Article on AFL.com.au says Freo are requesting the AFL allow them to rest players next week as it will have no bearing on their position (1st) or their opposition (who will not make the finals).
It will have a bearing on who plays them the following week (at this stage that is us) but may well be Richmond or Bulldogs.
If the AFL gives their permission then (as we all know) there is no integrity involved in the AFL anymore.
Really?
Seems silly they even have to request. They've earnt the right to set up as they want imo.
The request is really just a heads up for the bookmakers so they don't get screwed over when they set their prices for this match. They already have Port as overwhelming favorites
I agree they have the right to field whatever team they wish (as any team should), but if you are at the bottom of the ladder it is called 'tanking'.
I also don't think they should have to ask permission to do it. They could have just come out and said they are resting players.
They do have to request permission because the AFL changed the rules. I think they should be permitted to field whatever side suits them, including resting half the squad. They earned the position to do so. But they also risk messing with touch and form in the process.
Seems to me that the week off after a victory in a Qualifying Final is a great additional motivator to win. How motivated will you be if you're already coming off a week's rest?
May I just remind everyone that we also rested players against Richmond last year although probably not to the extent that Freo are planning
You beat me to it Ugg.
You'd be silly if you didn't rest a few of the top tier.
Wild speculation, unsubstantiated rumours, silly jokes and opposition delight in another's failures is what makes an internet forum fun.
Blessed are the cracked for they are the ones who let in the light.
Will have an influence over the order of this years draft though. Teams sitting 9-12 are within 4 points of each other. Collingwood with the best percentage could finish 9th if Port v (Freo), GWS v (Melb) and Geelong v (Adelaide) all lose.Originally Posted by YvonneH
This is the best/only good argument I've heard why they shouldn't be able to rest their players. I agree that otherwise they have earned the right. Stevoswan you've got nothing backing up your view.
You are right.......just bias and the wish for something to go our way for a change. My stance has nothing legal to back it up, much like our trade ban......
I love the concession! What's wrong with bias as a reason anyway!? Especially if you own it.
However, I don't think it's beneficial to feel too much like we're victims. Really we Sydney clubs should feel that we have the upper hand and make that clear to the powers that be in Melbourne (albeit perhaps it might work better if we do it behind closed doors because, dare I say it, the Victorians (Swans' & Lions' fans excluded) have a bit of a chip on their shoulders). We are key to the AFL's success and I think that just became more apparent with the massive TV rights deal. Does the AFL think they would have done that well without the growing Sydney market?? It is entirely possible that the Buddy deal and the Swans academy in particular had tangible impacts on that deal. They certainly seem to have helped growing the game in Sydney and the Swans' membership numbers which are higher now than they were after 2005 or even 2012. The Swans' success is due in significant part to those factors and the Swans' success is vital to securing audiences in Sydney, which is Australia's biggest market and population - and that is what, in significant part is bringing in the big $$ for the AFL. We can be the next BCCI and should throw our weight around!
Really????
They deserve it. We'd probably do it. So would other teams.
Nothing to see here....
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