Extended Bench - Is this a joke??

[Lloydy4Pope]

There is no way that the bench should be extended to 6 players to allow for injuries. The idea that someone (i.e. an emergency) should be allowed to play in the game after a player is injured is also rubbish. Collision injuries are anavoidable in a fast-paced contact sport but you take the good with the bad. And soft-tissue injuries are a product of conditioning. Any thoughts on this matter....??

 

[frantelle]

i am aware i will probably get shot down for this but MM brought up a good idea the other day
not just an injury, but if u decide to replace that person because of 'injury' they automatically miss the following week of football

 

[Stumpy Pete]

Two more on the bench and two less on the field. Open things up a bit.

regards

S. Pete

 

[mollyfud]

There is no way that the bench should be extended to 6 players to allow for injuries. The idea that someone (i.e. an emergency) should be allowed to play in the game after a player is injured is also rubbish. Collision injuries are anavoidable in a fast-paced contact sport but you take the good with the bad. And soft-tissue injuries are a product of conditioning. Any thoughts on this matter....??

Wasn't really fair that Geelong played one player short because Ling got illegally hit by Soloman. I am happy for there to be no change and just be bad luck. If they do extend the bench with emergencies it has to be not based on injury. I.E. you shouldn't have to prove an injury. If you want to change players, its up to you.
JMTC

 

[That's deliberate]

Why not extend the bench by 2...or even 1

Great idea as far as i'm concerned, it doesn't disadvantage anyone and eliminates inequality of having a man or 2 down during a game..

I can't see why any club would oppose it.

 

[mattdavies_03]

i am aware i will probably get shot down for this but MM brought up a good idea the other day
not just an injury, but if u decide to replace that person because of 'injury' they automatically miss the following week of football

That isn't a bad idea, it would certainly help in situations like Ling on the weekend, and for you and Mick's sake, Rocca a few weeks ago. If a coach knows that for example, Ling will not be available next week, he could replace him for one of the extended bench just so the team is not disadvantaged because of a filthy act. I would hate to see this bench thing get to the point where a team is 2-3 short on the field and therefore lose because of it.

 

[SJ]

But if we extend the bench aren't we just back where we started?

 

[NEMINI]

Why not extend the bench by 2...or even 1

Great idea as far as i'm concerned, it doesn't disadvantage anyone and eliminates inequality of having a man or 2 down during a game..

I can't see why any club would oppose it.

What about the 6 or 8 clubs that currently struggle to find 22 players who should be playing AFL level footy? Think those teams would be better off adding more players their lists won't support? All it would do is widen the gap between the top teams and the wooden spooners.
Secondly, what is the difference if you have 22 vs. 20 or 24 vs. 22 no matter how many you put on the bench a team with an injured player will always be one player behind.

 

[wotdoiput]

Leave the bench the way it is. In the end shit happens. Who is to say that if extend the bench to 5 or 6 that teams wont be disadvatnaged every now and then still by having injuries.

Whats next allow the whole list to be able to play on the weekend just in case of injuries.

I think it adds to games when teams overcome the odds to win a game like the Crows in the Showdon earlier in the year.

 

[hornet68]

Leave the bench the way it is. In the end shit happens. Who is to say that if extend the bench to 5 or 6 that teams wont be disadvatnaged every now and then still by having injuries.

Whats next allow the whole list to be able to play on the weekend just in case of injuries.

I think it adds to games when teams overcome the odds to win a game like the Crows in the Showdon earlier in the year.

Leave the bench numbers alone!!!

The increase in numbers on the bench lead to the scourge of flooding, mass rotations etc.

Isn't it better to see players resting up forward etc.

It keeps the type of player able to play Aussie rules diverse big & small etc.
too many rotations will mean too many athletes not enough footballers
Do we want to see a game like gridiron?

As far as I am concerned as players get more tired the game becomes less predictable and hence more exciting.

 

[TedDougChris]

Secondly, what is the difference if you have 22 vs. 20 or 24 vs. 22 no matter how many you put on the bench a team with an injured player will always be one player behind.

Finally, someone who understands the counter-argument...

Why not have three of four different teams... Call one an offensive team, when your side has the ball, and a defensive team, when your side doesnt. Then substitute them as required, holding up play.

Then take 4 and half hours to play 80 minutes, with 47 timeouts and specialist kickers for difficult shots, then make sure you have to bounce the ball when you are taking a step and then have a rounder ball....

Leave the F***ing game alone.......

 

[SJ]

Last two posts, spot on.

 

[trev106]

Leave the game alone. So a few players get hurt thats bad luck, but if you manage the players well then soft tissue injuries shouldnt/dont happen that often. Why are people always wanting to change the game?

 

[Astro_]

How about teams pick their best 22 at the start of the year, then clone these same 22 players.

Upon any injury during a match, the cloned player is then allowed to join the game thus resulting in no disadvantage to that side.

 

[King Elvis]

Crap idea - and I was pissed off that Malthouse used the Crows as a way to push his agenda on the subject.

One of our greatest wins was against the Power earlier this year, when we had basically no bench, but still had the guts and determination to win.

Leave the bench as it is, if you lose the odd game because you've lost a player, bad luck. If you're constantly losing because you're a man down, then you're just shit anyway.

 

[shoe]

Personally I do think something should give.. but I don't agree with just increasing the bench size, it will just cause the exact same problems.

I have thought of the perfect solution though.
I propose that when a player gets injured, they no longer count as a spot on the bench. Teams have 3 or 4 emergency/reserve players waiting at the ground on standby, and the coach can call one in to replace the injured player, thus with 4 fit players still available on the bench.

Voila, simple solution that would completely end the injury/player management problems that having less spots on your bench causes, without changing the basic mechanics of the game. No more teams getting unfair advantages because of the other side being unlucky enough to cop an injury or 3.

Thoughts??

 

[BigCat2]

I have thought of the perfect solution though.
I propose that when a player gets injured, they no longer count as a spot on the bench. Teams have 3 or 4 emergency/reserve players waiting at the ground on standby, and the coach can call one in to replace the injured player, thus with 4 fit players still available on the bench.

Voila, simple solution that would completely end the injury/player management problems that having less spots on your bench causes, without changing the basic mechanics of the game. No more teams getting unfair advantages because of the other side being unlucky enough to cop an injury or 3.

Thoughts??

If before the start of the game the coach can't decide whether to include player A (a tall) or player (B), and in the end tossed a coin and went with player A.

At quarter time, the coach realises that the team is too tall, so tells player A to fake an injury, thus allowing player B to take his place.

This kind of substitution is as useless as the "super sub" trialled in Cricket a few years ago. It was scratched.

 

[MartyTHEMonster13]

Leave the bench numbers alone!!!

The increase in numbers on the bench lead to the scourge of flooding, mass rotations etc.

Isn't it better to see players resting up forward etc.

It keeps the type of player able to play Aussie rules diverse big & small etc.
too many rotations will mean too many athletes not enough footballers
Do we want to see a game like gridiron?

As far as I am concerned as players get more tired the game becomes less predictable and hence more exciting.

wow wow wow how far behind are you flooding and mass rotation? how long u been living under a rock for flooding in only just subsiding in the game in the last couple of years and mass rotation why do u think the clock on system was introduced other than to not let 19 on the ground problem to happen again but to control collingwoods 200+ rotations a game mass rotation has only just been comming up in the last few year and i guess u can thank mick malthouse for that one

 

[shoe]

If before the start of the game the coach can't decide whether to include player A (a tall) or player (B), and in the end tossed a coin and went with player A.

At quarter time, the coach realises that the team is too tall, so tells player A to fake an injury, thus allowing player B to take his place.

This kind of substitution is as useless as the "super sub" trialled in Cricket a few years ago. It was scratched.

Good point, but i'm not sure if it would work that way.
Would be very difficult to fake a game ending injury in today's game - what was the last injury that you saw on tv where they weren't able to exactly pinpoint what kind of injury it was (before it was confirmed by the medicos) and exactly how it happened using slowmo and closeups?

Not sure if you'd get many players happy to feign an injury when they earned their selection in the first place.

 

[shoe]

What about, in addition, sanctions to any club where it can be proved that the player in question did not cop a game-ending injury?

 

[Smoky]

If before the start of the game the coach can't decide whether to include player A (a tall) or player (B), and in the end tossed a coin and went with player A.

At quarter time, the coach realises that the team is too tall, so tells player A to fake an injury, thus allowing player B to take his place.

This kind of substitution is as useless as the "super sub" trialled in Cricket a few years ago. It was scratched.

Very good call...

But, the way the modern game is, it seems more times than not once a team is down to 2 on the bench they evidently run out of legs and lose the game.

What happens Grand Final day when all of a sudden one team goes beserk with sniping tactics... down by 5 goals in the second quarter and start taking out players with head high bumps, punchs and elbows??? Imagine someone like Stan Magro (didnt want to use a current day play as to not start some team v team thing... thats why I picked a Pies player) going out in the last game of his career and polaxing 3 players... opposition down to 1 on the bench, his team wins, he gets rubbed out for 15 games and he retires with a Premiership medal round his neck!

If you were on the recieving end of that Im sure your tune would change.

 

[BigCat2]

Good point, but i'm not sure if it would work that way.
Would be very difficult to fake a game ending injury in today's game - what was the last injury that you saw on tv where they weren't able to exactly pinpoint what kind of injury it was (before it was confirmed by the medicos) and exactly how it happened using slowmo and closeups?

Not sure if you'd get many players happy to feign an injury when they earned their selection in the first place.

Yeah, good point about no player would want to be replaced.

Hamstring strains can be faked - all you've got to do is to be sprinting then suddenly pull up, clutching the back of your thigh. And the player will be listed as a "Test" on the injury list for the next week.

Another thing is having a player get "injured" at 3 quarter time, and the guy to replace him will then be fresh and competing against guys who've already played 3 quarters.

It's not going to be fair when endurance and fitness is such an important part of footy.

 

[shoe]

Very good call...

But, the way the modern game is, it seems more times than not once a team is down to 2 on the bench they evidently run out of legs and lose the game.

What happens Grand Final day when all of a sudden one team goes beserk with sniping tactics... down by 5 goals in the second quarter and start taking out players with head high bumps, punchs and elbows??? Imagine someone like Stan Magro (didnt want to use a current day play as to not start some team v team thing... thats why I picked a Pies player) going out in the last game of his career and polaxing 3 players... opposition down to 1 on the bench, his team wins, he gets rubbed out for 15 games and he retires with a Premiership medal round his neck!

If you were on the recieving end of that Im sure your tune would change.

I agree.
And IMO it's only a matter of time before a team cops 4 injuries in a game and is left benchless and completely crippled.

And when that happens you can bet that it will cause a circus and then in a knee-jerk reaction the AFL will not think through the solutiona nd just tack on some extra spots on the bench. We should think about it earlier rather then later to prevent that happening.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

I watched the Port Adelaide v Kangaroos Saturday night. If ever you wanted an example of how you don't want the game to be played, this was it. Players were trying to play the game faster than their modest skills allowed, resulting in fumbling, missing targets, etc.

This is created by the presence of fresh legs around a contest for 100 minutes every game. It's unattractive, it's crap. Increase the bench and the game will become ever quicker, hence more mistakes, less attractive again.

These coaches pushing for extended benches couldn't give a stuff about the appeal of the game, so long as they win. It's time to find ways to slow the game down, not make it quicker.

 

[wallyt99]

The biggest problem with the theory of the 'substitute' interchange player is that they will have fresh legs and will be of much more value to the team who gets the injury.


It just pushes the imbalance the other way....


Now, if we were to make these substitute players run on a treadmill, whilst having medicine balls thrown at them every quarter that was being played they would come into the game in the same condition (barring injury) as the injured player, making the system perfectly fair. It is so logical, the AFL may even adopt it.