Lack of game time; why?

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Why did Hill, Stack & O'Shea (among a few others) receive little game time? I realise they're young and easing them in is the method clubs use in the modern era, but when you've got a team with 16+ senior players getting spanked - what's the point of these kids sitting on the pine for such long periods of the game? We're getting absolutely nothing out of the game - getting smashed in every aspect and all over the ground. Essendon were playing plenty of young kids and they showed a bit tonight, they should be well pleased. Why didn't we from the outset?

Josh Hill was about the only positive tonight. His skills were pretty good, he took two ripping marks, two goals & laid a fantastic tackle which resulted in his second 6 pointer. I can't understand why Eade decided to continue taking them off, leaving them to sit on the pine for extended periods? Stack hardly played until the last quarter, and he too showed a little bit. O'Shea only got a run about halfway through the last quarter too - he didn't disgrace himself either.

Of course these kids aren't ready and of course they aren't going to feature in our side too much over the next year or two, but god - give them some time, you don't know what they could do. Tonight was a good chance to blood them; the side was playing poor and that's a good opportunity to see how they react when things aren't going great. I thought they all were reasonable for the limited time they had. Why did it take Eade three quarters of footy to realise this? Not to mention, players weren't swapped around in positions too much either. The squad was basically left as it is, getting well beaten from the first bounce.

Just doesn't make sense to me at all, because I realise that they are young, but they're never going to improve or show anything by sitting on the bench. Nevertheless, I thought they did OK and was impressed by Hill's ability to leap & mark the ball.

[LostDoggy]

Welsh is the strange one.

[MrMahatma]

I guess either you want to win, in which case the team/coaching staff should be ashamed at tonight's effort, or you play youngsters to give them some experience and take a loss if it happens as a result.

Why, once winning was no longer an option, the young guys weren't at least given a chance is beyond me. Either they're up to it, in which case you give them time, or their not ready yet, in which case you don't put them in the squad?? Surely?

[Dogs 24/7]

Welsh is the strange one.

Should not have played due to a virus.

[Mantis]

The coaching staff have there hands tied with the stupid interchange rule.

It would be a tough task to give everyone a fair run with such a limiting rule with 8 on the bench.

[Dogs 24/7]

The coaching staff have there hands tied with the stupid interchange rule.

It would be a tough task to give everyone a fair run with such a limiting rule with 8 on the bench.

You can change your starting line-up between quarters though can't you?

[Mantis]

You can change your starting line-up between quarters though can't you?

Not sure what you mean here?

[Dogs 24/7]

The coaching staff have there hands tied with the stupid interchange rule.

It would be a tough task to give everyone a fair run with such a limiting rule with 8 on the bench.


You can change your starting line-up between quarters though can't you?

To assist rotate the players and get around the 16 changes limit you can change you starting line-up between quarters.

[GVGjr]

I sort of get what you mean D24/7

[Rocket Science]

I believe changes made during the breaks also count as part of your maximum quarter quota of 16.

[W W Biscuit]

I believe changes made during the breaks also count as part of your maximum quarter quota of 16.

Well that is ludicrous if true. The NAB Cup are glorified practice matches, and should offer similar opportunities to the coaching staff for experimentation. This arbitrary rule is supposed to achieve.....what?

[hujsh]

Well that is ludicrous if true. The NAB Cup are glorified practice matches, and should offer similar opportunities to the coaching staff for experimentation. This arbitrary rule is supposed to achieve.....what?

Test whether the high rotations are causing more high speed collision injuries. Or the AFL just likes to play with the game because we love it so much

[mjp]

Interesting. Essendon hit the interchange limit in each of the first two quarters...I think we hit 12.

Ludicrous or not, the interchange limit was not the reason (and changes made during the breaks dont count).

[LostDoggy]

Well that is ludicrous if true. The NAB Cup are glorified practice matches, and should offer similar opportunities to the coaching staff for experimentation. This arbitrary rule is supposed to achieve.....what?

It is true, and it is ludicrous. I wouldn't be so extremely opposed to this rule if they didn't factor in changes made during the breaks, but it's just the AFL being the AFL and the rules committee wanting something to do.

[Bulldog Revolution]

I believe changes made during the breaks also count as part of your maximum quarter quota of 16.

They do count against your 16

[Sockeye Salmon]

Interesting. Essendon hit the interchange limit in each of the first two quarters...I think we hit 12.

Ludicrous or not, the interchange limit was not the reason (and changes made during the breaks dont count).

Yes they do

[Twodogs]

Interesting. Essendon hit the interchange limit in each of the first two quarters...I think we hit 12.

Ludicrous or not, the interchange limit was not the reason (and changes made during the breaks dont count)


Yeah they do.

[LostDoggy]

I agree they do.

[bornadog]

Well that is ludicrous if true. The NAB Cup are glorified practice matches, and should offer similar opportunities to the coaching staff for experimentation. This arbitrary rule is supposed to achieve.....what?

It achieves absolutely nothing. This experimentation is a joke.

[Dry Rot]

Kind of on point re game time in an absolute sense, why isn't Wight playing on Friday?

I would have thought it was the perfect opportunity to get some CHF time into him.

[hujsh]

Kind of on point re game time in an absolute sense, why isn't Wight playing on Friday?

I would have thought it was the perfect opportunity to get some CHF time into him.

Either injured slightly or they've given up already

[Mantis]

Either injured slightly or they've given up already

I actually think Wight has done ok at CHF. he seems to run to the right spot's on most occassions. His biggest problem so far is holding his marks and then moving the ball onto a team-mate once he has it.

[hujsh]

I actually think Wight has done ok at CHF. he seems to run to the right spot's on most occassions. His biggest problem so far is holding his marks and then moving the ball onto a team-mate once he has it.

I agree but i don't really know what the coaches think.

So the most likely reason would probably be the policy of taking no chances with injuries at this time of year

[Sockeye Salmon]

I actually think Wight has done ok at CHF. he seems to run to the right spot's on most occassions. His biggest problem so far is holding his marks and then moving the ball onto a team-mate once he has it.

I agree (we haven't been doing much of that lately).

Maybe they want to give him a full game at CHF for Willi.

[Mantis]

I agree (we haven't been doing much of that lately).

Maybe they want to give him a full game at CHF for Willi.

Would be interested to see who they play at CHF for us then. Will they revert back to Murphy in this role?

We don't seem to have many options in this area and I thought this type of game would give Wight the perfext opportunity to gain some confidence playing CHF against an AFL team.

And no we don't have to agree all the time, it would be boring if we all had the same opinions..