Something needs to be done about dead-rubber AFL games in the final round of the season.
I saw the most uncompetitive performance from a side in recent memory with Fremantle’s performance against St Kilda on Saturday.
With all due respect to the Saints, we were watching a game where only one team cared about winning and it certainly, and understandably, was not the men in purple. It is all about next week and beyond for Ross Lyon and his side.
Interestingly, if Ryan Lester converted the goal for Brisbane in the dying seconds against Geelong, the loss would have cost Fremantle a home final.
The Dockers made 10 changes at the selection table, with most of those players being listed as rested. Hayden Ballantyne, Nat Fyfe, Zac Clarke, Lee Spurr, Zac Dawson, David Mundy and Michael Johnson were confirmed outs on the Thursday, while Chris Mayne and Garrick Ibbotson were late withdrawals from the selected team on the day of the match.
You cannot blame Lyon’s strategy of resting tired players on the eve of the finals, especially as coach of an interstate side where travel is a major factor. Yet the game on the weekend made a mockery of the competition, even if it did give three St Kilda stalwarts the send-off they deserved.
The work rate and defensive structures of Fremantle was well below its usual standard as the Saints did as they pleased for four quarters. Ryan Crowley, probably the best tagger in the competition, did not tag a St Kilda player. This is despite Leigh Montagna and emerging superstar Jack Steven gathering 47 disposals each and absolutely dominating the match.
One possible solution to limit the amount of these types of matches could be to have Rivalry Round in the final round of the season.
This way clubs that are out of finals contention still participate in matches where there is a lot of pride on the line.
We could also have the Q-Clash, Showdown, Derby and the Battle of the Bridge on the same weekend so non-Victorian sides competing in the finals get a week’s rest from travel.
jack Nimble
Guest
"Non-issue, been happening since Jesus played full back for Jerusalem" always makes me chuckle that ol chesnut, Thanks G. What IS ridiculous is Vlad the Impaler saying "We will look into this" like he's some sort of ASIO officer or something. I mean, really Andy? That guy gets away with murder year after year. Taking Holidays during the season, Going on "fact-finding" junkets, saying he doesn't like a certain "brand of Footy" in a year when that "brand of Footy" wins the Flag (Swans) Chuckling at someone being set on fire, etc. etc. the list is endless... Ross Lyon flips the bird at the massively over-rated AFL admin, and he is WAY more relevant to any AFL discussion than Andy Dumitrio, and I say, good on him for identifying AD as an irrelevant albatross. Dimitrio you have GOT to go....
Jack Smith
Roar Guru
Agree with comments - not much point in doing anything, dead rubbers will always happen. This year was different because there were multiple teams in the hunt. Without the Essendon Saga, WCE v Adelaide, Nth v Pies and Brisbane vs Cats ALL would have been a dead rubber.
Jackson Clark
Roar Guru
Believe it or not mate I actually do think they would take the game more seriously (and not rest 10 players) if it was a derby. Travel is less of a factor and there is definitely more pride on the line in a game like that. And that applies not only to the Dockers viewpoint but perhaps we would have seen a more spirited West Coast outfit.
G
Guest
Non-issue, been happening since Jesus played full back for Jerusalem. We should be thankful there were so many teams playing off for the coveted 9th err...I mean 8th spot before the weekend, even if Carlton did spoil the party for Adelaide and North
Dockersfan
Guest
IT's part of the caper. WA teams sometimes have to travel 2 weeks in a row. Can't blame them for looking after their players when they do have to. Dockers haven't complained about flying twice in 7 days, they've just given themselves the best opportunity to win. Their major mistake was being honest about it. All players are sore and sorry at this time of year so they could've blown up the reasons for sitting out and put 1 week next to their names i.e. Fyfe (shoulder) 1 week etc. Every team does, even Geelong "managed" Hawkins the other week when they played over here. And that was their first interstate flight in months. Imagine how many of the old boys they would rest if they had that flight 2 weeks in a row? 1 rule for WA 1 rule for Victoria. Don't worry we understand.
HardcorePrawn
Roar Guru
A poor example I feel. The system of promotion and relegation did work for 100-odd years until the Premier League became awash with obscene amounts of money and ego-driven club owners. Likewise, there are plenty of other leagues around the world that have promotion and relegation and aren't as top-heavy, nor dominated by the few, as the EPL.
Dockersfan
Guest
Teams are selected on Thursday afternoon. You have major issues if you gambling you money on the footy before Thursday afternoon. Bigger issues than whether a team decides to not risk the health and safety of their players
Dockersfan
Guest
and then the Dockers can charge the AFL with not placing the safety of their players first. It's not Essedon it's the Dockers, players safety comes first and foremost. Use your brains. If you have any.
Gecko
Guest
No fan should be disappointed with their team's effort last weekend. Fans attending the games last weekend would have known what to expect. There was no deception, and if you want your team playing well in the finals, you shouldn't be annoyed if they have a rest in round 23. JC's suggestion above re derbies would help a little. More controversial might be to give a team 5 points instead of 4 if they win by more than 6 goals in the final round. That'd keep more teams alive with a chance of finals.
Brad
Guest
Jackson, you asked "What to do about dead rubbers, and Round 23?" You didn't need to write a whole article to answer that question. In fact you only needed one word: nothing. Dead rubbers are an inevitable non-issue. Move on. Its finals time.
Brad
Guest
If we want to have a completely lopsided competition every year where only 6 teams out of 18 have a better than 250/1 chance of winning the competition (ie. the EPL), then yeah, by all means introduce promotion and relegation.
qlder
Guest
Storm in a teacup. Coaches will select a team appropriate to the situation. Only problem on the weekend was that Freo very nearly had egg on their faces.
Kev
Guest
I don't think anything needs to be done about dead rubbers as it's just part of not this sport, but any sport in general. No matter the format you are always going to have teams that don't have much to play for when the top 8 is set in stone. Punish teams who rest too many player's? And how many is too many? 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10? If I was the coach, I would argue that it's my prerogative to make as many changes to my side as I saw fit especially if it was round 23 and a win or a loss made no difference to the ladder. Whether resting so many player's on the eve of the finals is a wise decision is a whole different matter.
Seano
Guest
I liked this idea until I read bilbo s comment, I don't want to make the showdowns meaningless. But the travel thing is an issue, first we should offer the interstate teams the option of showdowns, if they don't accept, go for an all Vic round 23, plus nsw v Qld sides and wa v SA sides limiting travel, dead rubbers are not that bad, there was 60k at the G ON SATURDAY NIGHT! -- Comment from The Roar's iPhone app.
Andrew A
Guest
Dead rubbers can sometimes be avoided with having games played simultaneously like the EPL final round. Collingwood v North being a prime example.
Nash Mitchell
Roar Rookie
In the NBA the Spurs got a huge fine for resting star players all at once, people pay there money to go watch star players play!
Rich_daddy
Roar Guru
Dead rubbers are an issue every round, not just in round 23. I constanly groan when I look at the TV program and find the only match on free to air TV is featuring Melbourne or GWS. Hopefully now the two expansion clubs have a couple of years under their belts, the competition wll start to even out again and we won't have "whipping-boys" to the same extent. The only other way to make games more interesting is to have a delegation system like the EPL but fat chance that will ever be implemented.
Gezza
Guest
Here is an idea dock every player their highest Brownlow vote 3, 2 or 1 Bet that would stop it After all the votes are only given in games during the pretend season - according to Lyons
Gezza
Guest
Ask the footy tippers? Ask the bookies? Disgraceful way to play sport Now they whinge about playing in Geelong
Winston
Guest
I actually think it was a really good round of footy even compared to many regular season rounds. The Kangaroos Magpies game was a dead rubber but who can say that wasn't a good game. The Swans Hawks game really was a dead rubber - and both teams knew it too hence they both rested key players - but not only was it a great a game, it also provided food for thought for everyone because they knew the real thing is next week. The GWS and GC game was significant for so many reasons too - Sheedy's farewell match, the Coleman Medal and avoiding the wooden spoon - can't exactly say there wasn't any incentive in there for GWS to win. Even the Saints Freo match - I doubt any Saints supports would have complained, and as for Freo supporters, I'm pretty sure none of them would have cared about the match other than praying for no injuries. By the same theory, if this was the EPL, only a couple of teams can challenge for the title each year, and even for the incentive of the Champions League, usually you race for 4th normally only involves 2-3 teams. Add to that because of the number of games throughout the year, it is completely expected that good teams will field 2nd string sides regularly. I would have thought by comparison we have nothing to complain about on this front!