Agree 100%. They need to take the grey out of the rules and replace it with black and white. For example. If you tackle a player and bring them to the ground . . . holding the ball (not this BS where you are still allowed to throw it at your boot after you have been lying on the turf for 3 seconds and some umpires will call play on while others will call holding the ball before you have even hit the turf . .under the current "grey" rules and both are correct calls and both are incorrect calls. So, how about this for a concept . . .MAKE IT CLEAR IN THE RULES . . for example (and this is just an example of clear rules, there would have to be agreement on the actual details) 360 degree spin without disposal = holding the ball; tacked to the ground without disposing = holding the ball; if you have taken two steps and fail to dispose of it properly (regardless of whether it is knocked out in a subsequent tackle = holding the ball.
Years ago in Rugby Union it was against the rules to lift players in a line out . . .but teams just always did it and every now and then the ref would penalise. But they were inconsistent with it (sound familiar). So eventually the governing body went, stuff it and just changed the rules to allow it. That sorted that out. We could consider a similar approach for some of our current grey rules. Landing in the back in a tackle or hands in the back in the marking contesty. Everyone does it . . .if they umps cannot police it consistently and just pull it our of their a*se when they feel like screwing a team over . . . stuff it, be done with it and just allow it in the rules. Forwards would have to learn how to play things differently to combat the push from behind, but at least there would be no more flopping for frees.
Great suggestions and I fully support them.
The only problem is you're using 2 fields of thought the AFL have no concept of and will never have the ability to grasp - common sense and logic.