Let’s Get It On: Coaches v The AFL
AFL Coaches think they ignored and the AFL say that they are not. It is real He Said She Said stuff.
We have in the Red Corner the AFL who “Don’t trust coaches in their views on the game because they think they’re only interest is their own team’s performance and can’t be trusted.” and then we have the AFL Coaches in the Black Corner, some of whom think they own the game and should be consulted on every decision that is made regarding the game of Australian Rules Football. All this childish behaviour over a rule that is being trialled, let me say that again in case you didn’t hear it, or should I say read it, TRIALLED. I have not heard the AFL ever say that the rule will be definately in in 2009 have you?.
As much as I don’t really agree with the rule at least we have the opportunity to test it as see how it goes and then get feedback which the AFL will hopefully consider. I guess that is where the coaches are getting their back up. What will the AFL do if the majority of
coaches give negative feedback about the rule?
Will the AFL bring it in anyway? Part of me thinks that they will and that is the reason coaches like Mick Malthouse have been extremely outspoken on the issue. Malthouse says that the coaches were not consulted with bringing the rule in for the NAB Cup, but then you have Adrian Anderson saying that there was a memo sent to ALL Clubs and
“About seven or eight of the clubs responded, so every club had the opportunity to respond to that, and every coach had the opportunity,”
Why then did all the other 10-12 coaches not respond? My guess is that they think along the same lines as Malthouse. Regardless of how they responded the AFL would make their own decision anyway.
Rodney Eade has even thrown the “Legal Action” angle out there and reckons there may be litigation opportunities that the 
16-change limit would create because injured players may have to stay on the ground. PLEASE Rocket like there isn’t that already with the amount of players that play with injuries at the moment by being injected with pain killers every week. When I hear comments from coaches like that and the fact that Mick Malthouse expresses his opinion on the issue at every bloody press conference I tend to lean to the Red Corner. As we know the AFL are conducting tests this year that will try and determine if the overuse of the interchange bench is causing more high-speed collision injuries and if it is contributing to the unsightly congestion in the game. My thoughts on that are that even if there is a link what about the other side of the equation, what if players become more tired and fatigued because they can’t have a rest when they need to which may in turn result in an increase in soft tissue injuries?
Confusion
There certainly needs to be some discussion between Coaches, the AFL, and medical experts on this if the AFL are considering implementing this rule during the regular season. The AFL MUST listen to all arguments and not just make a decision that goes against what the people involved in the game think. I still don’t know who is telling the right story here? The AFL said they did consult the coaches and Mick Malthouse says they didn’t and Mark Harvey says that they had a meeting and all the coaches were not in favor of the rule?
WHO KNOWS?
Neil Daniher certainly has his work cut out for him trying to mend the relationship between the coaches and the AFL . This relationship needs to be good if the game is going to prosper in the future. All this bickering is taking over from what we all want to see some FOOTBALL ACTION on the ground.
Join the “INNER SANCTUM” our Free Weekly AFL Newsletter for your chance to win the $100 SportsAcumen Betting Card
