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The decision by the AFL to allow North Melbourne to rest up to 11 players in this weekend’s final round match against Richmond quite simply stinks.
While Fremantle were given approval earlier in the week to do the same in their final match against Port Adelaide, that game has no bearing on the composition of the ladder. The Dockers cannot lose top spot and the Power have no chance of playing finals.
In this situation the only losers are the Peel Thunder. Fremantle’s reserve grade side will be making their first finals appearance in the WAFL this weekend, and will struggle to field a competitive side due to the amount of players who will be called up to the seniors.
Although unfortunate for Peel and their supporters, Port Adelaide get the chance to knock off the possible premiers in the final round at home, which for them and their supporters will be a nice way to finish the season.
However the situation with North Melbourne is completely different. It is mind-boggling they have been given the all clear by the powers that be to virtually forfeit the game.
The Kangaroos currently sit in eighth position on the ladder. They can finish no lower, and unless Geelong upsets Adelaide, can finish no higher.
Richmond, on the other hand, could drop from their current fifth position to as low as seventh with a loss, and if the Crows win comfortably against Geelong at Simmons Stadium and the Saints upset the Dogs, they could finish as high as fourth – thereby earning themselves a home final against the Kangaroos.
There is absolutely no doubt that, if given a choice, North Melbourne Coach Brad Scott would choose a final against Richmond at the MCG, rather than having to travel to Adelaide to take on a Crows outfit who since Round 16 have averaged 117 points per game. The most of any team in that same period.
A loss for Richmond and a win to the Bulldogs would also see the Tigers lose fifth spot, although this time to the Bulldogs, and would mean the Kangaroos would face the Bulldogs in the first week of finals, possibly at Etihad Stadium. The same venue they were comfortably beaten at by the Dogs only a week ago.
The AFL’s approval of North Melbourne’s request to rest up to 11 players has all but ruled either of these scenarios out.
Indeed with this decision not only have they handed fifth place to the Tigers on a plate, they have also relegated the Crows and Bulldogs to fifth at best, and leads one to ask, why even bother playing the last round at all?
Most of the teams that have finished outside of the eight probably just want the season to be over anyway, while those teams who have qualified for finals worst fear would be losing a valuable player to injury in a meaningless game.
So why not just scrap Round 23 completely and give everyone a breather before the real stuff starts next week?
This decision quite simply stinks.
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