Good old AFL

[sij1981]

What a joke.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-10-18/no-more-mass-changes

They blame us for being strategically smart. All bloody victorian favouratism.

 

[Lach72]

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-10-18/no-more-mass-changes

THE DAYS of clubs resting their players en masse on the eve of the finals, as Fremantle did this year, appear to be over following a tightening of the integrity rules governing the AFL competition.

Rule 29, 'To Perform on One's Merits', now reads: "(It) means at all times to perform honestly and to the best of one’s ability in the pursuit only of legitimate competitive objectives.

"For the avoidance of doubt "legitimate competitive objective" includes the development of the team or players or management of player fatigue or injuries but does not include improving a club’s draft position, improving a club’s position with respect to a potential player exchange or manipulating a club’s position on the ladder for the purpose of improving its draw within the finals series."

Knowing they almost certainly couldn’t be budged from third place on the ladder and facing another trip back to Victoria the next week to open the finals, the Dockers rested 12 players - Michael Johnson, David Mundy, Lee Spurr, Zac Dawson, Hayden Ballantyne, Nick Suban, Stephen Hill, Michael Walters, Zac Clarke, Garrick Ibbotson, Chris Mayne and Nat Fyfe – and then lost by 67 points to the 16th-placed Saints.

well, duh. ****ers.

Geelong do it and it's fine.
Saints do it...all ok.

Freo do it, let's change the rules.

 

[tofushark]

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-10-18/no-more-mass-changes

in other news, teams with names beginning with 'F' will be deducted 5 goals before the bounce of the ball.

 

[Lach72]

Hey, we're developing out team...like Melbourne...by playing everyone back to front

 

[BananaOnTheRun]

I don't know how they're gonna enforce this without leaving themselves open to litigation.
I hope as a much travelled team who uses this ploy largely to rest players before finals we hold them to the full force of the law, where appropriate.

 

[Nickos66]

Good thing they didn't make any hasty rule changes! Just like they said they wouldn't at the time...

I guess technically we weren't improving our draw within the finals series anyway as we would've stayed exactly where we were... So we're free to do it again then provided we don't move on the ladder, right?

 

[electricfeel]

Typical reactionary bullshit from the AFL.

 

[Lach72]

"Hey, Freo, you dropped a place from third to fourth and avoided a trip to Shitsville park in Geelong...bringing the game into disrepute!"

 

[sij1981]

One thing I dont understand it says

In layman's terms, it means that clubs can base their team selection and match-day coaching around injuries and player welfare, as well as the need to look at their depth and younger players with a view to the future.

So if we always say we are testing for the future by 2-3 changes second last round and 8 in last then it is a trend to test for future not a one off.

 

[tofushark]

I have no doubt this is due to lobbying from the bagmen.

Getting the last game of the season at home is going to be super important, fortunately it is our turn next year

 

[sij1981]

"Hey, Freo, you dropped a place from third to fourth and avoided a trip to Shitsville park in Geelong...bringing the game into disrepute!"

Hold on we still did go to geelong lol and won

 

[tofushark]

Should add that the double bye should help, better give it to us as late as possible if it is a rolling round.

 

[UFO Tatsu]

"For the avoidance of doubt "legitimate competitive objective" includes the development of the team or players or management of player fatigue or injuries but does not include improving a club’s draft position, improving a club’s position with respect to a potential player exchange or manipulating a club’s position on the ladder for the purpose of improving its draw within the finals series."

so what we did wasn't the management of player's fatigue and injuries?

we weren't improving our draw within the final series, afl did that for us by sending us to simmonds

 

[Tommo]

The way I read that, it would not effect us at all. If we rested players and Geelong had lost to Brisbane, then we would by any definition have ended up with a worse draw than had we played all the rested players and beaten the Saints.
The team that I see this effecting might be one that finishes first and wants to play the team that is fifth, so loses to them deliberately in the last round so they move into 4th.
I doubt any team would do this, most team that finish in the top four just want to beat those that they play. I very much doubt that Hawthorn would have tried to manipulate the finals so as to avoid Geelong. Professionals don't behave like that.

 

[Nickos66]

Doesn't look like they really thought this through properly before releasing it. It doesn't technically summarise what we did. Maybe if we were a risk of falling a spot (to 4th) it'd apply but we weren't. And we WERE managing our players - as listed as exceptions to the rule.

 

[nurries]

Why have a 40 man squad then.FFS I can understand if we pulled players out of the WAFL but these were all listed players so who gives a shit

 

[PapaJ]

The way I read that, it would not effect us at all. If we rested players and Geelong had lost to Brisbane, then we would by any definition have ended up with a worse draw than had we played all the rested players and beaten the Saints.
The team that I see this effecting might be one that finishes first and wants to play the team that is fifth, so loses to them deliberately in the last round so they move into 4th.
I doubt any team would do this, most team that finish in the top four just want to beat those that they play. I very much doubt that Hawthorn would have tried to manipulate the finals so as to avoid Geelong. Professionals don't behave like that.

Yeah, something like that. Or probably something even more subtle like wanting to play 3rd instead of 4th so playing a dud team to lose in the final round to drop from 1st to 2nd.

I don't think what we did in the last round would count. People need to take a chill pill on this.

Mind you, it's not hard to think of situations where it would be favourable to drop a game/spot on the ladder going into a final, and it's more likely to impact interstate teams more.

 

[Clems Knee]

Why is this called the Freo rule on the afl website? The rule explicitly says what we did was fine. And given the same situation, we would do it again. Eagles might be in trouble though, after they threw games to get a spot in the bottom six.

 

[FreoGirl]

What a joke.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-10-18/no-more-mass-changes

They blame us for being strategically smart. All bloody victorian favouratism.

but they can make a stategic move to make us play a finals at a stadium where we had little chance of winning?

 

[Purple Suit]

Why is this called the Freo rule on the afl website? The rule explicitly says what we did was fine. And given the same situation, we would do it again. Eagles might be in trouble though, after they threw games to get a spot in the bottom six.

Exactly. It's because the AFL don't have a clue on how to write rules and they probably think it covers last years situation. If they want to make a rule, have a maximum number of non injury or suspension related changes. Make it 5. Rule done.

 

[prattsta]

Another new rule that is entirely open to interpretation. Well, I for one am shocked.

Such a Mickey Mouse competition.

 

[sij1981]

but they can make a stategic move to make us play a finals at a stadium where we had little chance of winning?

Hold on did we not beat the odds?

 

[Freo_4eva]

Yep wont effect us in the slightest.. If the AFL had a brain they would be dangerous

 

[caterina]

To even link us in the same article to tanking is beyond pathetic
If Ashley Browne was here I'd kick him in the f***ing nuts

 

[Freo_4eva]

Also.. whats the punishment? if its a fine.. then i would hope the club would do what was necessary to gain an advantage heading into september.. what we did was a large factor in allowing us through to the GF.

Slap a levy on my membership to help pay any fine incurred