AFL slammed after threatening clubs over tanking fear

The AFL has sent a memo out to all clubs, informing them it will be cracking down hard on any team that rests players in the final round of the season.

It could be for tanking reasons to improve a draft pick, but more likely it will be teams already locked into a finals or wildcard spot, making round 24 a dead rubber for them.

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Collingwood is a good example of this. If the Pies beat West Coast in round 22, they will in all likelihood find themselves locked into ninth spot on the ladder and unlikely to move up or down.

Given they have the oldest list in the competition, their Friday night round 24 clash with Brisbane might then be an opportunity to rest players like Scott Pendlebury, Jeremy Howe, Jordan De Goey and others to prepare them for the AFL’s newly introduced wildcard round.

Fremantle will likely be in a similar position, locked into first on the ladder and playing Carlton in Victoria in that last round.

“Please be reminded of the obligation in the AFL rules on clubs to ‘perform on one’s merits’, meaning that clubs must perform honestly and to the best of their ability,” the memo sent to all 18 clubs over the weekend read.

“While legitimate management of player fatigue and injuries is permitted, the AFL will scrutinise club team selection decisions in the lead-up to the AFL finals in the context of this rule.”

Veteran broadcaster Gerard Whateley reported on Monday that clubs would face significant fines if they are deemed to have breached the rule.

Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge doesn’t believe the AFL should be questioning clubs and their medical departments’ rulings on player availability.

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“I think the main consideration for the teams who might be certainties to play a wildcard game is the fact that the six teams above seventh all have a week off,” Beveridge told Fox Footy on Monday night.

“I’m sure, within the ranks of the teams that are certainties, you’re processing who needs a week off.

“We’ve just had Aaron Naughton and Cody (Weightman) come out of the game, not because we wanted them to, but because it would have been too hard for them to play over in Perth.

“So, if you’re doing it this far out, you’re definitely going to do it the week before the wildcard.

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“So I’d question how the AFL could question a club, because you’re questioning the medical department as well if that happens.”

Sitting opposite Beveridge on AFL 360, Melbourne coach Steven King firmly agreed with his stance.

“I’m the coach of Melbourne, so I’ll make any decision that’s best for our football club, and best for the management of our players,” King said.

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“But like Bevo touched on, I’m not a doctor, and I don’t question our medical team week to week on who needs management of training loads or during game day.

“I’m certainly not going to try and push Kade Chandler to play with a fractured hand against Gold Coast … it’s out of our hands.”

Dual North Melbourne premiership player David King feels the AFL brought in the wildcard system to mimic the format’s success in the NFL and the NBA (with play-in games) and can’t then fine teams for bringing their own Americanisation to the sport with managing players for dead rubber games.

“What role does the AFL play in team selection? If Collingwood decides not to play Nick Daicos, Jordan De Goey, Darcy Cameron and rest three or four other players, surely that is their right after qualifying for a wildcard opportunity?” King told SEN on Monday.

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“The AFL brought in this wildcard and the situation in America is no one plays the week before the playoffs if your spot is locked in.”

Melbourne champion Garry Lyon agrees, saying teams should be allowed to position themselves however they like if the goal is winning that year’s premiership.

“What’s a ‘breach’? Is 10 (players rested) a breach? Is six acceptable? Is four no problem?” Lyon told Fox Footy on Monday night.

“If you’ve planned your season out, and you’ve rested players and got to a stage where you can now elect to play or not play up to four, five, six, seven, eight players, then that is, in my opinion, your right.

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“The main obligation for you is not to win round 22, 23 or 24. Your obligation is to win the premiership. That’s your charter.

“And if you’ve mapped out a program that’s going to give you the best opportunity to do that, I don’t think the AFL can come over the top, certainly not at round 21.”

The AFL initially created the pre-finals bye to stop teams from resting players in the last week of the season. It came after then-Fremantle coach Ross Lyon managed 10 players in 2013 and 11 in 2015 in order to prepare his squad for finals.

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However, with the wildcard round now filling that week off, it has re-opened the door for a team in Collingwood’s position to consider heavily managing key players.

Others are unlikely to follow suit with dozens of rested players, given the Western Bulldogs, Adelaide, Geelong and Melbourne will all likely be jostling to get into the top six and avoid the wildcard altogether, while GWS, St Kilda and Carlton are fighting it out for 10th in a battle that will go to the wire.

The Blues and Saints play each other in round 22 in a match that will help decide who grabs the final wildcard opening.

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