !!! pic.twitter.com/LPKArJmRb3 — Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) August 20, 2018

And the cricketer wasn’t the only one to sound off about the move, with Andrew Bogut also taking to social media.

In a sarcastic tweet to the AFL, he wrote: “I love your sense of humour!”

It comes after the AFL presented to about seven groups of people, including footy fans, about on-field congestion and the lack of scoring troubling the game.

Plans for an 18m goal square and starting positions after goals have divided fans.

Despite an exciting finish to this season, the AFL confirmed at the weekend that it was determined to push on with a revamp of the rules, which is intended to enhance the look of the game next season.

This follows an analysis of months of research.

“We don’t want to offend the fans,” Hocking said on 3AW on Saturday.

media_camera Gerard Whateley has been consulted over the proposed changes. Picture: Alan Barber media_camera AFL legend Malcolm Blight also met with the league footy boss. Picture: Tom Huntley

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“They have called out congestion, No.1, and they have called out defensive tactics, No.2. What they want to see in the game is freedom (of ­movement).”

Proposals resulting from focus group meetings will be presented to a newly formed Competition Committee — which will include current club presidents, chief executives, football managers and players — for formal ratification.

Any new rules will have to be ticked off by the AFL Commission before they are introduced for next season.

New rules have been trialled in the VFL this season, with mixed results.

Aly did not return the Herald Sun’s calls yesterday.

jay.clark@news.com.au

@ClarkyHeraldSun

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