Change for the sake of change

That's the only way to describe the AFL’s new injury sub rule.

To be clear, the rule doesn't fix the on-going issue of concussion in the game, nor does it prevent players suffering any more injuries.

So why do it in the first place?

Football has always been a game of attrition, where the team who performs best under pressure and against the odds comes out the winner.

I thought the AFL nailed it when they introduced a mandatory concussion rule where any player who suffers a concussion must sit out to the game for 12 days – no questions asked.

But the new injury sub rule only opens the door for the game to be manipulated by the coaches – especially when the player subbed out through injury is still available to play the following week.

Some argue the game suffers when a team loses a player through injury or concussion, but last year’s Grand Final puts that argument to bed when eventual Premiers Richmond lost Nick Vlastuin to concussion early in the first quarter, but still went on to win the game.

Take yourself back to the 2020 preliminary final clash between Port Adelaide and Richmond in Adelaide.

Midway through the third quarter, Power defender Ryan Burton injured his quad, and to not affect the teams interchange rotations, Port moved him forward to play as a decoy forward for the next quarter and a half – it didn't work as he could hardly move.

But under the new injury replacement rule, Port coach Ken Hinkley could have subbed Burton out of the game through injury and replaced him with a fresh 23rd man, all the while fatigue was taking its effect on the game – giving Port Adelaide a huge advantage and the potential to change the final six-point result of the game.

Key injuries in football have always affected the outcome of matches - that's the way the cookie crumbles.

Every year during Grand Final week, footy fans focus on those players under an injury cloud. In the past clubs, were forced to make delicate decisions at selection; can the player get through the game and perform? Or will selecting them bite us in the butt?

History is littered with teams who run the Grand Final injury gauntlet and get away with it, while many others have been bitten hard and as the old saying goes, “never take injured players into a Grand Final.”

Unfortunately, tough decisions no longer need to be made, senior coaches can now simply pick the in-doubt player in the team and if their injury blows up during the match or they get concussed, they can be subbed out and replaced by a fresh 23rd player.

It is also clear to see why the new injury sub rule of introducing a fresh-player into the contest is counter-productive to the other recently installed rule changes.

To improve scoring the AFL has cut interchange rotations to 75 per team, returned to full 20minute quarters and are also restricting the player on the mark to create more play on opportunities.

The Rule has clearly been pushed hard by the coaches – who are concerned injury numbers will spike with the extra workload facing players and they will be caught out.

AFL football boss Steve Hocking stated, “the decision made is to ensure the League continues to best protect the health and safety of all players in the AFL competition.”

I ask how?

If a player gets concussed, he is ruled out through the 12-day concussion rule and if the player is injured, they receive the best medical support – both of which were on offer before, this new rule hasn't changed any of this.

Rather it is another way of showing the world how concerned the AFL is about injuries to its players and in particular head/concussion injury issue of the past, and the legal minefield that comes with it.

And even though the new rules don't fix this issue, it has been ridiculously rushed in only one day before the 2021 season kicks off.

Once again, it’s change for the sake of change.