Quote Originally Posted by ledge View Post
Basically picked by players who put their hand up.
I dread the thought of a player getting a major injury.
Players PLAY.

Injury, smin-jury. PLAY.

This *SHOULD* be the highest level of footy (and most eye candy footy) we ever get to watch. I 100% get that we can't (and shouldn't) do it in season but playing during the 2nd round of pre-season is surely a compromise that even the staunchest critics of the concept can get behind. As for coaches who worry this is impacting on 'their' season? Well, name me a side that finished the season last year with the same 'systems and structures' with which they exited the pre-season game looking ahead to the season 'with confidence'...NONE. Hell, Richmond played a 1st gamer on grand final day and he seemed F-I-N-E...so much for 'needing' that extra pre-season game in the 'system' to get ready. Give me a break.

Stephenson missed 9 weeks after visiting a TAB last year (and the visit might have been via his mobile phone for all I know!), I have no doubt some of them have missed with strained thumbs due to excessive playing of NBA2K and some of the other off-field misadventures we have seen/heard over the years...a state of origin game is not the worst thing that can happen or biggest threat to player welfare.

Players PLAY. Yes, someone will (no doubt) get injured. But they equally could have been injured in the pre-season game or training session they are MISSING...