Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson told SEN radio that senior coaches were undivided in their support for a new concussion sub and had discussed gearing the rule exclusively to players 21 and under.
Clarkson suggested coaches would seek to exploit the rule by bringing on experienced players late in games.
But the four-time premiership coach said forbidding players over 21 to be named as the concussion sub would safeguard against this,as well as providing an opportunity for young players to gain experience.
THE CASE AGAINST BRINGING IN A CONCUSSION SUB
The risk in introducing a concussion sub is that it could become one of those good intentions that pave the road to hell.
When the AFL experimented with a substitute from 2011-15,clubs and players hated it. Effectively,it picked a player not to play. At least the all-purpose sub had a reasonable chance of getting some game time. If the campaign to minimise the incidence of concussion in footy is effective,the concussion sub would know at selection that he is highly unlikely to get a run. In fact,he should be hoping and praying to not to appear.
In a time of shorter lists and thinner resources,a non-playing player would be an extravagance for the club and a frustration for the player.
Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson floated the possibility of making the concussion sub a development position,restricted to under-21 players. But it would be an odd sort of teaching tool that was contingent on a teammate being knocked out. It would be better to broaden the post to become a replacement for any injured player - except that that is where we were previously.
There is also a slight risk of exploitation. Admittedly,concussion would not be easy to fake,but Clarkson was honest enough to admit that it is a coach’s job to explore all loopholes.
Philosophically,a concussion sub would militate against the growing push to rid the game of head injuries. The very name entrenches the idea that concussion is a grim but inevitable part of the game. It is now,but the thrust of policy development should be to continue to work to eliminate it,not create a fallback.
Greg Baum
“We discussed that and brought it up,[because] otherwise,like all coaches,you’re going to try and exploit anything possible,” Clarkson said. “[It] was a suggestion that the coaches put forward so that you can actually blood a young player.
“[Bringing] an experienced player on in the second half and using him as a performance strategy,it really needs to be there with the intent of protecting players who get hit in the head or are seriously injured.
“The spirit of it is to protect the players and beyond the spirit of just making sure your players are protected,it also steers itself towards blooding youth for our game.”
The AFL used a substitution rule from 2011-15 in an effort to reduce bench rotations,but it was abolished after the interchange cap was introduced in 2014.
Coaches frequently used the substitute to give young players a taste of senior football late in games,and Clarkson said the introduction of a 23rd player would offer the same benefit.
“Luke Breust played his first 15 games as a sub,so did Brad Hill,it’s just a great way to integrate these young kids into AFL footy given they don’t have to play a full game,” he said. “There’s lot of benefits for it.
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“I think the AFL welcomed the idea and are going to explore it,it’s just whether it’s too quick to do prior to round one.”
McLachlan also said the league,stadiums,ticket agencies and clubs were ready to increase capacity for round one games at a moment’s notice.
Crowds in Victoria are currently capped at 50 per cent of stadium capacity withtickets going on sale on Monday morning.
He said he was more optimistic about capacity being increased for rounds two and three than before the first round kicks off on Thursday night,but said the Victorian government knew of the AFL’s desire for bigger round one crowds,and would wait to be directed by them.
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“The dialogue is pretty constant,” McLachlan said. “So,I think they’re very aware that[we see] the public’s health and safety and the players[safety] is priority one,but we’d like to be as big a number as we can as soon as we can.
“If community transmission stays where it is our information is that it[crowd capacity] will increase[for round two and beyond],it’s more when … we have an optimism for rounds two or three.”
McLachlan also said all matches were scheduled to go ahead as planned this weekend,including Sydney’s trip to Brisbane and North Melbourne’s AFLW trip to play the Lions. There was recently a COVID-19 outbreaklinked to a Brisbane hospital.
Richmond captain Trent Cotchin said he supported a move to have more crowds in the stands for round one. The season kicks off on Thursday with the Tigers playing Carlton at the MCG.
“As long as there’s the safety measures in place and everyone feels safe to attend and,you know,support and cheer loud like they normally do,I think,you know,the more the merrier. We obviously both have really big fan bases and we want to get as many of those in there,” he said.
with Owen Leonard