The difference is that Freo are based in Perth and they have to make 10 trips across the country each season. Even considering that a couple of them are only as far as Adelaide, that's a hell of a lot of travel and adjustment to time differences when you are also playing elite level sport. Had their last game been at home, they may have played more regulars. Some clubs (not us mind you) moan about backing up the week after a game in WA and the Eagles and Dockers have to do it all season. If they want to rest players, they can rest them. They've earned it by finishing first.
It's also not much different to being drawn against a lower ranked team at this time of year that is sending its star players off for end of season surgery etc.
Today's a draft of your epitaph
I think this whole thing of having to travel so much is a little overblown. I've been travelling back and forward between Perth and Sydney for many years and it seriously isn't such a drama. Flying from West to East at 10,000 metres you have the constant Westerly jetstream which can cut your flying time down to 3 hours. A little intelligent planning and flying at the right time of day means you arrive feeling fine. But Ross Lyon will milk it for everything he can and so we get this sob story about Fremantle being 'fatigued'. Give me a break. If that's the case the Sydney Swans should get some sort of compensation for having to sit in traffic for two hours just to get to the airport when we fly to the west.
The same jet stream can mean it takes you 5 hours plus to go back in the other direction, which is really where the problem arises - post-game.
Today's a draft of your epitaph
Freo have earned the right to rest players this weekend since they are guaranteed top spot and it won't change the first week finals matchups. Don't like the AFL's decision to let North rest up to 10 players against the Tigers though. If the Kangaroos were to win this week, they could play an elimination final in Adelaide, but if they lose they will play at the MCG next week. Not a good look I would have thought.
Gold Coast don't have much incentive to win as they would likely drop a place in the draft order to Essendon. Most of their best players are out for the season anyway, so not many to rest.
Their game is over by then - 5 hours flying is not going to hurt them. As I said, I do it all the time and it isn't a major drama. The other irksome argument that a club has 'earned the right' to rest half their team is nonsense. As members of football clubs we have paid to see real games of football, not an irrelevant farce where one team doesn't care one way or another what happens. Members should get a refund and the games should be free to the public - these games are nothing more than junk time.
I am with you Ajax. Tantamount to tanking by Freo. I am sure the TV stations don't like the resting of players. Imagine if Chelsea rested players against lower teams in the EPL. The fans would be outraged.
I don't get how a national competition can be so manipulated in so many ways.
I'm in Freo's camp. I'm not convinced it'll work for them but it's the definition of a dead rubber.
Did any of you have an issue when we rested players against Richmond in R23 last year? Didn't think so.
Bloods
"Lockett is the best of all time" - Robert Harvey, Darrel Baldock, Nathan Burke, Kevin Bartlett, Bob Skilton
Well if the Roos and the Dockers can rest players this week then what about the Eagles. If the Hawks and Swans both win and the Eagles lose to the Saints they will drop to fourth and still have a home qualifying final albeit now against the Dockers while they might relish the thought of the Hawks and the Swans belting the crap out of each other at the MCG.This resting of players is opening up a real can of worms.
It's pretty safe to say that Mike Fitzpatrick doesn't have a stake in William Hill or Centrebet otherwise the VFL wouldn't allow Freo or especially Norf the r&r.
Richmond should just rest Deledo, they usually don't win without him.
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