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In a rare piece of unity between West Coast and Fremantle, the two WA clubs demanded the AFL relax the restricted interchange trial for Sunday’s NAB Cup clash because of forecasted hot weather.
The regular pre-season western derby clash between the Eagles and Dockers will be the last of this weekend’s NAB Cup games, and was initially due to begin at 6.40pm in Perth (8.40pm AEDT).
The AFL announced yesterday that the start time would be pushed back 30 minutes to 7.10pm, with each quarter cut to 15 minutes plus time-on, rather than 17-1/2 minutes plus time-on.
There would also be longer breaks between quarters, but the limit on 16 interchanges per team per quarter would remain in place.
Despite the late start, a predicted temperature of 33C had led Eagles coach John Worsfold and Dockers counterpart Mark Harvey to argue the AFL’s extreme heat policy needed to override the controversial interchange trial.
“I think we probably have to, in terms of player safety,” Worsfold said.
“For our doctor and our conditioning staff they would say it can be dangerous if a player is not coping with the heat and he has to stay out on the field.
“I am one that supports the AFL trialling things in the NAB Cup and I was quite happy and I was quite happy to trial the 16 interchanges per quarter.
“But the AFL has had in place for a few years an extreme heat policy, and one of the things in there tells coaches they need to rotate players off the ground more to assist them.”
The extreme heat policy allows a later start time, longer breaks between quarters, extra water carriers, letting players leave the ground after every quarter, and reducing the length of quarters.
But Harvey said the coaches wanted the freedom to react quickly if a player was struggling.
“Clearly the coaches had a meeting with the AFL and every one of those coaches in that meeting was not in favour of limiting the rotations on the bench – every coach,” said Harvey.
“The modification we are looking for is either an extension of the bench or unlimited rotations.”
The match between the Western Bulldogs and the Kangaroos in Darwin on Friday night would also be played with shortened quarters.
Meanwhile, with West Coast due to rest star ruckman Dean Cox and injured midfielders Dean Cox and Tyson Stenglein, Fremantle will enter the game as favourites, although Harvey said he has not decided whether to play all his big guns.
“If I think those players are ready for their first game, and for guys like Pavlich it will be his first game,” Harvey said.
“We have got to make sure we don’t put them under too much stress too early, because we have got to keep them on the ground longer.”
The Dockers coach is also working around a group of players carrying illness back with them from their recent trip to South Africa.
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