Andrew Demetriou says an interchange cap is coming in 2014 and that is final

[bornadog]

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AN interchange cap for the 2014 AFL season is coming so stop complaining about it.
That's the emphatic message from AFL boss Andrew Demetriou to the league's senior coaches following widespread condemnation of the interchange cap, which has proved a sour point for clubs during the NAB Cup.

Several AFL coaches have slammed the rule, which restricts them to a total of 80 rotations per match. But Demetriou says the cap was agreed to in principal late last year, and that was final.

"The fact of the matter is, unless people have got amnesia, the AFL Commission has already passed the rule," Demetriou said on SEN Radio today.

"It said at the end of the year the cap is coming in.

"And they wanted to look at this year to see if the actual number of 80 (the cap) is correct.

"There's no going back on that - that is already put in place."

A high number of AFL coaches expressed their displeasure at the cap rule last weekend.

Hawthorn premiership coach Alastair Clarkson led the charge to condemn the rule following his side's one-point loss to the Western Bulldogs on Friday night.
"Take it back to old reserves and just play 18 men on the ground if that's what you want to do," Clarkson said.

"It's a pretty dramatic change to go to 80.

"Goodness knows, no one knows, what's going to happen to the game so hopefully common sense will prevail.

"If they want to introduce a cap hopefully they do it at a sensible rate like 120 and then we can see what a minor cap does to the game rather than take it to 80."

Bulldogs coach Brendan McCartney said he spent “a stupid amount of time” counting interchange rotations during the game rather than coaching his team, while Carlton coach Mick Malthouse – a staunch advocate of unlimited bench moves - will meet with rules committee member Kevin Bartlett this week to express his frustration at the change.

“Coaches get driven mad by having reduced (interchange) numbers," Malthouse said after the Blues’ big win against Fremantle on Saturday. "I just don't get it.

"It's not friendly to the players. If (the AFL) wants the medical evidence which they've chosen to dismiss, it will suggest that there's a very strong link between more interchanges and less injuries, not the other way around."

The AFL chief executive said he did not understand the level of criticism.

"I'm not quite sure why after one round of NAB Cup, everyone is up in arms," he said.

"We've been through the proper process - we actually advised the coaches and told them at the coaches' dinner we had last year.

"I'm not quite sure whether there is something in people's Wheaties at the moment."

Demetriou said the final number of rotations allowed per game may change, but not the rule itself.

"Unless after we get all the results of this year from the data and the injury survey to see if there are any trends, whether that should be higher or lower and I'm just speculating, but there will be a cap," he said.

"That has already been decided."

[bornadog]

The most over officiated game in the world.

Demetriou, Anderson and the AFL Commission have officially ruined what was once a great game. Now its just a good game and heading south.

No wonder fans are turning away from the game. Last year almost a $1 million down on attendance. Lets see what happens this year.

[F'scary]

Along with all the non-playing personnel littering the ground, I can't stand all the interchanging. I would like to see it limited to something like 2 a quarter per side and the umpire's attention has to be got and it is only allowed at stoppages. I would be prepared to countenance a significantly expanded interchange bench to get the Players Association on-side.

I recognise that injury treatment is an issue with a system like this but there could be a workable set of rules devised perhaps that would not stop players being replaced while getting necessary treatment and would not encourage injury faking to get fresh players on.

[bornadog]

Along with all the non-playing personnel littering the ground, I can't stand all the interchanging. I would like to see it limited to something like 2 a quarter per side and the umpire's attention has to be got and it is only allowed at stoppages. I would be prepared to countenance a significantly expanded interchange bench to get the Players Association on-side.

I recognise that injury treatment is an issue with a system like this but there could be a workable set of rules devised perhaps that would not stop players being replaced while getting necessary treatment and would not encourage injury faking to get fresh players on.

Lets go back to 18 plus two reserves.

[F'scary]

Lets go back to 18 plus two reserves.

Very appealing to me.

Injured players were hidden in the pockets.

Sometimes a team finished with less than 18 on the field.

Sometimes the team still won and the sealer was kicked by a bloke who couldn't say which day of the week it was let alone count how many fingers the trainer was holding up.

Those were the days. Alas, they're gone.

[bornadog]

Very appealing to me.

Injured players were hidden in the pockets.

Sometimes a team finished with less than 18 on the field.

Sometimes the team still won and the sealer was kicked by a bloke who couldn't say which day of the week it was let alone count how many fingers the trainer was holding up.

Those were the days. Alas, they're gone.

I don't see anything wrong with 4 interchange, unlimited interchange no sub.

[bornadog]

Western Bulldogs young gun Mitch Wallis backs AFL coaches' cap angst

WESTERN Bulldogs midfielder Mitch Wallis backed the AFL coaches' condemnation of the 80 interchange limit being trialled during the NAB Cup.
Wallis said today that he believed such a restriction week after week would take a heavy toll on players over a season.

"Talking to the coaches earlier on, it would be fine for a game, but to have it for a while season, fatigue would set in,'' Wallis said.

"Like I said, it would be right for a week, but as the season wore on and you played 22 games with 80 rotations, I think fatigue would set in.''

AFL boss Andrew Demetriou today re-iterated the league's position on the cap despite the disapproval from coaches.

"The fact of the matter is, unless people have got amnesia, the AFL Commission has already passed the rule," Demetriou said on SEN Radio today.

"It said at the end of the year the cap is coming on."

Meanwhile, Bulldogs defender Easton Wood said he felt more weary after the one-point win against Hawthorn at Etihad Stadium last Friday night.

"I'm always pretty tired any game I play, but I was pretty tired at the weekend. It's like anything, we'll play with the parameters we get,'' he said.

Wood said Melbourne's hot summer had helped prepare the Bulldogs for a potentially hot conditions when they play Fremantle in Mandurah, south of Perth, late on Saturday afternoon.

"It's just another chance to work on what we've been doing for the whole pre-season. We've had a pretty hot pre-season, so we're well prepared for it,'' he said.

"We'll just follow advice from the dietician as normal, drink up and prepare yourself.''

Wood said the loss of tall defender Brian Lake to Hawthorn has been more the offset by the return of experienced Dale Morris after being forced to sit out last season while recovering from a badly broken leg.

"I look at it the other way. It's such a positive, we've got our most experienced player in Dale Morris back. It had a huge impact last year without him playing,'' the Dogs backman said.

"I played with him in the first couple of years and the impact he has is enormous and to have him back, I couldn't be happier. But at the same time we have a young group and we can all work together to where we want to go.''

Wallis and Wood said the mood around the Whitten Oval has been buoyed by the Dogs' ability to hold out the Hawks last weekend. And Wood dismissed gloomy predictions for the club this season.

"You never like hearing that sort of stuff. Look, we don't work as hard as we do to just write a season off like that,'' Wood said.

[Remi Moses]

To paraphrase J McEnroe
You cannot be serious
The game is 100 times faster, players more athletic, bigger , stronger than ever before.
To say the game was better in the Oldin' days is romantic nostalgic nonsense to be honest.
Clearly people who never saw Footscray or Stkilda play would think that.
They'll cap it at 120 I reckon. The interchange area looking like Flinders st at 5pm is not a good look for mine, and bringing one player at a time .

[bornadog]

I don't see anything wrong with 4 interchange, unlimited interchange no sub.

To paraphrase J McEnroe
You cannot be serious
The game is 100 times faster, players more athletic, bigger , stronger than ever before.
To say the game was better in the Oldin' days is romantic nostalgic nonsense to be honest.
Clearly people who never saw Footscray or Stkilda play would think that.
They'll cap it at 120 I reckon. The interchange area looking like Flinders st at 5pm is not a good look for mine, and bringing one player at a time .

If you are referring to my post, it was a joke based on the previous post. As I said, I couldn't see anything wrong with 4 interchange, no cap, no sub.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

As I've said a few times, my interest in AFL declines every year. There once was a time I would crave the weekend and watch every single game I could. Sometimes, I'd even go as a neutral to big games when I was younger.

These days, I put other priorities before the AFL and that can include the Dogs, from time to time.

The constant rule changes, the stubbornness of the AFL, the introduction of two BS teams, the ridiculous stadium deals and lack of equality -- it's turned me away from what was once a much, much better product. The sub rule is the worst thing that has ever happened to the game -- I can't state my hatred enough for it. No surprise this interchange rule is coming in, and it'll be no surprise that the players (and the game overall) suffers.

Demetriou is a smug, stubborn, manipulative, power hungry game killer.

[Remi Moses]

If you are referring to my post, it was a joke based on the previous post. As I said, I couldn't see anything wrong with 4 interchange, no cap, no sub.

Sorry born, thought you were serious

[bornadog]

Sorry born, thought you were serious

No probs

I feels like the AFl wants to take the game backwards and for the life of me I can't see what they are trying to achieve. What is the purpose does anyone know?

[Remi Moses]

As I've said a few times, my interest in AFL declines every year. There once was a time I would crave the weekend and watch every single game I could. Sometimes, I'd even go as a neutral to big games when I was younger.

These days, I put other priorities before the AFL and that can include the Dogs, from time to time.

The constant rule changes, the stubbornness of the AFL, the introduction of two BS teams, the ridiculous stadium deals and lack of equality -- it's turned me away from what was once a much, much better product. The sub rule is the worst thing that has ever happened to the game -- I can't state my hatred enough for it. No surprise this interchange rule is coming in, and it'll be no surprise that the players (and the game overall) suffers.

Demetriou is a smug, stubborn, manipulative, power hungry game killer.

Be careful what you wish for .
Previous AFL VFL admins were quite pleased to kill our footy club off.
I take your points on some aspects.
Fitzroy Bulldogs

[AndrewP6]

"The fact of the matter is, unless people have got amnesia, the AFL Commission has already passed the rule," Demetriou said on SEN Radio today."

The arrogance of this man is astounding. Way to keep the punters on side...

[Ghost Dog]

"The fact of the matter is, unless people have got amnesia, the AFL Commission has already passed the rule," Demetriou said on SEN Radio today."

The arrogance of this man is astounding. Way to keep the punters on side...

He's like an annoying school principal I had once.