Players tactically waiting to come off the bench - Issue or non-issue?

[kickazz]

It's a game that requires the skill of 360 degrees awareness..

Of course it does - I don't think anyone is questioning that.

But do we expect players to also have awareness of what is happening off the ground?

If I am running in space off half-back, I should know who is around me, what is ahead of me ,etc. As I run past the opposition bench, should I be looking sideways and counting how many are there (assuming no-one has gone into the rooms, etc), so that when I am fifteen-twenty metres past and looking ahead for targets, I know the liklihood of getting a surprise run-down from behind? Or should I be allowed to focus all of my concentration on the field of play and all the complexities that go with that?

 

[Spook]

Our game on the weekend actually. One of our blokes got absolutely smashed in a tackle from behind from a guy coming off the bench.

C'mon mate a bit more info, what qtr at what time?

I just want to see how much ofa delay there was

 

[Hoops]

Luke Breust was knocked out when he ran onto a hospital pass and was blindsided by a Crows player who had come flying out of nowhere off the bench.

That was one example of why it shouldn't be allowed.

It's not sporting.

A game shouldn't be decided by sneaky tactics. It's supposed be 18 players pitted against 18 players.

What about Hawthorns tactic of shepherding the man on the mark so the player with the ball can play on unimpeded. Sporting?

 

[ManWithNoName]

What about Hawthorns tactic of shepherding the man on the mark so the player with the ball can play on unimpeded. Sporting?

Every club's doing that now. Earliest I remember seeing it was from the Pies in 2010. I really dislike it.

 

[Back One Out]

What about Hawthorns tactic of shepherding the man on the mark so the player with the ball can play on unimpeded. Sporting?

Of course it's fair play. Why is this different to any other shepherd around the ground? I have no problem with the shepherding, as long they don't crash into the player standing on the mark and hurt him (which is what some players were doing when the practise first started a few years ago)

The player standing the mark needs to be aware of his surroundings just like any other player. Hardly the same as somebody running off the bench. That isn't a "Hawthorn" tactic either. Most clubs will block like that at various times. I think it was Collingwood who started doing it when Malthouse was still their coach.

 

[RightorKhan]

Isn't that practically how Freo beat us every finals series?

1 was the infamous interchange snipe
The other was provoking good players like Scarlett

 

[ROYAL EAGLE]

Isn't that practically how Freo beat us every finals series?

1 was the infamous interchange snipe
The other was provoking good players like Scarlett

LOl crying much

 

[Righteo]

Isn't that practically how Freo beat us every finals series?

1 was the infamous interchange snipe
The other was provoking good players like Scarlett

lol

 

[Alfonz]

If a team wants to take a risk playing 17 vs 18, then they should reap any rewards that might come their way for doing so.

I'm not sure Hill's entrance onto the field in that final was just lucky timing, or a planned tactic ... but if Freo chose to play one man down with the ball camped in Geelong's forward line in the dying stages, that's a fairly bold move.

Using one isolated example of Breust getting cleaned up is clutching at straws.

What's next in the line of legal tactical elements that people want removed from the game? Woe betide that coaches and players have to actually use their brains or think outside the box.

 

[Illinois Nazi]

It's interesting that teams are quite happy to use a tactic like this, but dare to suggest a send-off rule like every other sport in the world has and you'll be howled down with cries of "No! 18 on 17 is too unfair! They'd be slaughtered by the extra man!"

 

[Milanista28]

Why don't players hide behind the goal posts anymore?

Joe Daniher would be perfect he looks like a pole.

 

[Sydney Bloods]

Wrong. This is not the point at all.

The Lewis/Harbrow incident has nothing whatsoever to do with teams delaying their interchanges and ambushing their opponents as a surprise tactic

The only reason someone brought it up was because the pics looked similar to the Breust/Martin incident, but really, this is besides the point. It doesn't alter why delayed interchanges should be outlawed as a tactic.

Please read the thread if you wish to discuss it any further.

your looking at it completely the wrong way. Go have a look at the game replay. happens in the last QTR with 4.25 to go.
he's clearly going for the ball and breust is unaware because he's doing nothing but looking at the ball.
if you stopped watching the highlight close ups in favour of the actual game, you'd see not only was he at the interchange gate (not a straight blitz from the bench as you claimed) before coming onto the ground, But that he runs straight onto the ball that had already gone over the top of bruest, If he hadn't gone for it he rightly would have been blasted for being lazy. Bruest drifted back so what, shit happens. As for "disguised" that would have to be the greatest disguised hit in the history of the game, he's first to footy and if not for the contact he would have taken the mark. completely legal and complete fair.

In no way was this an "ambush" your potting a guy who only had eyes on the footy in an effort to make your point. poor form.

 

[didaksrightfoot]

We need to acknowledge that interchanges in the AFL are completely unique.

Off the top of my head, I can't think of any other sport where players are subbed on and off during play. In most sports you must wait for a stop in play to sub players - and I'm sure this exact problem is a big part of the reason why. It is reasonable to give the opposition (and the umpire) an opportunity to know who is on the field at each moment of the game.

Obviously we don't want to go to the extent of only allowing interchanges during stoppages - because that will impact on the flow of the game... and it is fair to ask if it is against the spirit of the game to be using the interchange in this way.

But I wonder how big of a problem it is? How many of these incidents are intentional, and how many just occur naturally - because either the player wasnt ready to come on straight away, or if the coaching staff hadn't yet decided who should go on and there was a bit of a mix-up. Really - how many coaches would be willing to play 18 vs 17?

Really the only people who can really judge this are the coaches. If the coaches have a problem with other clubs doing this - then let them raise it, and then it becomes an issue. If none of the coaches think this actually happens, or if they don't have a problem with it - then I think the AFL should just let it be.

 

[cammo78]

Jesus. H. Christ.

Now we have off-season threads permeating the actual season!

 

[Superstar swan]

No different than if a player wants to hide behind a post or goal umpire...if you can get away with it why not