AFL great Matthew Lloyd isn’t a fan of the “American rubbish” idea to introduce premiership rings.
Wide World of Sports revealed this week Collingwood has lobbied head office to give the team rings for winning last year’s grand final, despite already having medals.
The AFL gives medals to the winning players and coach of each grand final. The NRL gives out rings instead, following a tradition largely seen in American sports.
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Lloyd – who won the 2000 grand final with Essendon – has no interest in copying the US any more than the AFL already does.
“No for me – it’s noise, American rubbish noise,” Lloyd told Nine’s Footy Classified.
“I love the medallions.
“Everyone still cherishes their medallion, but I don’t know of any player who’s got a ring that ever thought much of it.”
Former Bulldogs and Richmond player Nathan Brown agrees the idea is ripped straight from the states.
But, unlike Lloyd, he’s not totally opposed to it.
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“I don’t mind the idea, it’s very American and we seem to copy everything that is American,” Brown told Nine’s Today.
“I imagine it would resonate with young guys coming through… good luck to everybody who either gets a ring or a medal.”
The suggestion has received mixed reactions across the game.
Melbourne champion Christian Petracca is all for the idea, but revealed on radio this week he doesn’t know where his 2021 premiership medal is.
“Well, to be honest, I probably would like it (a ring) more than a medal, because I actually don’t know where my medal is,” Petracca said on Nova 100’s Jase & Lauren on Wednesday.
“I think it’d be interesting. I love the NBA (who give out rings). So I think a ring would be cool.”
