AFL injury lists grow at an alarming rate

Every week the AFL publishes a current players injury list and as each week goes by, soft tissue injuries and trauma steadily increase (this week: 128 senior list players with long and short term injuries). To combat this, the AFL cut the interchange bench from four to three players, however it hasn't slowed play or curtailed serious injury and may re-visit the rules in the near future in order to save the players from themselves.
Toughing-out opponents, jumper pulling / punching, elbowing, wrestling and bumping before the siren or on re-starts should cease, as it's the only game in the world that allows this type of behaviour.
In other footy codes, players shake hands pre-game, not fight. This ugly part of our game can be cured by awarding instant free kicks.
More packs are prevalent this season, on many occasions up to 30 players are fighting for the ball. Umpires wait a few seconds to decide whether a genuine attempt has been made by the player on the bottom of the pack to clear the ball. While this is happening the game deteriorates into a rugby like maul contributing to player injuries and penalising skilled running sides.
Going back to basics on two rules may offer a solution to reducing the speed of the game, curtail the number of interchanges and save players a lot of dangerous exhaustion and injuries- It may also spare TV viewers the gut-busting on-field vomiting episodes-That level of exhaustion can cause death.
The first is to correctly enforce the 'incorrect disposal of the ball' issue to the spirit of the law. A player caught, bumped or hassled out of possession whether accidental spillage, with or without prior opportunity, should be deemed as 'incorrect disposal'.
The second is 'holding the ball' - if a player is caught with, falls on top of, or has the ball held against him, then it should automatically be 'holding the ball'. No exceptions!
Umpires' should not have to wait for a second or third player to jump in or a pack to form at the contest to give a free kick away.
Eliminating the 'genuine attempt' and 'prior opportunity' factors from the interpretation of the rules will curtail excessive pack footy, increase free kicks from consistent decisions, but more importantly, it may just reduce the risk of injuries.