Pre-Grand Final bye?

[Underarm]

Prefaced by saying I don’t have a problem with Stewart missing the game - it’s the rule and players miss grand finals every year for this reason or that. In the past we have had worthy flag winners in Egan, Menzel and Holmes miss out through no fault of their own.

But a few points: if they DO have to have a bye - and I don’t think they do - I would rather see it during grand final week as the stakes for someone missing out due to a concussion or an injury is higher. If coaches want to rest players during the home and away season that’s their prerogative.

Yes players can miss a grand final due to injury but it’s not a rule. Stewart isn’t missing a GF due to injury. He’s missing it due to a rule. He MAY be injured but he also may be fine to play again today. No one knows. If someone misses a game through injury they can still try and play, there’s no rule or regulation stopping them it’s just an ailment. That can’t be helped and it’s not anything regulatory that’s stopping them. If they wanted to try and beat the injury they could. Needle it up, strap it up, play a different role camped in a goal square, whatever. Nothing technically stops them. With the mandatory stand down, a player can be physically 100 per cent but there is nothing at all that can be done for them to play so I do see merit in it.

As it is, I’m fine with it staying as it is or just scrapping any byes altogether but if they HAVE to have it I think it should be before the GF. There’s quite a lot of talk on the NRL ABC flagship show about it this morning as well and they haven’t mentioned Stewart at all - former Penrith and Sharks premiership player Luke Lewis has said basically ‘look it’s harsh if you miss any final for concussion but you might get a handful of finals games in your career. But grand finals you could get only 1 your whole life. It’s harsh if you miss out because you had a head clash you couldn’t avoid and you are absolutely fine to go. That’s what you play your whole career for.’

The rule only has to exist because players can't accurately understand what 'recovered from Concussion' is. They think they're better 7 days later but they're still injured and need more recovery time.

A much better solution is for players and fans getting over the archaic idea that only the 23 on the pitch are premiership players. And then players might start taking their long term health seriously.

 

[GoldbergsGold]

Yes but what about the current system gives 5 - 8 an advantage over 1 - 4?

I already said, they don't get rusty, it's giving them an edge contesting more than if they didn't have a pre-finals bye. The QF winners are getting too many breaks and it will make a team less tough, hence why there's preseason matches before the proper season. You're already seeing the bottom 4 finalist teams winning premierships, when that never happened in the same finals system without the pre-finals bye for 16 seasons.

The reason for the change is that equalisation has worked and there are more better teams. Have a look at the talent in the Geelong and Hawthorn teams 10 - 15 years ago. They had twice as many A graders as any teams has now. There is simply very little difference in the top teams these days. Plus teams now believe they can win away finals, the mindset Aron d that has shifted. Very little to do with the final a system.

This is incredibly subjective, Richmond also had a dynasty during the pre-finals bye period, but now, the bottom 4 finalists have a better chance at winning a premiership than before the pre-finals bye, which screws over the QF winners.

 

[Walshawk]

I already said, they don't get rusty, it's giving them an edge contesting more than if they didn't have a pre-finals bye. The QF winners are getting too many breaks and it will make a team less tough, hence why there's preseason matches before the proper season. You're already seeing the bottom 4 finalist teams winning premierships, when that never happened in the same finals system without the pre-finals bye for 16 seasons.

This is incredibly subjective, Richmond also had a dynasty during the pre-finals bye period, but now, the bottom 4 finalists have a better chance at winning a premiership than before the pre-finals bye, which screws over the QF winners.

Nah, the Lions won last year because they were the best team and the Swans choked. The lost the GF the year before by a point. Nothing to do with the bye.

 

[Cold Ghost]

Why doesn't HQ try and make the AFL and AFLW seasons more aligned.

Let's say Round 15 there's a bye for the mens season, which equates to Round 1 of the women season. Give the launch of the womens season all the attention, with no mens games, then run the seasons concurrently.

The womens finals run at the same time as the mens however, after the prelims, the mens season gets the week of clear air while the womens grand final runs in the free week - with all the attention.

If the NRL can run the mens and womens finals at the same time, surely the AFL can.

 

[Cleavy]

Why doesn't HQ try and make the AFL and AFLW seasons more aligned.

Let's say Round 15 there's a bye for the mens season, which equates to Round 1 of the women season. Give the launch of the womens season all the attention, with no mens games, then run the seasons concurrently.

The womens finals run at the same time as the mens however, after the prelims, the mens season gets the week of clear air while the womens grand final runs in the free week - with all the attention.

If the NRL can run the mens and womens finals at the same time, surely the AFL can.

they don't want to. they want the AFLW to stand on its own

 

[Howard Littlejohn]

Why doesn't HQ try and make the AFL and AFLW seasons more aligned.

Let's say Round 15 there's a bye for the mens season, which equates to Round 1 of the women season. Give the launch of the womens season all the attention, with no mens games, then run the seasons concurrently.

The womens finals run at the same time as the mens however, after the prelims, the mens season gets the week of clear air while the womens grand final runs in the free week - with all the attention.

If the NRL can run the mens and womens finals at the same time, surely the AFL can.

Because the AFL are a 12 month media organisation. AFLW is out of season content, just like trade eternity, free agency speculation and multiday drafts

 

[Aristotle Pickett the3rd]

No way. It's not worth stuffing everything up on the rare chance one player gets a concussion.

 

[Mat Mann]

does it matter? if we remove the pre-finals bye, someone will winge, usually involving a big club with injuries.

I dislike the bye but the AFL will want to keep it to elongate the season, make more sense as a pre-finals bye. Injuries have decided finals game for decades, ridiculous to think that will change.

The same goes for the sub rule, won't take 5 rounds before someone bitches about losing a player early in a game and being down rotations

 

[daniel_4tw]

What if it’s a 2 week injury? And 3 week injury?

Players get injured it’s part of the game. You have to use your entire squad.

The lead up to the grand final is already drawn out with 16 teams out of it. Pre-GF bye would ensure the season loses all its momentum.

 

[_Mike_]

No pre GF bye, the pre finals bye is enough as it is.

 

[voorhees]

No pre GF bye, the pre finals bye is enough as it is.

agree...leave it as it is.
This comp and always wanting to change the landscape! ...never ends

 

[Dogs till i die]

The first week of finals consistently provides 4 great games of football after 8 teams have been given a week off. Leave it.

 

[RonnieRaven]

Great for teams great for fans
do it

 

[_Mike_]

It’s harsh if you miss out because you had a head clash you couldn’t avoid and you are absolutely fine to go. That’s what you play your whole career for.’

A shame that any required player misses a grand final due to injury, concussion rules, or other (such as suspension) however what the AFL can't do, is change or flex rules based on individual cases. Stewart was a big out for the Cats, I dont think anyone can argue that.

The AFL's position on treating head injuries has changed over the last decade, due to the possibility/likelihood of delayed onset of symptoms resulting from head knocks & civil action against the AFL for CTE related injury. I too would be disappointed seeing a key player miss the biggest game, which is not a new event. Yes it's easier for a neutral to back the AFL's position yet the risk to player based on evidence & data cant be ignored by the AFL, who has a duty of care to ensure the player has adequate time and testing before resuming onfield.

I dont think that this particular issue is going to get easier for the AFL to deal with as time goes on.

 

[delta_magpie]

Remove the Pre-finals bye and replace it with the Pre-GF bye.

Allows separation for the awards week and media duties the first week and allows the AFL to fixture in the State of Origin on that weekend for non-competing clubs. Plenty of talent in the other 16 clubs to fill the teams and competing clubs fans are worried about the GF not the state of origin so they dont care their players are not competing.

I dont see any down sides, its better than february for State of Origin thats for sure, and it doesnt hurt the non-competing clubs by pushing their end of season Surgeries by 3 weeks (if they got to the GF they would have an even shorter time)
We still have everyone thinking about footy at this stage of the season and the players are actually conditioned to play.