Some footy fans have been left pining for the old days after watching games from the 1980s and 90s during the coronavirus-enforced shutdown of the AFL.

The Age’s chief footy writer is one of them, saying footy was “better” when players kicked long.

Gerard Healy says doubling the distance for a mark to be paid from a kick from 15 to 30 metres was the obvious way to get the football moving.

“You may just find we’re kicking the ball longer,” he said.

“To me, it just fundamentally makes no sense that you get protection from a kick of 15 metres, but you get no protection of a handball of 15 metres.

“That, to me, defies logic.”

Click PLAY below to hear Gerard explain