Rules "Players Push For Pure Five-Man Bench" (The Age)

Mar 15, 2012
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I still don't understand how a rule like this can be decided after the list management period. Rule changes of this nature for the following season should be locked in prior to player trading, drafts, delisting etc because they affect team lineups and strategies based around that.
 
agreed. zero logic in 5 on the bench. IMO 4 and a sub is perfect

Yes but there needs to be a stipulation that if someone is subbed out it's treated as a concussion activation and it's a minimum 1 week off. It will stop some clubs exploiting the sub rule. It's there for a genuine injury that's it.
 
Yep, totally unfair if you get an injury.

So make it 5 + 1 medical sub.

But then the medical sub rule can get abused, or players are left not getting enough game time.

Easy fix - make it a six man bench.

It's a rule everyone is going to whinge. I hope after this year, they say, "that's it, we aren't changing it again". I'd probably go the flat 5 man bench but honestly I couldn't care less. If there is a sub there needs to be stipulations- you use it they are ruled out for a week.
 
Apr 12, 2010
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It's a rule everyone is going to whinge. I hope after this year, they say, "that's it, we aren't changing it again". I'd probably go the flat 5 man bench but honestly I couldn't care less. If there is a sub there needs to be stipulations- you use it they are ruled out for a week.
The thing is, the larger you make the bench, the less an injury should matter.

Perhaps a very big bench but tight rotation cap is the best path forward.
 
The thing is, the larger you make the bench, the less an injury should matter.

Perhaps a very big bench but tight rotation cap is the best path forward.

Honestly I'm not fussed I just hope after this can we leave it for a couple of years. Don't mind the same rotations but a 5 man bench so the last one is basically an active sub anyway.
 

St Plugger

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Feb 28, 2012
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I can see that it would work if AFL/football was played with 15 aside, 5,5,5, [which I quite like]. 15 on the field + 5 interchanges = 20 per team!
 

Sky

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I can see that it would work if AFL/football was played with 15 aside, 5,5,5, [which I quite like]. 15 on the field + 5 interchanges = 20 per team!
I’d rather go 16 on field and 6 on bench no sub
 
If you only had 1 on the bench and you had an injury - the impact would be significant to a side.

The more you have on the bench, the less impact the injury has to overall team performance - so allowing for additional subs make sense - particularly when you are capping rotations anyway if the intent is to reduce disadvantage of injury.

The other alternative I like is to simply rule any sub out from playing for 10 days. There may be some manipulation the week before a bye - but it would be limited. For modest niggles, clubs may prefer to simply play one short on the bench - particularly as those niggly subs tend to happen later in the game.
 
Jul 11, 2005
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My local league trialed a 5 player bench but the catch was the 5th player had to be a player 19 or under. While good in theory that you are getting experience into a kid, the issue was it meant the bigger clubs went out and poached talent from lower clubs in the league who had less cash.

But in the AFL thats not an issue, so maybe thats an idea.
 
If you only had 1 on the bench and you had an injury - the impact would be significant to a side.

The more you have on the bench, the less impact the injury has to overall team performance - so allowing for additional subs make sense - particularly when you are capping rotations anyway if the intent is to reduce disadvantage of injury.

The other alternative I like is to simply rule any sub out from playing for 10 days. There may be some manipulation the week before a bye - but it would be limited. For modest niggles, clubs may prefer to simply play one short on the bench - particularly as those niggly subs tend to happen later in the game.

I like the second suggestion 10 days is a perfect drawback. I'd actually make it 14 days to stop the last round things that may go on. Sub them out they miss the first final.
 
Feb 5, 2018
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I don't care what it is as long as the concept of a 'sub' disappears forever.

We had guys 'debut' without getting on the ground.
Shaun Burgoyne celebrated his 400th game in his 398th.
James Jordon has a premiership medal for sitting down for 4 quarters.
 
Jan 19, 2008
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I still don't understand how a rule like this can be decided after the list management period. Rule changes of this nature for the following season should be locked in prior to player trading, drafts, delisting etc because they affect team lineups and strategies based around that.

Because it is the AFL. The most notable quality of Gill's tenure has been reactionary rule changes without thinking through the implications.
 
May 3, 2007
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The 1990s slowly increases the subs bench.

From 1990-1992ish, there was 2 players on the bench.

Around 1994, there was 3 blokes on the bench.

By 1997-8, it went up from 3 to 4 in the bench.

I won't be shocked by the end of the decade, there's gonna be 5 or even 6 players on the bench.

Injuries occur more often so keep that in mind.
 
Aug 27, 2009
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The 1990s slowly increases the subs bench.

From 1990-1992ish, there was 2 players on the bench.

Around 1994, there was 3 blokes on the bench.

By 1997-8, it went up from 3 to 4 in the bench.

I won't be shocked by the end of the decade, there's gonna be 5 or even 6 players on the bench.

Injuries occur more often so keep that in mind.
Remember when the bench was used to punish players for f@ckups and you just played on with injuries, those were the days.
 
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