The AFL where rules don't matter

[Freddy Fuschia 730]

I hate to sound mean spirited but I think it was clearly announced before the start of yesterday's draft that if a club called out the wrong player or incorrect registration number then it would forfeit that selection. Matt Rendell for Adelaide called out Jack Grimes' registration number for selection 30 and guess what the Fonze did when that happened? He allowed the AFL rules to be broken and permitted the Crows to keep the choice. It would have been a tragedy for the club and the players selected if the rule had been applied but surely a professional multi million dollar organisation is supposed to enforce its own rules?

It might have been human error but I wonder if the club had been a club like the Kangaroos whether the AFL would have been so generous. I suppose we'll never know.

(also shows they had Grimes on their radar)

[Redleg 40,809]

I hate to sound mean spirited but I think it was clearly announced before the start of yesterday's draft that if a club called out the wrong player or incorrect registration number then it would forfeit that selection. Matt Rendell for Adelaide called out Jack Grimes' registration number for selection 30 and guess what the Fonze did when that happened? He allowed the AFL rules to be broken and permitted the Crows to keep the choice. It would have been a tragedy for the club and the players selected if the rule had been applied but surely a professional multi million dollar organisation is supposed to enforce its own rules?

It might have been human error but I wonder if the club had been a club like the Kangaroos whether the AFL would have been so generous. I suppose we'll never know.

(also shows they had Grimes on their radar)

That is a clear precedent and the AFL will be hard pressed in the future to enforce the rule. In reality it is a ridiculous penalty for a slip in the heat and the Boss did the right thing. It would just be ridiculously hard on a club and its supporters. Imagine if it happened to us.

[kryton 0]

That is a clear precedent and the AFL will be hard pressed in the future to enforce the rule. In reality it is a ridiculous penalty for a slip in the heat and the Boss did the right thing. It would just be ridiculously hard on a club and its supporters. Imagine if it happened to us.

It does seem a stupid rule - but why state it at the start if there is no intent to enforce? I can only guess there is a reson behind it, I just can't think of one

[Redleg 40,809]

It does seem a stupid rule - but why state it at the start if there is no intent to enforce? I can only guess there is a reson behind it, I just can't think of one

The reason is to make the draft go smoothly and ensure that the participants concentrate and not stuff it up by naming previously drafted players. In other words they are trying to keep it on a professional level.

[Courtney_Fish 183]

Sounds like real-estate law for auctions.

[Gorgoroth 12,916]

Stupid rule and im glad they let them choose another.

[leucopogon 1,519]

in this day and age of computers, the fact that somebody even has to read out a number seems ridiculous to me. why can't they just pick the name from a list on a laptop in front of them and say the name of the player?

[John Dee 445]

Stupid rule and im glad they let them choose another.

Rendell read out Grimes' number and the correct name of the player they were drafting. Strictly speaking, this should have invalidated the selection. Vlad checked with the two clubs who had already made selections after the crows and asked whether they wanted to change their picks. The two clubs were not disadvantaged as they would have known who the crows drafted. If one of them demanded to be able to draft the crows player, it would have made it very interesting.

[Nasher 33,607]

Stupid rule and im glad they let them choose another.

Agree with that, would have been utterly ridiculous if they'd lost their pick for that, especially given that they read out the correct name.

It would have been a tragedy for the club and the players selected if the rule had been applied but surely a professional multi million dollar organisation is supposed to enforce its own rules?

Sometimes common sense should override the letter of the law. This is definitely one of those cases.