Ninety interchanges

[bigcarl]

Here's an interesting exercise. What changes has it/will it made/make in the way the game is played and how might we best take advantage of it?

For instance, will it ultimately bring back the stay-at-home full forward? Two ruckman? Shift the emphasis from athletes to footballers?

Will it mean the end of the Ross Lyon gameplan, which demands numbers at every contest and lots of end to end running.

Does anyone remember how the game was played with only ninety interchanges?

Or will it have only a limited impact? Not a big enough change to make much difference?

[shrodes]

I think it's probably too early to tell at the moment, but it seems to have done a number on the Dockers. The Bulldogs don't seem to have a problem finding end to end run though.

It means the interchanges are more strategic, and you run the risk of getting a star player stuck on the bench if the player they are slated to interchange with is stuck on the ground around the ball. The commentary team remarked on this in the Port game where Rooey was desperately trying to get on the ground but couldn't as his player was stuck defending around the ball.

From the Bulldogs game on the weekend it didn't seem to produce any stay at home type roles, there was still the same trend of teams pushing up the field and leaving half the ground devoid of players.

Judging by our last quarter against Port, I would say there is probably an impact but teams will adjust so we will stop noticing.

[bigcarl]

From the Bulldogs game on the weekend it didn't seem to produce any stay at home type roles, there was still the same trend of teams pushing up the field and leaving half the ground devoid of players.

Maybe not a big enough change to bring about a noticeable difference. But perhaps it will catch up with them later in the season. As you say. Probably too early to tell.

[loris]

I notice that GCS coach Rodney Eade says he noticed players are coming off more exhausted. That was his observation of not only his team, but the two teams they played against. Though he did qualify it was really too early to be certain of effect as yet.

He felt that after about 6 weeks, there will be the need to rest certain players, as he thought there might be more chance of soft tissue injuries occurring. He was of the opinion there will be more resting players throughout the year by clubs, depending on match-ups and which teams you were playing.

So if Eade is correct in his assumption, more back up players on our list might be getting games over the season.

[The_President]

The new cap saves Paddy as a footballer.

The old traditional lead up forward was basically dead in the old game - except JJ Kennedy.

[Toy Saint]

A ruckman like mcEvoy can run all day and doesnt need an interchange, a huge advantage......oh I forgot he plays for hawthorn now..

[saintsRrising]

A ruckman like mcEvoy can run all day and doesnt need an interchange, a huge advantage......oh I forgot he plays for hawthorn now..

Hickey TOG in 2016 88.5 %. McEvoy is 71.5%

Plus Tom is in front of most of the stats.

[dragit]

I got 99 problems interchange ain't one.

[bigcarl]

The new cap saves Paddy as a footballer.

The old traditional lead up forward was basically dead in the old game - except JJ Kennedy.

Interesting perspective. I sincerely hope you are right on this one

[evertonfc]

Coaches claiming players are exhausted when coming off?

Excellent. Great to hear. I'm sick of watching 36 players running at full-tilt towards the same contest at 29:00 of the last quarter.

When will people learn? Fatigue is part of the game. A GREAT part of the game. Australian rules is a test of strength and attrition - and always has been, until we started replacing skilled players with marathon runners.

I can't wait for the day when the balance starts to swing back towards natural players. When coaches realise that sending players from contest to contest is impossible because they will burn out mid-way through the third term.

It's terrific for footy. The quicker we go for gold and bring it down to 10 interchanges per quarter, the better the game will be.

We'll see stay at home full-forwards, the return of genuine centremen, wingers - all the great positions. We'll see players having to rely on their skill and long-kicking, not their ability to make it to every single contest, deliberately creating congestion (which also produces chip-kicks around the back).

Exciting days ahead - but only if the sport is bold enough to return the game to the fans, and away from the coaches to coach to save their jobs.

I'm not opposed to zones per se (especially the Sam Newman suggestion - sounds tremendous on paper) but let's just try to find the sweet spot with rotations first. It might naturally end the need for zones.

I'm feeling optimistic. The AFL seems to have twigged that something is awry.

[bigcarl]

The quicker we go for gold and bring it down to 10 interchanges per quarter, the better the game will be.

We'll see stay at home full-forwards, the return of genuine centremen, wingers - all the great positions. We'll see players having to rely on their skill and long-kicking, not their ability to make it to every single contest, deliberately creating congestion (which also produces chip-kicks around the back).

I'm with you on this. I fear the AFL hasn't gone far enough and is still pandering to the coaches to a large degree

[dragit]

Agree Everton... As KB says, what's wrong with players getting tired?

The better players come to the fore when players are tiring.

[bigcarl]

Agree Everton... As KB says, what's wrong with players getting tired?

The better players come to the fore when players are tiring.

What did Yabby used to say? Small players get slower but big players don't get smaller.

[dragit]

I dunno, but yabbies aren't crayfish.

[saintbrat]

apparently with the reduced bench yesterday the Saints only used 72 interchanges

noted a couple of players wandering close to the interchange space and being instructed to ' keep going' basically.

I have also noted that the Doctors and physios and trainers are virtually doing assessments ' on field' spending time standing and talking with players..


just a thought- how long before someone notices this and suggests there are ' too many ' support staff on the field.

[bigcarl]

Interesting point I saw in another thread that as we have many players who can play as small forwards and also go through the middle it is helping with the cap. They basically can have a bit of a rest in front of the ball rather than on the bench

[stevie]

I dunno, but yabbies aren't crayfish.

Or sausages

[st.byron]

Coaches claiming players are exhausted when coming off?

Excellent. Great to hear. I'm sick of watching 36 players running at full-tilt towards the same contest at 29:00 of the last quarter.

When will people learn? Fatigue is part of the game. A GREAT part of the game. Australian rules is a test of strength and attrition - and always has been, until we started replacing skilled players with marathon runners.

I can't wait for the day when the balance starts to swing back towards natural players. When coaches realise that sending players from contest to contest is impossible because they will burn out mid-way through the third term.

It's terrific for footy. The quicker we go for gold and bring it down to 10 interchanges per quarter, the better the game will be.

We'll see stay at home full-forwards, the return of genuine centremen, wingers - all the great positions. We'll see players having to rely on their skill and long-kicking, not their ability to make it to every single contest, deliberately creating congestion (which also produces chip-kicks around the back).

Exciting days ahead - but only if the sport is bold enough to return the game to the fans, and away from the coaches to coach to save their jobs.

I'm not opposed to zones per se (especially the Sam Newman suggestion - sounds tremendous on paper) but let's just try to find the sweet spot with rotations first. It might naturally end the need for zones.

I'm feeling optimistic. The AFL seems to have twigged that something is awry.

Agree with you Everton. Anything that ends the roving maul around the ball, opens the game up and brings back unique skills for different positions is very welcome.

[borderbarry]

Will improve when ruckmen rest in forward or back pockets, and rovers in forward pockets, like they used to.

[bigcarl]

Good old-fashioned shootout in Tassie. I wonder if that is going to be a trend brought about by the cap.

[Jacks Back]

apparently with the reduced bench yesterday the Saints only used 72 interchanges

It's probably lucky for us then that the pies could only use 90 as we would have been stuffed if they still had unlimited rotations.

[Enrico_Misso]

Would seem that as usual the AFL didn't think this rule through.
North were a man short in the final minutes at Petrie went off under the blood rule and they couldn't bring him back on as they had hit 90 IC's.

So Melbourne nearly stole the game because of a poorly thought out rule.

[saintbrat]

Or bad planning by North

[kosifantutti]

Yeah, it sounds like North didn't think it through.

[stevie]

North have bigger troubles than their interchange. They let Melbourne score 20 goals against them in a Tassie game