The outcry this week over Fremantle and North Melbourne resting players in the lead-up to finals has been baffling.
So long as the team running out on the field and the coaches walking up to the box don’t have the intention of losing, we can officially tone down the hyperbole and appreciate the fact both teams have a bigger goal in mind.
Here’s a quiz for you: Name the nine sides who won in Round 23 last year.
Do you remember them? More than half of them even?
Here’s another quiz: Name the last nine premiership sides.
Is that one easier?
No one will remember your team winning or not winning a mostly meaningless end-of-season game. But premiership glory is far more important.
And it also happens to be what coaches and footy department staff are paid to deliver. We can’t really blame them for doing what they’re paid to do, can we?
A newspaper front page cheekily called the restings a footy fiasco and the Adelaide Crows – who stand to miss out on a home final after North Melbourne’s loss last night – expressed their opposition publicly.
But again, there’s no use complaining before the event because unless the players and coaches go into the match not legitimately intending to win, it’s a non-issue.
The Western Bulldogs have three senior players out due to general soreness this week – in one case, Bob Murphy, there’s a known risk of missing the first week of finals – but of course that hasn’t been brought into the debate.
Sides on the eve of finals, with bigger things to play for, are entitled to rest players.
That shouldn’t be a controversial statement. Around the world it happens in other leagues and no one bats an eyelid.
Which is worth noting because footy is a particularly brutal game that would certainly take a toll over the course of 21 home-and-away season matches. There wouldn’t be a single player at this time of year that couldn’t do with a freshening up.
Plus, when you went to the source, North coach Brad Scott had a solid defence to his club’s choices during the week.
“I don’t think anyone should be under any illusions about our intent (on the field) – we’re going out to win the game, there is absolutely no doubt about that,” Scott said.
“I make no apologies for the fact that I’m going to do the best thing by our club, the best thing by our players, the best thing by our team and our supporters and that is to be in the best possible shape we can be in the first week of finals.”
We can rest the case at that.
Train Without A Station
Roar Guru
North lead the first two quarters but just lacked the ability to maintain it for a whole game.
Perry Bridge
Guest
so the one certainty from Round 23 was that Brisbane did NOT tank.
13th Man
Guest
There's a big difference between a slide tackle and a bite. A slide tackle is perhaps a little clumsy and yes possibly deserved a fine but it still was pretty soft. A bite is a malicious act with the intent to hurt. Just ask Luis Suarez, he'll tell you. Say what you will about Suban sticking his arm in Masten's mouth. I don't buy it. Just a ploy to try get him off lightly and it worked. The fact is there were clear bite marks caught on camera and Suban straight away said 'he bit me' thats evidence enough for me to suggest that Masten bit him. Suban even had to go on antibiotics apparently lol. Sure Suban got under his skin, he's good at it. But you don't bite someone. Its a really bad look. Masten is meant to be a role model for kids! Of course you can interpret it differently but The MRP found him guilty of biting. If he was indeed guilty of biting then it really is a dog act. Suarez got 12 weeks and then 6 months for his biting issues. obviously Masten's wasn't that bad but Biting is far worse than anything Nat Fyfe has done and deserved 4-6 weeks at least. 2 weeks didn't cut the mustard for me and I think Masten has now copped his whack by missing a couple of finals. Tbh he's not in your best 22 anyway!
michael steel
Guest
Couldn't care less, that's how I'd coach.
Freddy
Guest
Just wait until it happens to ur club
Michael Steel
Roar Pro
The other part of this is that those players who replace the rested players will be doing their most to impress the coach and selectors. Fremantle and North Melbourne were both playing to win because it's necessary to go into a game with a winning mentality. The fact that they were most likely going to lose is irrelevant. They'd earned their finals berth. But the players brought in would have been seen this as their best opportunity all year to show what they can do.
Michael Steel
Roar Pro
You said it all Michael. There are eight teams left and eight coaches left. Those coaches are playing for a premiership and how they go about in round 23 due to their circumstances is purely a choice about getting to and winning a grand final. It's very rare that a team can rest players before round 23 although Geelong was so far ahead in one of their premiership years that were able to do it. The teams in the top eight are vying for a chance at a premiership. This is not an issue. On today's Offsiders ABC resting was compared to tanking. Tanking is a bottom side losing in order to gain a better draft pick. That's an issue,. Resting players for the chance of a premiership. Not an issue.
Vocans
Guest
Agreed - in the end the failure to adjudicate to the rules had no real effect, but, we have just been enduring a political stoush about 'apprehended bias', and now we have one about apprehended 'tanking'. The AFL is to blame the apprehension which brings the game into some disrepute.
Vocans
Guest
The AFL ignored its own integrity rule 29 - see Ryan Buckland's piece.
jax
Guest
So it's solely up to you to decide who is a dog and who isn't and when an injury is karma and when it isn't - it's good to know that you are the sole authority on these things. Who says Fyfe isn't a dog? Maybe I'll follow your lead and start calling him one like you have with Masten, Masten isn't a dog - he'd never been reported previously and they couldn't prove he bit which is why he was given two weeks. Suban put his thumb in Mitchell's mouth in 2013 GF - why would he do that and who would even think to do that? Nick Suban would know so ask him and ask him why he did it again to Masten while you're at it. Fyfe should have been fined for his late slide tackle and he would have been fined earlier in the season if he didn't already have two strikes but the MRP went light on him so that he would remain eligible. They made sure Hodge was back for finals so excuse me if I don't have complete faith in the MRP and their findings.
13th Man
Guest
Fyfe isn't a dog that bit someone
Nev
Guest
Let it go and move on u loser Mastens got a much better record than Suban,hes not a dirty player Suban is , he intiated the the conflict Masten is a victim of circumstance Karma has yet to happen, Suban will be rubbed out again like he did in the 2013 finals for clawing at someones face Lets see if fyfes Karma doesnt happen
Perry Bridge
Guest
What the Bulldogs did was far, far worse. Rested 3 players (apparently it's not what you do, it's how many you do - as they escaped the gaze of most critical commentators - that being the Herald-Sun and the narrative they took esp via Jon Ralph). The Doggies then - once they heard that the Crows had lost - took their foot right off the pedal and lost to the bottom team. They stuffed the tipsters and punters, but, more importantly they impacted the ladder especially with respect to the #1 draft position - now going to Carlton. What North did is nothing by comparison. North at least put a team on the paddock who had a red hot go and actually had reason to perform in what otherwise was a dead rubber.
jax
Guest
Agree, that's just being childish 13th. The video, evidence and testimony wasn't clear and you know that. That's some high ground you're taking - did karma get Fyfe too? Something to do with his slide tackle and a compliant MRP clearing him so he can remain eligible? Did karma see key players injured for Freo last year for finals - what dastardly deed did your plyers do to deserve that? Are you really that superstitious? Throw some salt over your shoulder before answering just to be safe.
rooboy
Guest
"the punishment he deserved" ....that's some high punitive ground you've occupied there. Do you have a karmic gauge to account for injuries to Kieren Jack, Kayne Turner etc. ?
Freo As
Guest
I would of been happier had we played a full squad, but at least we had an honest go and were up front about it. No sneaking about.
13th Man
Guest
Yes have no sympathy for Masten though. Karma is a funny thing. Now Masten will get the punishment he deserved for biting.
Full Purple Jacket
Guest
Hmmmm, injury's to key players from hawks, swans and wc. I'm very comfortable with Freos resting tactics this week
Casper
Guest
After what North and Freo got up to this weekend, I don't think that in the future any club should be penalised for tanking. It doesn't exist. If you want to finish last, then if there is any chance you could win, rest 10 players. Like Brad Scott said, do what's right for the club. I'm sure the kids you put out will be doing their best, but we all know that at the end of the day, that won't be enough.
Ben of Phnom Penh
Roar Guru
No rules have been broken, it's just that squad management takes centre stage for some clubs in the final round. Strategic squad management has always been a part of the game, including resting key players in the final round. A simultaneous final round may address some of these issues (though not for a side that is clear at the top) and we have sufficient grounds to pull it off.