Is it time to abolish the sub rule?
Both Essendon coach Brad Scott and Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell are in favour of it.
“I would prefer five on the bench, I don’t think there’s a player in the competition that enjoys the sub rule – either being the sub or being subbed off,” Scott said on Fox Footy’s AFL360.
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“I just don’t think it adds anything to the game.”
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Mitchell believes that abolishing the sub and moving to five players on the interchange bench is the way to go and could create a tactical arm-wrestle between coaches.
“I’m 100% to go to five straight on the bench,” he said.
“The tactical element of that, we might play two rucks, whereas the other side might play an extra runner, so it could give you a tactical advantage.
“Some teams might keep the fifth one until half time, especially if the (interchange) cap stays the same, how you use it becomes much more tactical, I think it could add an exciting element to the game.
“Telling someone they’re the sub every single week before the game is horrible and telling someone they’ve been subbed out of the game is horrible.”
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Neither Scott nor Mitchell knows why the AFL has a substitute rule.
“I don’t know (why we’ve got the sub),” Mitchell said.
“There are people who think it adds intrigue, I’m not sure how it adds intrigue,” Scott added.
“We’ve got this system where there’s a player who’s been subbed, they then post-game have to go and top up their running on the ground, sometimes in the dark.
“We’ve got a VFL system where there’s multiple byes, it creates all these unnecessary issues for players.
“If there’s a really good reason we’ve got a sub, I’d just love to hear it.”
Source Agencies
