Bye to Stay before Finals.

[comrade]

Re: Bye to Stay before Finals.

Don't really have an opinion on the pre-finals bye but it does annoy me when people try to downplay our achievement by saying we only won because of it. As Ozza posted, all the bye gave us was a chance to bring back some best 22 players.

It didn't create a disadvantage to any other team, just allowed us a more level playing field.

[GVGjr]

Re: Bye to Stay before Finals.

Don't really have an opinion on the pre-finals bye but it does annoy me when people try to downplay our achievement by saying we only won because of it. As Ozza posted, all the bye gave us was a chance to bring back some best 22 players.

It didn't create a disadvantage to any other team, just allowed us a more level playing field.

I think we are carrying the can because the AFL didn't want to be seen disciplining teams for tanking games late in the season so created a bye as a way of dealing with it or quietly accepting that they couldn't do anything about.
It worked our way but knocking over the teams that we did isn't just because it gave us that extra week to get a few players back.

You never know but it will be interesting to see if finishing in the top 4 is as important to clubs if once again in 2017 a team wins it by playing 4 games straight with no rest.

[jeemak]

Re: Bye to Stay before Finals.

If people think the additional weeks off for top four teams places them out of tune, then two or three abbreviated contact quarters on those weeks off will help keep the players fit and their touch up. If teams didn't do this anyway then they're stupid.

The bye assisted us hugely in terms of bringing back personnel, though I really don't see how our high intensity games could have given us a physical advantage over GWS. Each team entered the finals on an even footing rest wise, if GWS were out of tune mentally and physically in the preliminary final then they only have themselves to blame. They had everything going for them in that game, but they couldn't beat us because we were tougher and able to execute when it mattered.

By week four, Sydney had no excuse.

[S Coast Simon]

Re: Bye to Stay before Finals.

Obviously I loved the bye this year, but I think the players would prefer the second bye maybe a few weeks before the finals so they play three or four games leading in to get there form and touch for the finals