Scrap the Wizard Cup

[ScottH]

Scrap the Wizard Cup

You would call for it to be scrapped, if you have suffered injuries!

I'd prefer a longer H&A season, but how do the young kids get a run?

[swansrule100]

id scrap it and play each team twice. Longer season would mean players rested and were injured a little more, thus giving kids a go.

Half the teams dont play their youth in the wizard cup anyway and to be succesful clubs would realise the importance of giving the kids a go.

[Mike_B]

Unfortunately for us though, the other clubs have the benefit of playing their reserves in a stronger competition, where the kids are playing against guys with plenty of top level footy under their belts, and even if their opponents haven't played at AFL level, they are still very good footballers. This then means that the kids are being tested at a higher standard week-in week-out and that the step up to AFL level is smaller than for the Swans players not in the senior team.

Hence the Swans playing more kids early on in the pre-season than virtually any other team, because its the only time they can really play against top quality opposition and give the match committe a good idea of what they can do.

[swansrule100]

i think it is still better than the current system. It would be a more even competition.

The soltuion to the swans reserves issues is an interesting one.
I guess unless the AFL would bring reserves back in (which i doubt, but would make grand final day even better like the old days) we need to find a better comp.

Perhaps Playing in the VFL, like before with port melbourne, or combined with a brisbane lions reserves teams in the vfl.

But then the game in NSW would probably suffer i spose.

[sharpie]

Who cares if the Wizard cup is uneven. It is a pre-season comp. It allows each team to assess what they need to achieve and lets them either field a strong team or a rookie team based on those needs.

With the importance attached to every single match in the regular season, players need to be almost at the peak in round 1, regardless of having played a preseason comp or not.

This means that if there was no Wizard Cup, and it was replaced by more regular season matches, teams would still require preseason matches.

No team is going to want to play their first competitive match without any preseason warmup games before hand.

[swansrule100]

Originally posted by sharpie
Who cares if the Wizard cup is uneven. It is a pre-season comp.

no one here cares thats why the post was about scrapping it and having an EVEN season fixture...where you play each team twice

[swansrock4eva]

Originally posted by sharpie
No team is going to want to play their first competitive match without any preseason warmup games before hand.

So that's why you have preseason practice matches in the same way the NRL do - charity shield etc (and surprisingly, much in the same manner as those AFL clubs knocked out of the wizard cup). It's not hard to arrange. But having said that, at least one or two teams would need to be culled as 30 h&a rounds of AFL and then 4 weeks of finals is plain ridiculous.

[sharpie]

Originally posted by swansrule100
no one here cares thats why the post was about scrapping it and having an EVEN season fixture...where you play each team twice

but my point is even if you have an extended season, all teams will still need to play preseason matches before then.

An extended season doesnt solve anything. You still have to have preseason matches, so why not keep a preseason comp so that those teams that wish to prepare for the real season by playing full strength sides have the opportunity in a competitive environment.

And for teams who wish to use the preseason as experience for their rookies (like the swans), it doesnt matter if there is a comp or not.

So if you have one group of teams that benefit from a comp, and the other group of teams dont care if there is a comp or not, it only makes sense that you keep the comp.

[sharpie]

Originally posted by swansrock4eva
So that's why you have preseason practice matches in the same way the NRL do - charity shield etc (and surprisingly, much in the same manner as those AFL clubs knocked out of the wizard cup). It's not hard to arrange. But having said that, at least one or two teams would need to be culled as 30 h&a rounds of AFL and then 4 weeks of finals is plain ridiculous.

If you are having to play preseason matches (which I think everyone agrees you do), does it matter if it is in a competition (like the Wiz cup), or just stand-alone one-off matches?

I suggest that there are some teams that benefit from being in a competition type environment, where there is something riding on the result, and others dont care.

[swansrule100]

anyway why do you still have pre season matches???
Why not just start the season?? if the season started at the end of feb or whenever, teams could play an intraclub match or even a game against other clubs if they want to organise it.

But if every team just gets the full season and no pre season comp everyone is equal and everyone would travel the same and play the same teams the same amount of times.

[sharpie]

Originally posted by swansrule100
how was that your point from " Who cares if the Wizard cup is uneven. It is a pre-season comp. "

But anyway why do you still have pre season matches???
Why not just start the season?? if the season started at the end of feb or whenever, teams could play an intraclub match or even a game against other clubs if they want to organise it.

But if every team just gets the full season and no pre season comp everyone is equal and everyone would travel the same and play the same teams the same amount of times.

With the importance of each and every match during the year, no team is going to want to be trying out their uncapped rookies during these matches.

And then there is the players' fitness. Why do you think the Swans are now planning on playing close to a full strength side this week? Firstly to try to get the team and its game plan to gel before the season starts. Secondly to give some of the top players their first hit-outs to gain some match fitness before having to go full throttle in round 1.

[swansrule100]

Originally posted by swansrock4eva
. But having said that, at least one or two teams would need to be culled as 30 h&a rounds of AFL and then 4 weeks of finals is plain ridiculous.

by the time the swans play essendon then play 4 weeks of wizard cup (or pracitce matches if they lost) and then theres a week off before the real thing normally its almost 30 weeks of footy before the finals anyway

[sharpie]

Originally posted by swansrule100
by the time the swans play essendon then play 4 weeks of wizard cup (or pracitce matches if they lost) and then theres a week off before the real thing normally its almost 30 weeks of footy before the finals anyway

but there's a difference between the current setup and if every one of the 30 matches were completely competitive. It would be far more taxing on each player and the rookies would not be given as much opportunity to gain experience.

[swansrule100]

Originally posted by sharpie
With the importance of each and every match during the year, no team is going to want to be trying out their uncapped rookies during these matches.

And then there is the players' fitness. Why do you think the Swans are now planning on playing close to a full strength side this week? Firstly to try to get the team and its game plan to gel before the season starts. Secondly to give some of the top players their first hit-outs to gain some match fitness before having to go full throttle in round 1.

teams that didnt try rookies would never develop players , so i reckon they would learn to for a start, especially when struggling. Also half the teams dont play rookies in the wizard cup.

How is the wizard cup any more beneficial to fitness, most players are playing and they arent not trying, it still takes it out of them.

Finally all teams would start at round 1, no other team would of had its stars playing the week before because there were no matches. There may be more injuries but then rookies do play and players might be rested more often.

They bust their guts training all pre season anyway so why not just play. It would stop teams getting easy draws like essendon and collingwood, who travel as much as an 80 year old in a nursing home.

[swansrule100]

Originally posted by sharpie
but there's a difference between the current setup and if every one of the 30 matches were completely competitive. It would be far more taxing on each player and the rookies would not be given as much opportunity to gain experience.

so the wizard cup isnt competitive?? the game i went too they were all buggered at the end and im talking players like riewoldt, harvey, brad johnson, west etc...these are key players.

I dont think many players get a nice friendly jog around the ground......so why not make all the games count.

Rookies would end up playing, if you dont have a pre season comp and never try any young players then your team wouldnt go far.

As i said before most of the teams play close to, if not a full strength line up in the wizard cup.