Who should our SUB be??

[Green Machine 63]

I was just thinking, who does everyone think would make MFC best Sub in 2011.

I think Bennell because he tends to drift out of games sometimes, and I think if he was Subbed on maybe at the start of the last quater, he would be able to use his pace and skill to burn off his opponent and dominate for the last bit of the game.

Thoughts?

[45HG 1,559]

How does it work?

Do you select your 21 with 3 emergencies and one of those can be a sub? Or 21 + sub?

[e25 5]

I think if you tried to have one player as the designated sub for multiple games in a row it will not work.

The sub will need to be rotated from week to week.

[John Crow Batty 8,880]

I think there will be many posibilities for different subs depending on the team structure and match ups for a given day and other variables. Might be a way to introduce a first gamer even. Any fit player who is not ranked in our current top ten would be a candidate.

[DemonTux 97]

The SUB issue is an interesting one... There would be a school of thought that you may train players differently who will be used in this role so instead of 1 sub, maybe you will have a subset of the list of possible subs, but ger their training more towards being "impact" players where they are more likley to be prepared more for just half a game rather than a full one.

Likewise, there would be the school of thought re "dont change anything" just train normally but have the sub there for either if somone gets injured or if somone is really down on a day.

Then there is the issue of do you look to sub like for like? do you hamstring your self if you have a tall as a sub?

Without deciding the phylosophy, it could be difficult to make an informed choice.

Assuming we go with value and a form of risk management my prefference would be to have a utility as the sub so you dont lose to much and cover all bases so maybe a Bruce/Bate/Gys/Morton type (pending matchups)?

[titan_uranus 25,174]

I doubt we'll be typecasting players into 'substitute' roles. I think we'll just pick our best 21 for the team we're playing, then consider who's left over and who could add value for half a game, for example.

Players like Martin, Maric, Jetta, they'll be the ones in the sub role mainly because they are on the fringe of the 22 to begin with.

[jayceebee31 768]

I think Cam Bruce or Roh Bail.

[GOLF 13]

The sub comes on when someone is injured. How would Bennell, Maric or other shorter players cope if it was Frawley or Garland who went down? #22 has to be someone who can cover for a lot of positions.

[Guest Thomo]

I think if you tried to have one player as the designated sub for multiple games in a row it will not work.

The sub will need to be rotated from week to week.

Yes, would be hard to keep fitness if a player was a sub several weeks in a row.

[Nasher 33,617]

Yes, would be hard to keep fitness if a player was a sub several weeks in a row.

Precisely. You'd think it would be two games in a row max - after that the player would need a full run, either for MFC or Casey.

The idea of having a designated sub makes no sense.

[GolfBoyPro 43]

Michael Newton............. End of thread!!!

[titan_uranus 25,174]

The sub comes on when someone is injured. How would Bennell, Maric or other shorter players cope if it was Frawley or Garland who went down? #22 has to be someone who can cover for a lot of positions.

Sounds like you've got an imaginary player in mind. No matter who the sub is, he won't be able to fill in for any player. You can't have a sub who can ruck or play the small forward role or tag a midfielder all wrapped up into one player.

[Chook 15,023]

Sounds like you've got an imaginary player in mind. No matter who the sub is, he won't be able to fill in for any player. You can't have a sub who can ruck or play the small forward role or tag a midfielder all wrapped up into one player.

Even if we had such a person, I would imagine that would make him good enough to fit into the starting 21. Also, say Jamar goes down injured and we have Bennell as our substitute, we're obviously not obligated to play him in the ruck. We would most likely switch things up so that Newton/Spencer/Martin goes into the ruck semi full-time, causing some others to change their roles, which would likely put Bennell into the position he would have normally played anyway. Frawley injured: Frawley subbed off, Garland switched to Frawley's spot, Rivers switched to Garland's spot, Bennell subbed on and put into Bruce's spot, etc. Thus, versatility is not necessarily the key to being a good substitute, although versatility within the team is still important.

[Chook 15,023]

Precisely. You'd think it would be two games in a row max - after that the player would need a full run, either for MFC or Casey.

The idea of having a designated sub makes no sense.

Sorry to double post, but if you had a designated sub, match-fitness would not be such a priority. I think the biggest hurdle to overcome if you were a coach going down the path of a "designated sub" situation, would be cultural. Just as benching a player used to be seen as a punishment, having someone as a sub week after week because you viewed that as the best way to use them, might result in disenfranchising that player a little bit. After all, most footy players want to play footy, not watch it.

[Triple Jack 13]

I agree with many on this post about not having a "designated sub". I feel that rotating around players in this role will be very important. But one thing the sub can't be is somebody whose slow, immobile, etc. Whether they are used for an injury or just fresh legs they need to be able to turn a game somehow. So players like Wona, bennell, etc who r already fringe players are perfect, because their speed can split the game open. When everyone else is tired they can run laps around them. If for example Martin was the sub, yea he might help if theirs an injury to a ruckmen or kpp, but if there is an injury to mid/small player or no injury at all he will not be able to turn a game.

[Guest Thomo]

Sorry to double post, but if you had a designated sub, match-fitness would not be such a priority. I think the biggest hurdle to overcome if you were a coach going down the path of a "designated sub" situation, would be cultural. Just as benching a player used to be seen as a punishment, having someone as a sub week after week because you viewed that as the best way to use them, might result in disenfranchising that player a little bit. After all, most footy players want to play footy, not watch it.

Why would match fitness not be a priority?

If a player has been playing very little minutes for several weeks, and he needs to come on early in a game it could be a huge problem. Lack of ffitness and touch.

[Guest DeesPower]

The sub comes on when someone is injured. How would Bennell, Maric or other shorter players cope if it was Frawley or Garland who went down? #22 has to be someone who can cover for a lot of positions.

A player does not have to be injured tone subbed. He just is not allowed to take any further part in the game.

Personally, I think a tall, fast mid fielder type like Gysberts, Morton, Bruce, or macdonald would be perfect, but I rather hope both Morton and Gysberts find their feet next year and play a full season in the ones.

[Steamin Demon 401]

Michael Newton............. End of thread!!!

Yep, This is exactly why Newton was retained.

[e25 5]

No it's not at all.

For a start he's on the bloody rookie list...

[e25 5]

Sounds like you've got an imaginary player in mind. No matter who the sub is, he won't be able to fill in for any player. You can't have a sub who can ruck or play the small forward role or tag a midfielder all wrapped up into one player.

Exactly. The introduction of the sub will just be the catalyst for a shuffling of positions to cover the player going out.

This will make a player like Cale Morton or Adam Goodes much more valuable because he'll be able to switch from midfield to key position or vice versa.

Set movement strategies will evolve with each team, for each particular player that may be omitted due to injury.

It will depend who is in the side, but for instance, if Jamar was injured, Martin may be playing up forward but shift into the ruck, Morton will move from a wing to the forward line and Bail as the substitute could come onto a wing. These shuffling moves will be considered when naming a side and will likely affect the inclusion/exclusion of multiple players.

When we talk about the substitute being an issue due to a lack of fitness, it will probably be no different to the emergency situation we have faced in recent years.

Usually only one will not play VFL and be the "true" emergency, assuming no injuries that have been kept under wraps / players on the knife's edge of fitness.

[Crystal Dees 372]

Yep, This is exactly why Newton was retained.

....except that he's a rookie!

The sub will be our 22nd best player - the only proviso that he is not a one trick (position) pony.

[e25 5]

As I've explained in the previous post, that is not the case at all.

It just means that versatile players in the side will be worth more.