Eth

With 4 interchanges, one player going down in the first minute consigns the team to a certain loss as they can't interchange as much as the other team. The SUB rule is largely designed to even that up.

If you get two injuries bad luck.

As for slowing the game down, its already being proven. Teams are running out of legs. If so they can't flood as much and it will open the game up. The impact injuries will be reduced but soft tissues may rise.

Thats the theory.

Fair point.

Impact injuries are often very bad luck anyway - the AFL seem to think that they can prevent that, but nothing really can.

Here's an article I wrote last night about all the key issues, in my opinion, on the substitute rule. So, what are your opinions on it? Scrap it? Keep it? Change it?

Not looking good for substitute rule

The substitute rule - a new invention by the AFL in season 2011 to attempt to keep the game new and fresh, something they implemented to attempt to prevent injury.

The fact is that it’s a failed attempt. With the concussion rule also being introduced - on the Tuesday before Round 1, mind you - we’ve seen players such as Jarrad Waite and Jack Riewoldt substituted off the field who have appeared fit to play not long after.

Instead of giving a team an advantage when an opposition player goes down with an injury, it doesn’t change anything. Rather than being a man down on the bench, when compared to last year, both teams are a man down.

Having three players on the bench also limits the rotations. However, we saw the team with the most rotations last year (Collingwood) go on to win the flag with almost no injury concerns. The team that rotated the least last year (Brisbane) had a horror season, ruined by injury. Collingwood’s most rotated player happened to be Dane Swan. See the trend?

With less rotations comes more injuries. We haven’t seen these fatigue-related injuries yet, but I expect that towards the end of the season players will be struggling with soft-tissue problems and casualties will be above average.

What also hasn’t been considered by the AFL is the fact that no injuries to either team is a common occurrence. The substitute then comes on as fresh legs for one player. It proved to be interesting in the first 2011 home and away draw, Melbourne vs. Sydney. Mark Seaby, the Swans’ designated substitute, came on and did little and was dropped the following week. Ricky Petterd came on for the Demons and gave them two score assists in the first two minutes, boosting their eventual fightback to record the draw.

That shows the substitute’s potential to be game-changing, but not for the reasons the AFL intended.

...

Rest of the article is here

Sorry HT, rejected.

Maric I think I will go, making way for Wonnaemiri. I would drop Bennell for Gysberts.

Maric I kind of agree with, but remember his NAB Cup form and the fact he hasn't been at the club too long. He hasn't had that many games under his belt and we need to keep giving them to him.

And no way should Bennell be dropped. I had him as one of our best against Sydney - one disappointing game does not mean you play for Casey the following week.

Homocide works better for me...

Suicide, Homicide, Bullet...hell, even Stabby would work for his kicking.

It's an unusual trend, but I kinda like it.

Darling's a good player, but long term Cook will be a much better player for us. Darling may end up a gun but he won't fit our game style.

Did we set a new membership record today?

With all the focus on our poor on field performance against Hawthorn our membership tally has crept up to 33,359, I thought last years total was 33,358

Bingo.

Congrats MFC.

Morton.

I did say else

This is much shorter than last week...who else is off it?

fast forward a couple of years to 'Luke Tapscott - Absolute Liability'

i am over getting excited by brand new players, none of them ever become stars at this club and then we turn on them for it

Nathan Jones was very popular early

Come on, at least let us have one positive thread around here.

I'm happy with Tappy or bull. However for another option.

Many will recall his selection when Luke Ball was in the air and people were highly interested to see where he would go.., Pick 18 came, Luke...Pause...(would it be Ball to the demons) no ..... Tapscott. So what about 'BALLS'...

.. He certainly replicates the original 'Balls' Grinter but even more so. All the stars line up on this one.

Not bad.

Bull, Balls, Tappy, Bullet...the list goes on.

ROUND 2

Results

High Tower (1456) def Trengove (1164)

Range Rover (1124) def by Ox_5 (1131)

The Master (1174) def Eth38 (1095)

Deestroy All (1209) def by Deez Nutz (1420)

E25 (1466) def Roger Mellie (1199)

Headlines

Two easy victories in a row for High Tower

Another one slips from Range Rover

The Master prevails over Eth38

Deez Nutz too powerful for DAFC

E25 easily disposes of Roger Mellie

Ladder

High Tower, 2-0, 2983, 2198, 135.71%

Ox_5, 2-0, 2441, 2241, 108.92%

Deez Nutz, 2-0, 2667, 2453, 108.72%

E25, 1-1, 2756, 2576, 106.99%

The Master, 1-1, 2337, 2378, 98.28%

Deestroy All, 1-1, 2586, 2710, 95.42%

Roger Mellie, 1-1, 2482, 2629, 94.41%

Range Rover, 0-2, 2368, 2378, 99.58%

Trengove, 0-2, 2281, 2766, 82.47%

Eth38, 0-2, 2129, 2701, 78.82%

The week ahead

Trengove vs Range Rover

High Tower vs The Master

Ox_5 vs Deestroy All

Eth38 vs E25

Deez Nutz vs Roger Mellie

Great start...on the bottom.

He should get a week purely for the fact that Scarlett got a week. Intentional hit to an opponent off the ball, taking the wind out of the victim.

Jones copped it worse than Riewoldt though, so if he gets off it's a disgrace.

It cost us last game, because a fit and firing Petterd playing 100% of the game the way be played last week would have been invaluable.

Watch it change next season - it's the worst rule change I can remember. Do you ever see any soccer rule changes? Cricket? Don't think so. AFL changes it yearly, and it's got to stop.

Advantage rule is [censored] as well.

I dunno. Lynden Dunn had that awesome soccer snap from 40m out last year for a goal, and his free kick straight afterwards was takren from where he kicked it.

Odd. Dunno why Rioli took it either, it should've been Bateman's kick.

would be a chance for the rising star

Libba will get it this week.

Overall, however...

I saw Col Garland being assisted off the field in the last quarter - can anyone explain the injury?

Ew, a draw.

6 - Rohan Bail

5 - Luke Tapscott

4 - Colin Sylvia

3 - Jack Trengove

2 - Stefan Martin

1 - Jack Watts

Good to hear.

Nathan Brown's dream again...epic.

Ricky as sub is [censored].

Chip possibly out just sucks.

How Fickle we are....4 weeks ago after the Adelaide Games Fans on here were Lauding that Joel Mac was a gutsy Champ that people loved, now he is a dud!!!

Never noticed?

Rivers was only selected because of Hawthorn's three talls. He was worst on ground last week.

I wonder whether you watched the whole game. Even at our worst, we never got flogged like that.

Well...there is this

I can say that's 8 premiership points in the bag this season.

I liked the look of Charlie Dixon.

I'm surprised that with all the growth in Melbourne in the last 9 years (the city's grown by 600,000 people) that clubs like North are still struggling.

I think the AFL's opposed to any mergers - they'd rather promote a completely new team.