Nathan MottonAFL must seriously consider Wallace 24-player team (LINK)
April 1st 2008 07:18
Richmond coach Terry Wallace will draft a submission to the AFL this month, revealing a proposal to field up to two emergencies a game, increasing the playing number to 24.
Wallace's plan comes amid growing concerns of a rotational revolution, as the game is developing at an alarming rate and interchange rotations have increased dramatically.
"If you lose two blokes before half-time, you just don't win the game," Wallace told The Age last night.
"If you lose one, you are far less likely to win the game and what we want to see is an even contest. I'm really quite passionate about it because I don't like to see a game impacted because somebody's got hurt."
Under Wallce's plan, teams would name 22 players along with two emergencies who could be rotated on should one of the original 22 be injured through the course of the match.
The idea received backing from Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse today.
"What we need to see is as relatively even playing field as we can," Malthouse said.
"It would be a shame to see sides struggle through under the current system, that lose players and are totally disadvantaged and lose the game with the last kick or the last quarter because they just can't go with the opposition."
And Brisbane Lions coach Leigh Matthews echoed these sentiments following his sides two-point win over Collingwood last Friday night.
Speaking on Radio 3AW on Saturday Matthews spoke of the massive increase in bench rotations and how other clubs would eventually have to follow the lead of sides like Collingwood.
He said the game had evolved into players zoning off onto the nearest opponent, regardless of whether it was their direct opponent, as opposed to 18 players having one opponent for the majority of the match.
"It's 22 players versus 22 and if you lose a player for the match through injury, then it becomes 22 versus 21 and you are at a distinct disadvantage," Matthews said.
The AFL has not ruled out making amendments to it's current governing rules regarding rotations.
Wallace's plan will not be the first bandied around, and nor should it.
The AFL will most likely increase the size of a playing team beyond 22 players.
How far beyond 22 players and how far beyond season 2008 is anyones guess.
But the constant rule tinkering the AFL seems to obsess over, has led to coaches having to increase their rotations on and of the field.
Collingwood is leading the way in changing the face of the game.
In Round 2 Collingwood used 110 interchanges against the Lions, a record in AFL history.
In fact, the average number of changes per club has grown from 58 a game last year to 78 in the first two rounds.
If the AFL wants teams to keep up with the speed of the game, a 24-player team is an idea that warrants serious consideration.
Wallace's plan comes amid growing concerns of a rotational revolution, as the game is developing at an alarming rate and interchange rotations have increased dramatically.
"If you lose two blokes before half-time, you just don't win the game," Wallace told The Age last night.
"If you lose one, you are far less likely to win the game and what we want to see is an even contest. I'm really quite passionate about it because I don't like to see a game impacted because somebody's got hurt."
The idea received backing from Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse today.
"What we need to see is as relatively even playing field as we can," Malthouse said.
"It would be a shame to see sides struggle through under the current system, that lose players and are totally disadvantaged and lose the game with the last kick or the last quarter because they just can't go with the opposition."
And Brisbane Lions coach Leigh Matthews echoed these sentiments following his sides two-point win over Collingwood last Friday night.
Speaking on Radio 3AW on Saturday Matthews spoke of the massive increase in bench rotations and how other clubs would eventually have to follow the lead of sides like Collingwood.
He said the game had evolved into players zoning off onto the nearest opponent, regardless of whether it was their direct opponent, as opposed to 18 players having one opponent for the majority of the match.
The AFL has not ruled out making amendments to it's current governing rules regarding rotations.
Wallace's plan will not be the first bandied around, and nor should it.
The AFL will most likely increase the size of a playing team beyond 22 players.
How far beyond 22 players and how far beyond season 2008 is anyones guess.
But the constant rule tinkering the AFL seems to obsess over, has led to coaches having to increase their rotations on and of the field.
Collingwood is leading the way in changing the face of the game.
In Round 2 Collingwood used 110 interchanges against the Lions, a record in AFL history.
In fact, the average number of changes per club has grown from 58 a game last year to 78 in the first two rounds.
If the AFL wants teams to keep up with the speed of the game, a 24-player team is an idea that warrants serious consideration.
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