Looking forward to 2024

[Maltopia]

AFL website announced rule change to bench:

“The sub will continue in 2024, and in an amendment to the announcement of teams, Clubs will now name an extended interchange bench of five players and three emergency players.

The sub will be confirmed 60 minutes prior to the match.”

So does that mean we will be debating best 23 plus sub each week from now on?

[liz]

AFL website announced rule change to bench:

“The sub will continue in 2024, and in an amendment to the announcement of teams, Clubs will now name an extended interchange bench of five players and three emergency players.

The sub will be confirmed 60 minutes prior to the match.”

So does that mean we will be debating best 23 plus sub each week from now on?

The sub is part of the 23 selected. They just no longer identify which of the five named bench players will start and which will be the sub.

[Mountain Man]

The new arrangement would allow for a decision based on weather/playing conditions on the day - rather than a prediction of what they will be on Thursday evening (for a Saturday match)

[Auntie.Gerald]

i like the rule

a fair few times in a season a player may niggle in a warm up etc which generally starts bit by bit 90mins out from kick off

[liz]

The new arrangement would allow for a decision based on weather/playing conditions on the day - rather than a prediction of what they will be on Thursday evening (for a Saturday match)

i like the rule

a fair few times in a season a player may niggle in a warm up etc which generally starts bit by bit 90mins out from kick off

The change is essentially cosmetic. There has always been the ability to bring one of the emergencies into the side on game day, whether after warm up has started or just on a whim (eg driven by the weather but essentially for any reason). Indeed, with some restrictions/consequences, you can bring a player in who wasn't even named as an emergency (as the Swans did with Paul Kelly decades ago on his return from an ACL).

The reason for the change in the way the emergencies and sub are named is because some coaches got upset that they were seen to be dropping a seasoned, experienced player on the Thursday night when they were just choosing to use them as sub for a week. Those coaches worried that the player's feelings might get hurt with all the media discussion about how they'd been "dropped" when they hadn't actually been dropped.

[i'm-uninformed2]

The funniest part of the AFL rule changes was some moronic, needless tweak to clarify who was the 'home' side on grand final day based on Qualifying Finals results. When we play the Pies in this year's granny, it'll be so comforting to know we're on 'home' turf because of our pathway through the finals. And to think, it would only have taken some dimwit weeks to analyse that, and time for deliberation by the Commission.

For a supposedly professional sport, it really is amateur hour sometimes.

[liz]

The funniest part of the AFL rule changes was some moronic, needless tweak to clarify who was the 'home' side on grand final day based on Qualifying Finals results. When we play the Pies in this year's granny, it'll be so comforting to know we're on 'home' turf because of our pathway through the finals. And to think, it would only have taken some dimwit weeks to analyse that, and time for deliberation by the Commission.

For a supposedly professional sport, it really is amateur hour sometimes.

To be fair, that clarification mostly relates to AFLW where hosting rights remain throughout the final series, and where there was some confusion after the 3rd and 4th placed sides won the qualifying finals. They’ve probably just extended the wording to the AFLM for the sake of it.

[707]

To be fair, that clarification mostly relates to AFLW where hosting rights remain throughout the final series, and where there was some confusion after the 3rd and 4th placed sides won the qualifying finals. They’ve probably just extended the wording to the AFLM for the sake of it.

Stop defending the AFL Liz, we all know they are a sinister Vicentric organisation who are a dab hand at farce!

[Auntie.Gerald]

wrong thread.
apologies

[mcs]

Yes, I tend to think that Campbell will become a definite A-grader this season. And I also think that the foot skills of him and Gulden, will be a major reason why McDonald signs a contract extension later in the year. That is, the silver service that he gets from those two, plus McInerney, plus Blakey and Florent coming out of defence, will have him thinking that playing for West Coast or Fremantle, just won't be anywhere near the same amount of fun.

I also rate Mitchell and Corey Warner, but with our current depth, they might have to further bide their time in the VFL.

Competition for spots is going to be so tough this season. Some articles going around today suggesting Campbell will miss out in Rd 1. I can't see it at all - like you I think he will take the next step this season and firm himself as one of the first dozen or so on the team sheet each week. But that there is even talk he could miss out shows we have a good level of depth building, and its going to be a mighty fight for spots.

It may be just pre-season giddiness (and I haven't really followed too much of what's been going on), but I reckon we are going to have a damn good 2024 if we get a standard amount of luck with injuries to key players. Fingers crossed on that front - but I have a feeling this is going to be a very, very good year.

[crackedactor 01]

Last Year

Would love him in the 2s

In 2023 we lost our first 8 games and had a 111 point lost to Brisbane reserves. Feel confident we will be more competitive in 2024.

[giant]

The change is essentially cosmetic. There has always been the ability to bring one of the emergencies into the side on game day, whether after warm up has started or just on a whim (eg driven by the weather but essentially for any reason). Indeed, with some restrictions/consequences, you can bring a player in who wasn't even named as an emergency (as the Swans did with Paul Kelly decades ago on his return from an ACL).

The reason for the change in the way the emergencies and sub are named is because some coaches got upset that they were seen to be dropping a seasoned, experienced player on the Thursday night when they were just choosing to use them as sub for a week. Those coaches worried that the player's feelings might get hurt with all the media discussion about how they'd been "dropped" when they hadn't actually been dropped.

There was also the unfortunate scenario where a debutant was intended to be the sub but the club wasn't allowed to announce it until game day (though I'm pretty certain many did anyway).

[Dow]

Competition for spots is going to be so tough this season. Some articles going around today suggesting Campbell will miss out in Rd 1. I can't see it at all - like you I think he will take the next step this season and firm himself as one of the first dozen or so on the team sheet each week. But that there is even talk he could miss out shows we have a good level of depth building, and its going to be a mighty fight for spots.

It may be just pre-season giddiness (and I haven't really followed too much of what's been going on), but I reckon we are going to have a damn good 2024 if we get a standard amount of luck with injuries to key players. Fingers crossed on that front - but I have a feeling this is going to be a very, very good year.

Campbell got a lot of chances to grow in 1s last year and never really found his sweet spot, I think an extended run in the 2s will do him well and hopefully become a regular 22 player

[mcs]

Campbell got a lot of chances to grow in 1s last year and never really found his sweet spot, I think an extended run in the 2s will do him well and hopefully become a regular 22 player

Campbell played every game bar one last year - which he was suspended for. Not sure what constitutes a 'regular' if that doe snot. While there is no shortage of competition for spots - I'd be astounded if he is not comfortably in the 22, and if he builds on a good end to last season, he won't be going anywhere soon. His stats were vastly up across most key categories in 2023 compared to 2021/22 (on average), and his best games of the season were all towards the end - Bombers/Freo/St Kilda were very good games, and he was very good in the Elimination Final as well. Granted some quiet games mixed in there as well.

I can't see what he is going to learn playing an extended period in 2nds (unless his form genuinely doesn't warrant a spot in the seniors) that will outweigh the benefits of ongoing exposure at the senior level.

There are some parallels to Mills at the same point in his career - Mills clearly had a bigger impact in early years (but was more physically ready), but like Campbell was asked to learn in the big league playing in a role he played very little of in junior footy. While that is not that unusual in itself that players will begin at the Senior Level in other places in the teams (especially in modern footy where so many players play in many positions across a career), you don't persevere with playing someone in a role like Campbell that in many ways he is not suited too (excellent left foot kick aside), including putting up with the 'quiet' games in between, if you aren't doing it for a very good reason, and with the long term in mind. Like with Mills (who it took 6 seasons to really 'explode' when he finally got moved into midfield), the thinking with Campbell I suspect is being driven by being a useful 'peg' in a hole for the moment, but with longer term thoughts front at mind.

You may be right of course, and fair do if you are. But I think you underplay how far overall he came last season, and I don't think he will be judged solely on only the 'now' in terms of performances.

We are blessed to have seen beasts like Gulden who burst onto the scene so quickly and dominate. But that doesn't with all, and some take much longer. It may involve a stint in the 2nds on the basis of form, but if he is builds on a solid end to the season (in terms of his best performances) and has had a good summer in the gym/on the track, I'd be absolutely astounded if it he doesn't again play close to every game. I

I still hold a view that, over his career, he has more than enough potential to be every bit as influential as Gulden will be, and we will look back on two absolute superstars (hopefully playing their whole careers in Red and White).

[Maltopia]

The starting 23 will be fascinating!

Mills is the only guaranteed out from our Elimination Final’s team vs Carlton.

Fox was our sub instead of the usual Clarke.

Sooo….

Patch in for Mills (not in for Wicks, as Patch left the Pies partly as he didn’t like being shunted forward from the midfield).

Grundy for Almartey or McLean

2022 Reid would be an instant selection as well but who does he replace? The player Grundy didn’t replace out of Almartey and McClean I guess.

Ladhams is also hoping for a recall and I saw a YouTube comment saying he was really sharp at a practice match.

Then Jordon and Sheldrick competing for a midfield spot. Let’s put one of them in the 23 for Fox for now.

Cleary may get a debut based on how we have introduced other players in recent years. Roberts may push for a spot too.

So barring injury, we have three too many midfielders before Mills returns, and two talks to many (Almartey and McLean, if Reid is in top form again) with Fox out of the side!

Maybe McInerney is under pressure now.

This is all without considering if Konstanty, Vickery or Corey Warner improve substantially.

What a difference it makes, not having so many injuries!

The worries for us I think are:
1) who replaces Parker as the midfielder/forward if his form drops off or if he is injured (given Patch doesn’t want to go forward that much)?
2) who replaces Rampe/Melican if there is injury etc? This could be ok with possibly, as Reid could come in, plus we have the unconvincing Frances and untested (for injury recovery) Hamling.
3) who comes out for Mills when he returns?
4) who replaces TheBloods as our RWO demagogue/agitator (though I didn’t mind him at all)?

Can’t wait for the season to start!