The Sydney Swans were privately fuming over underhand tactics last night after their loss to the Western Bulldogs. The Swans were incensed that the Bulldogs took the field as selected for yesterday's match at the SCG.
"I'm astonished that anyone would stoop to those levels" said Sydney coach Rodney Eade. "All our planning from Friday onwards was on the basis of Terry Wallace making one, two or even three late changes to the side, and then he undoes all our work by playing the side they selected."
The Bulldogs further confounded the Swans by having the four men named as interchange players start on the bench, and having all players start in the selected positions at the first bounce.
"It was madness in the box. Georgie Stone was fumbling around with the board, trying to get our match-ups right. When we finally got the Dogs into their positions, we found they were exactly as they appeared in yesterday's paper. That's just not on" Eade said.
By the time the Swans' brains trust had recovered from the Bulldogs' surprise non-changes, the Dogs had scampered out to a handy four goal lead that they never surrendered.
Eade said that he wouldn't consider using similar tactics given the opportunity. "The footballing public - and that includes the opposition match committee - expects a bare minimum of three positional switches, and at least one late withdrawal after a fitness test. There's no telling what other coaches will do with this tactic now. The next thing you know we'll be getting honesty in injury assessments."
Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy expressed interest in Terry Wallace's new tactics. "It's pretty radical, picking a side and sticking with it. I don't think it'll catch on, but I can see a certain charm in leaving players out of the side if they're not able to play."
Sheedy drew the line at putting players in the positions they were selected. "I don't even know where I'm going to play them half the time, so how the opposition is going to guess is beyond me."
"I'm astonished that anyone would stoop to those levels" said Sydney coach Rodney Eade. "All our planning from Friday onwards was on the basis of Terry Wallace making one, two or even three late changes to the side, and then he undoes all our work by playing the side they selected."
The Bulldogs further confounded the Swans by having the four men named as interchange players start on the bench, and having all players start in the selected positions at the first bounce.
"It was madness in the box. Georgie Stone was fumbling around with the board, trying to get our match-ups right. When we finally got the Dogs into their positions, we found they were exactly as they appeared in yesterday's paper. That's just not on" Eade said.
By the time the Swans' brains trust had recovered from the Bulldogs' surprise non-changes, the Dogs had scampered out to a handy four goal lead that they never surrendered.
Eade said that he wouldn't consider using similar tactics given the opportunity. "The footballing public - and that includes the opposition match committee - expects a bare minimum of three positional switches, and at least one late withdrawal after a fitness test. There's no telling what other coaches will do with this tactic now. The next thing you know we'll be getting honesty in injury assessments."
Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy expressed interest in Terry Wallace's new tactics. "It's pretty radical, picking a side and sticking with it. I don't think it'll catch on, but I can see a certain charm in leaving players out of the side if they're not able to play."
Sheedy drew the line at putting players in the positions they were selected. "I don't even know where I'm going to play them half the time, so how the opposition is going to guess is beyond me."
lol phew it's not REAL controversy!
