Lyon's Request to "Rest" Fremantle players for Round 23

[Tigerdangerous]

A FAIR and EQUITABLE competition is a just and minimum expectation for any supporter of football I would have thought. However Lyons request to the AFL to be given permission to “rest” who knows how many players of his Fremantle side is very disturbing and that gold plated tosser Gary Lyon (the not so subtle mouth piece of the AFL) declares today there is nothing wrong in Fremantle asking for such an assist; “to do what it takes to win a premiership” is his illuminating take on the subject – God help us! What he doesn’t get is “resting” let’s say half the Fremantle side while the other final sides go hammer and tongs in round 23 give Fremantle a DISTINCT ADVANTAGE come their first final game which makes the concept of a FAIR and EQUITABLE competition a joke! So, let’s see how the AFL adjudicates on this – and I guess most of us know what the outcome of this unreasonable request will be. Welcome to corporate football!

 

[Rosy]

I don't get it. Can't clubs select the players they want to without needing permission? I hadn't hear that before. What's the difference with us not selecting Cotch to give him a rest for example.

 

[MurrayValleyTiger]

Would love it if we had this luxury!

 

[69 vintage]

Yeah I don't get the permission thing either there was nothing said about the dogs 6 changes last week and the saints had 7 a few weeks back .

 

[IanG]

I don't get it. Can't clubs select the players they want to without needing permission? I hadn't hear that before. What's the difference with us not selecting Cotch to give him a rest for example.

Its verging on match fixing. There is betting to consider and what if Port were in contention for the 8?

 

[year of the tiger]

Wished we had our last game against Freo happening this week .........

 

[Rosy]

Its verging on match fixing. There is betting to consider and what if Port were in contention for the 8?

Either it's legal or it's not though. Do you know of a rule that requires teams to get permission for player changes?

 

[Ruthless_Richmond]

I don't get it. Can't clubs select the players they want to without needing permission? I hadn't hear that before. What's the difference with us not selecting Cotch to give him a rest for example.

I don't get it either, coaches manage players all the time. The murky world of betting gets in the way here. As a coach I would expect freedom to select players based on my strategic goal to win the flag.

 

[Columbo]

If i was Lyon, i'd be dropping all of my starting 22 this week. Put the "general soreness" in brackets after each name. I've seen every club use that one this year. It's ridiculous if they are stopped from doing this.

 

[IanG]

Either it's legal or it's not though. Do you know of a rule that requires teams to get permission for player changes?

I know there was talk about Freo doing it in previous years dunno if there was ever an actual rule change though.

 

[Tigerdangerous]

There is a BIG difference between managing one player like their star on-baller (which they are already doing) and asking for permission to rest 50% or more of your side!

 

[jb03]

They should be allowed to rest as many as they want.

 

[year of the tiger]

simply its about the integrity of every game - its a clubs duty to try and win every game

errh ............except

when you need to rest players for long period when you cant make finals
when you like the idea of getting a higher draft pick

 

[poppa x]

A full strength Freo would probably beat Port.
And Port would drop to 12th on the ladder.
But if Port win they'll likely finish 9th.

That's a big difference in draft pick quality.
If I was Port I'd be filthy.

 

[Stylo]

A FAIR and EQUITABLE competition is a just and minimum expectation for any supporter of football I would have thought. However Lyons request to the AFL to be given permission to “rest” who knows how many players of his Fremantle side is very disturbing and that gold plated tosser Gary Lyon (the not so subtle mouth piece of the AFL) declares today there is nothing wrong in Fremantle asking for such an assist; “to do what it takes to win a premiership” is his illuminating take on the subject – God help us! What he doesn’t get is “resting” let’s say half the Fremantle side while the other final sides go hammer and tongs in round 23 give Fremantle a DISTINCT ADVANTAGE come their first final game which makes the concept of a FAIR and EQUITABLE competition a joke! So, let’s see how the AFL adjudicates on this – and I guess most of us know what the outcome of this unreasonable request will be. Welcome to corporate football!

I reckon they've earned that advantage by winning more games than any other club this year. Fair play to me.

 

[tigers80]

AFL have grants permission for the dockers to do this

 

[23.21.159]

I reckon they've earned that advantage by winning more games than any other club this year. Fair play to me.

Completely agree.
Just another example of the AFL trying to wedge rules into the competition that do nothing other than defy logic.

 

[Tigerdangerous]

It would only be FAIR if all the other finals sides were given permission to do the same (although this thread might prove to be irrelevant if the AFL decide against Lyon's request although I'd be very surprised if they did) and did, turning the game at the pointy end of the season into a bloody circus! Rules associated with the “integrity of the game” and “bringing the game into disrepute” need to be considered if the AFL likes to be seen as serious custodians of football; which I have wondered about a lot over the last few years and I’m certainly not convinced they are.

 

[ToraToraTora]

if it was us it's exactly what I would want to be doing. AFL making *smile* up as they go comes around to make them look like the incompetent idiots they are again.

 

[CarnTheTiges]

I didn't realise that a club had to have the AFL's permission to rest as many as they wanted. However this does sound rather like the 1980 midweek competition, where Richmond spent 100 minutes kicking some WA team around the park, only to realise when Michael Roach asked one of his opponents back to the rooms for a drink and the opponent replied that he wasn't old enough to drink. They'd made a final in their local comp and had a sent a virtual U19 side to face the Tigers.